I travel quite often between DC and NYC. For years, I've taken the USAir Shuttle which isn't bad but lately I decided to try the train. Acela. What a disappointment. Food=Horrible, cold, hard dry. Wi-Fi= Even more horrible. Couldnt really connect and when I did, it was so slow I just said forget it....I'll sleep. Service= "with an attitude". Are these best employee's they could find? The women were very nasty and seemed to be bothered when asked for a cup of coffee. (figures) The men seemed more pleasant...and Im a guy... Ride/Comfort= If you like riding the "Beast" rollercoaster at Kings Island, then Acela is for you! (you get the point?) Overall: I think I will go back to the US Air Shuttle. It may be a few more buck, and perhaps I have to deal with security, but overall its a much more pleasant experience than Acela. read more

I booked 4 round trip tickets (2 adult, 2 child). There were actually 3 children and only 1 adult traveling, but because there is a 2:1 passenger ratio (1 adult to 2 children) I had to purchase 2 adult and 2 child tickets. At the last minute, one of passengers cancelled. That passenger was my little niece. She had the second adult ticket in her name. My cousin (the TRUE adult traveler) brought me a child's ticket to refund! I WANT MY MONEY BACK FOR THE ADULT TICKET I PURCHASED!!!!!! Whom do I speak with about this matter? cparker@ontargetgroup.com (email me) Thanks. read more

I am from Utica, N.Y. and took the train to Rochester,N.Y.on Jan.20th and came back on Jan.22nd. I had a wonderful trip on Amtrak. I would like to tell you about the trip home from Rochester on Sunday Jan.22nd.There was a train attendant. and her name was Deborah. The train was 48 10:05. Deborah is an outstanding employee! Deborah made sure passengers were all taken care of. Also she made sure the cars were clean. Deborah has a great sense of humor! Thank you again! Sincerely, Saveria Fuller read more

Today, February 5th, I am traveling from NJ to Baltimore, Md. I arrived at Penn Station in Baltimore to encounter one of the rudest employees ever. I am also a soldier, who has returned home just last month. These are the details of the said encounter: I approached the Amtrak desk, and NO ONE, not the attendant talking to the police officer, or the woman in the next booth who was also "talking" to someone paid any attention as I stood there trying to get their atten tion. When I said "excuse me", the woman turns in her seat and says "one minute" and then CONTINUED to talk! Who are you hiring?! Where do they come from! Does this company even TRAIN the people you hire! Let me make a suggestion: SECRET SHOPPERS! Perhaps then, after observations, and reveals about your employees atrocious behavior, and how they WILL affect your BOTTOM LINE, you'll get off your butts and get rid of employees who make AMTRAK look really GHETTO! read more

My favorite way to travel from Washington, D.C. to New York City. Especially in the quiet car! Just wish they would lower the volume of announcements in the quiet car. read more

The train never showed up! (California Zephyr). Waited for over an hour. Either the board was indicating the wrong numbers on arriving trains or the train got lost. read more

We had a great experience on our trip. Employees were nice, train was on time, I loved the space between rows of seats and never felt crowded. The seats recline way back and the footrest is awesome. I would recommend bringing a pillow and blanket especially on a long trip. Also, bring your own food/snacks because the food is overpriced for the quality. You are allowed to bring a cooler on board so that is an option. We will definitely be taking the train again. read more

My two sisters and myself traveled from Greensburg Pa to Fort Lauderdale, Fla. It took over 30 hours one way to include a lay over in Philadelphia. If you are a smoker, it's just like everywhere else, no respect. They really need to upgrade their trains as we were disappointed in the space allotted in the sleeper cars, so much so that we up graded to a deluxe room on the return trip. The announcer couldn't be understood and there were no updates given at any time. The dining car was spacious enough and the food was alright for train food... All in all it was an experience we will never forget! I personally would suggest to the CEO to upgrade everything and then it would be a better experience. read more

I rode from Chicago to Los Angeles on the southwest chief train. I gave 1 star for poor customer service. I found the snack bar guy extremely rude. He did not offer me cup of ice or a box. I had to request everything. His response was very negative and told me to bring box back down for recycling. Its bad enough im paying less than 3 dollars for a can of soda. read more

Constant rail delays and old trains make Amtrak the equivalent of the horse and buggy. If you want better ontime performance and more amenities/comfort, just get a plane. The cost is slightly more but the savings in time, effort and headaches is much better. read more

It is about time that Amtrak takes some well needed lessons from European railroads. I bought a gift certificate for my 80 year old neighbors. Who thought to read the fine print, but these can only be redeemed in person. When they booked their tickets to attend their grandsons graduation in Maine, they were told they had 72 hours to travel to Philadelphia to pay for the tickets with the gift certificate. It cost them $70 for a taxi. I wrote to see if they could possibly give them an extension and it took five days to get a response. Melissa M the clerk who responded was rude and told me to read the terms the next time. I responded and asked if there was any way they could at least offer them lunch and again was told read the terms. I guess Amtrak can treat people this way when they are the only gig in our country. I know I will be canceling my Amtrak Visa card and flying or driving in the future. read more

Just took Acela Express (Business class) for the first time - from PHL to WAS. I'd say it is pretty good. Is it worth it? That depends. If you are booking travel well in advance (i.e. more than 1 day) and you are comparing Acela Express business class at $99 and the regional train anywhere from $35 to $81, I would say that it is not worth it. However, if you are booking last minute and the regional train is $91 versus the Acela Express at $99 (like I was dealing with), the extra $8 makes Acela worth it. For $8, it is worth the extra luxuries provides compared to the regional train, those being: *brighter cars - everything is much brighter colored, sunlight gets in better, and the cars are much better lit *more space - the cars are bigger, the bathrooms are bigger, walking space is more abundant, luggage space is bigger *wider leather seats - the seats in the Acela are leather compared to the fabric seats of the regional, not to mention being wider *newer cars - I am pretty sure the cars used with the regional trains are the same ones you see in the movie Trading Places (1983) just with new rugs and upholstery *free wireless - five bar strength wireless from anywhere on the train. I did not get to test the speed and reliability because on my trip the internet was not working and the conductor said it wouldn't get fixed until the train arrived in Washington. I would click the AGREE AND CONTINUE button for the terms and conditions and it would just refresh that page. *faster trip - Acela Express trips between WAS and PHL are generally 20 minutes faster than the regional trains. The biggest reason that Acela Express trains are faster than Regional trains because they make fewer stops. Whereas regional trains stop at every little stop between the major hubs, like New Carrollton, Trenton, Princeton, Metro Park, etc., Acela Express trains stop only in the major cities like Was, Phl, NYC, Wilmington, Baltimore. etc. Another minor reason it is faster is because Acela Express is no nonsense. The amount of time saved because of this is maybe a few minutes, but as a passenger it makes me happy. What do I mean by "no nonsense"? It means the trains pulls up, the passengers get off, the new passengers enter, and the train instantly zooms off. The regional, on the other hand, pulls up, stops, waits a minute before the doors open, passengers get off, new passengers get on, the train sits for a little while until the conductor deems the train ready to go. These luxuries, though, are not worth it if you are paying anywhere from $18 to $64 more, not to mention the fact that discounts don't apply to the Acela Express tickets (I can use a 10% AAA discount with regional trains but not with Acela Express trains). The major reason I don't think that the Acela is worth it (when comparing $99 vs $35-$81) is because of the time saved. If for example the Acela train did WAS to PHL in 1 hour versus the standard 2 hour for the regional, OK, but the Acela does the trip in 1:30 at best. The regional sometimes does this trip in 1:45. So you are saving very little time. If you did PHL to NYC, you are talking about 1:15 vs 1:20. Also next to nothing. NYC to BOS will save you about 40 minutes on Acela, though, which is not too bad. If you were to do a the whole trip from WAS to BOS overall you would save upwards of 1 hour. That is pretty significant. For the individual legs, though? Not significant enough to make it worth it. What you will also find is that the Acela trains do certain legs of the trip no faster than the regional trains. You are going 45mph and you are like "ummm...what? pedal to the metal please?" On a side note, the only leg of the WAS-BOS trip that goes anywhere near "high speed rail" speeds is between WAS and PHL, at least according to Amtrak. There is a kiosk showing the history of Amtrak in 30th Street station which mentions the top speeds between the different legs of the trip and it says the fastest it gets is 110mph between WAS and PHL. That makes for a theoretical best time of 1:27, which some trains are quoted to be on the Amtrak website. Just realize, though, if Amtrak could achieve the speeds of the bullet trains in China, though, the trip could be made in under one hour. Final verdict? If you are buying a ticket last minute at the station, just get the Acela, for a few extra bucks it is worth it. If you are buying a ticket ahead of time, save your money and stick with the regional. read more

I have an emotional support animal. I have terrible anxiety especially when it comes to traveling. Especially trains since everyone I have taken has been delayed at least 2 hours and my last one ran over someone (suicide) and the train was delayed 4 HOURS!!! I had a panic attack. I called customer service to see if they would allow my ESA (50 lb beagle) but they will not.I'll never use Amtrak again unless they being to allow Emotional support Animals, which the denounce to comfort animals. With the "dog friendly" way the US is headed Amtrak will definitely lose potential customers to other modes of transportation, even ones that can be much more expensive. I am now taking a plane to my destination!! Peace out Amtrak, you have been of terrible service to me! read more

$130 one way from NY to Boston. Apparently Amtrak over sells their tickets, so I am standing for over 3 hours. Drive next time.

My name is Katherine Elam, my husband and I booked tickets on your Crescent 20 last night. I was supposed to depart at 8:00 PM. It was an hour late. Upon boarding the coach train car we realized the air conditioning was not working. An employee told us they were working on fixing the air conditioning before we left. A few moments later the train pulled away and we were told the ac was never fixed. We were never given the option to get off the train and wait for a later one or take a credit for a later trip. Even so, the conductor came into the only car without air conditioning and said this was a choice that we made and it we wanted to get off we should have. To which every passenger stated aloud we were never given a choice. We were never told we would have to ride all the way to Charlotte from Atlanta without air conditioning! Then to make matters worse Amtrak hit and killed a woman in Gaffney on the way to Charlotte. Not one employee even made an announcement about it. We stopped and were frightened and worried as fire trucks, police cars, and ambulances surrounded the train but not one person thought of making an announcement to the passengers. Then we finally arrive at Charlotte, where we were told the ac would be fixed. After people board and an employee starts checking tickets I ask him, when we would know about the status of the air conditioning because my husband and I would not choose to travel without air conditioning any longer and the employee looked at me stunned. He informed me that they already knew the ac could not be fixed and we would be pulling from station within minutes. Again, not one announcement was made and we were never given a choice to travel under better conditions. I immediately asked to speak with the conductor. Our crew had just switched shifts and I asked the new conductor if there were any other open seats on the whole train and he said he didn't know. How is this reasonable? You have an entire car of people sitting in a car without air conditioning and you are not looking for every available seat to put them in? We chose to get off the train after being told we would not have ac for the entirety of our ride back to Virginia, another 9 hours in addition to the eight we had already suffered in distress. We then waited two hours in Charlotte for the next train to come. We got delayed around Richmond by rail traffic and we will now be arriving at our destination after 4:30PM. We were supposed to be there at 9:53 AM! My mother who I was supposed to spend the day with, but who is flying to Oregon tonight can no longer pick us up from the train station. So now my husband and I have to pay a $130.00 cab ride from DC to Ashburn when my mother was willing to pick us up for free. Frankly I am appalled at your lack of ability to timely transport passengers from one region to another, your customer service, and most importantly your safety precautions and practices. Your employees never communicated the problem with air conditioning adequately to your customers. Your engineer hit and killed a woman while more than 200 passengers were on the train and never communicated the incident to it's riders. Then our second train was delayed outside of Richmond for at least 30 minutes to the point we missed our other travel arrangements and time with my mother before she leaves town. It is taking us over 20 hours to get from Georgia to Virginia. I expect a full refund for our tickets and a sincere apology from Amtrak. Please let me know who I need to call directly to receive these two things since when I spoke with customer relations last night they told me that was not possible. read more

There have been times when I've booked bus fare to NY for an amazing deal. I don't regret my purchase, except when we're sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic on the freeway, or when the bus driver nearly rear ends the car in front of us while driving at 80 mph. And to top that off, we never arrive at the scheduled time, either! So for my recent weekend trip, we decided to splurge and take the train. If you book 14 days ahead of time, a one-way ticket at specified times will cost you $49. Well, that never happens with my work schedule, so we paid $76 per person. However, if you book fare 3 days ahead of your scheduled date, you can apply discount codes such as AAA (10% off). The website is really strict on this, too, as I discovered that I was not able to secure the discount a few strokes after midnight. We were able to print our boarding passes at a kiosk at Union Station, the train ran on time, the car was clean and comfortable, and we were in New York in 3 hours. Well worth the extra expense! read more

If you decide to travel in a private room, my advice to you is - hold onto your valuables. We caught our train attendant, Pete, going through our things. He told us he was changing the sheets - an hour into the ride, with 5 more hours to go. At the end of the ride we realized that our wallet, which never left the room, was missing. What's worse - the train attendant actually asked us to wait 24 hours before doing anything, in case the wallet turns up. It didn't. We called customer service - they told us to call during the work week (it was Sunday.) We called on Monday - they opened a case and we haven't heard from them after that. A week later we called to follow up - and the representative told us that we should have called Amtrak police. Nobody told us this entity even existed. Very well, we reported the theft to Amtrak police, and today, two months after the incident, we are still waiting for the resolution. Oh, and the detective in charge of our case is now on a month-long vacation, and nobody else can touch his cases. read more

On July 5, 2016, my family and I were scheduled to board the Southwest Chief (train number three) departing from Gallup, New Mexico, at 7:08 PM and arriving in Fullerton, California at 6:44 AM on July 6, 2016. At 5:08 PM on July 5, 2016, I received a text message stating: "Your departure on Amtrak train 0003 has been delayed. Estimated departure is now 9:25 PM. Please note that trains can make up or lose time." I received a second message within the same minute that read: "Please arrive at the station at least 30 minutes before the departure time. 1 hour if needing station assistance and 2 hours for Auto Train." At 9:15 PM, my family and I headed to the boarding area to wait for the train. About ten minutes after the train was supposed to arrive, I checked the train status online and it said the train had been further delayed and was now set to arrive at 10:51 PM. At approximately 11:00 PM the train finally arrived. While boarding, I asked one of the conductors, "What was the delay?" She looked up at me as if I just asked her how much she weighed and sarcastically said, "Well, there was a crazy guy, an engine, and a few other things." I was appalled at her unprofessional and rude attitude. After waiting over four hours for the train to arrive, I should have been greeted with more courtesy and respect. We did not arrive to our seats until about 11:15 PM and, since we boarded so late, the "snack bar" was already closed. My 6 year old daughter had already fallen asleep at the train station, laying across her dad's luggage, so once we boarded the train and found our seats, she fell asleep instantly. Around 5:15 AM, I was awaken by my daughter vomiting on our backpacks and shoes on the floor of the train. I cleaned up what I could and rushed her to the restroom. My husband followed me to the restroom and we both consoled my daughter while she was vomiting in the sink. The three of us were in the larger restroom at the end of the hall that has two sinks, an attached stool, a bench, and an adjoining toilet. I pulled the "Pull to Call" knob for some assistance and waited over 15 minutes and still no one came. My husband then went back upstairs to look for a conductor. He went from train to train and finally found four conductors/employees sitting in the snack bar area. Immediately, he was rudely told, "We're closed!" He advised them that he was not there to purchase anything and that I was in the restroom with our 6 year old daughter who was vomiting and we needed assistance. Without an ounce of empathy, a heavyset conductor told my husband that they might have to remove our daughter from the train. He asked, "So, what are we supposed to do? Sit in that restroom the whole entire trip?" She told him that was basically our only option. My husband stormed back to the restroom where I was, explained to me what was said, and then we sat with our daughter. We did not have any food or water. About 20 minutes later, the same heavyset conductor knocked on the restroom door and asked us if my daughter was sick due to a viral infection. I advised her that it was not an infection and that it was motion sickness. I knew for a fact that it was nothing else, like food poisoning, because my daughter and I shared a plate at dinner the night before. My daughter has traveled on the Amtrak since she was two years old and she has never fallen ill. Of our many travels, whether it be by plane, train, boat, or automobile, my daughter has never gotten motion sickness. I believe she suffered from the motion sickness on this particular trip because her body did not have time to acclimate to the movement of the train. Upon boarding the train, she instantly fell asleep, whereas in the past, she had time to walk around, play card games, eat a snack, etc. While I sat with my daughter, my husband went looking for answers about our delay. He found the same heavyset conductor and asked her when we would arrive at our destination. She told him it would be another eight or nine hours! My husband was speechless. We were originally supposed to arrive at our destination at 6:44 AM and we knew we had a four hour delay, but eight or nine more hours? She began by explaining that her crew was all late, which put us behind by an additional hour or two and that the engine went down. We are unclear as to the real details because we were given bits and pieces of information that did not make sense. This whole situation was becoming more and more stressful. Using what we were being told by the conductors, and by our own calculations, we would not be home until sometime around 4:30 PM. We were already very late in getting home, as our original arrival time was 6:44 AM and it was already 9:00AM. My husband and I both had commitments when we arrived home and we could not afford to be any later. We decided to exit the train in Barstow, rent a car, and drive the rest of the way home. We were all extremely exhausted: mentally, physically, and emotionally. read more

Amtrak needs competition! If another company could transport people using the rail lines, I'll bet service would be better overnight. Most of conductors are alright, but the ones who are bad are really awful! I wonder where they find some of these uneducated, bullies? The ride to NY should definitely be cheaper, next time I'm taking the Bolt bus for $20 and then I'll get a nice steak dinner while I'm there with the money I saved NOT taking Am-CRACK! read more

It would be better to walk. I had a trip planned and paid for online but was forced to go all the way to Flagstaff to pick up paper tickets. Dark Ages much? I was excited to travel starting April 30,2019. On March 15th I had a fall and experienced a head injury with mild concussion. Doctor says no travel in the foreseeable future. Very sad. I cancelled my reservation but was forced to make another six hour trip to Flag for the refund. My USA RailPass was $459 and they refunded only 344.25! What the heck? A refund fee of 114.00. Nothing I could do. Amtak's new Chief of Greed Officer in Washington is a miserable cheat. I could see $35 or even $40, but over $100 pure GREED. And why could they not just cancel my tickets? And refund to my credit card? They have to check ID before you board so obviously no one else could use them. Amtrak is completely out of touch with technology and the modern world. I couldn't send someone else to get the refund, it had to be me. At least I had a driver but six hours in the car was pure hell for me. read more

DO NOT USE AMTRAK! I booked an Acela ticket on Amtrak for travel this past Monday and they charged my debit card for several tickets as opposed to the one I purchased. I was told that there was a glitch in their system and it would take up to 15 days to get reimbursed. The customer service agents were not helpful and told me that my request would be added to the pile. I informed them that I needed to eat, etc and they did not care. This was their mistake and it should have been taken care of immediatly and even an apology would be nice. Apparently this happens frequently with Amtrak so if you MUST use Amtak, I would suggest using your credit card as opoosed to a debit card. read more

Trip from Barstow CA to Chicago, Chicago to Erie and back again. I was looking so forward to this trip by train, my first train ride. What a joke, dirty, disgusting, broken doors, showers were awful...and to top it off on the Southwest Chief I had my purse rifled through and I can prove it was the gal who was taking care of our particular car, $100 stolen and my daughters purse rifled through also. It has taken me a few months to get over this because I had such faith in this means of transportation. I agree with the person who writes, bus transportation, with a plane price tag....never again, it was a nightmare. read more

I was traveling from DC to Philly. It had been a seriously long day. I was up at 4:30 AM and had a meeting to work for John Kerry. Not as his staff, but as a subcontractor. I was running late for my train but made it at 7pm and still had to get to another train once I got to Philly. I was one of the first through the gate to get into the train area and I saw the business class car, so I got on. There was no one in the car, but I was first through so I figured it would fill up later. But things seemed weird in that the seats were all facing the wrong way. So I made my way to the cafe car and asked where the seats were facing the correct way. The man told me where the front of the train was and where the business class car was by pointing to where I came from. So I figured we were going to go backwards...it works that way in Europe a lot because the seats all face each other. I went back to the car and started to take of my coat, loosen my tie, get out my computer, and prepare for a ride home. I got a good seat with a table and was facing the right way. Then a short fat white guy with a name badge that read "Ready" and a serious attitude got on and said: "where the hell are you going, the Yard? (meaning train yard) I explained what had transpired in the cafe car and thought I was in the right place. Of course I was not PURPOSELY trying to make a mistake. He then treated me like I was a complete idiot and said "this train ain't going anywhere, you see anyone else on this train? you got to pay attention and stop being an stupid." I apologized but reiterated what I had been told. He said laughingly "your train is over there, I should'a just left you here." I gathered my stuff, because I was rattled and frustrated and downright embarrassed. I started towards the food car explaining that I wanted to have a word with the guy in the cafe car and ask why he lead me down the wrong road. The conductor told me I wasn't going anywhere and to "get the hell off the train." He asked why I wanted to talk to the guy and I said it was because he was an asshole and I wanted to know why. The conductor said in a threatening manner "No, you are the asshole! Get the hell off the train!" I got off the train, took out my phone and took a picture of the bully conductor as I was walking to the next train. He then got on his radio and called in a "situation." I could hear the radios all over as all the employees started to make comments and wise cracks. I was so Rattled I forgot the lap top that I had taken on the first train. I realized my mistake and ran back to get it. When I got back to my seat there were no less than 5 cops who wanted to talk to me and said that the conductor said that I had cursed at him and threatened him. Needless to say, they were not interested in my side of the story, as all gangs must protect their own - I get it, although they did feign interest. They were really just telling me the conductors side and that I was screwed.How hard would it have been for Mr Ready to say, Sir, your train is on the other side of the platform, this one is out of service; or for the man in the cafe car to have said the same? Thanks Amtrak. You guys rock!! read more

I think I found the rudest SCA EVER! His name is Rene and worked the SWC #3 leaving CHI on Saturday 28 May. I ended up in the trans-dorm so I understand that he now has a car and a half to deal with. We left at 3 PM on time and around 4:00 he stopped by the room closest to his full car and introduced himself and explained about the features of the car and then left. He forgot about the rest of us. At 4:45 I turned on my call light which remained on for 30 solid minutes. I then went back to the diner to find out where the Conductor was. Peggy, the other SCA, God I wish I was in her car. She was every so nice. Anyway, Peggy helped form a search party for Rene and we found him holed up in his room reading a paperback book. Good thing I was not having a medical emergency here. Anyway he came back to the room with me and I had to ask him about the features of the Transdorm. I did not know showers were on the second level or that everything, water, coffee, bath towels, life was one car back. Great. 6 Pm comes and I am exhausted and we see each other in the Trans-Drom hallway and I say in half an hour I will be ready to turn in. 6:45 comes around and no Rene. Turn the light on again for him. 7:30 no Rene. I saw the conductor pass my room and advised him of the length my call light had been on. He found Rene somewhere who came to my room and I point blank said you forgot about me, at 6 I had said I would be ready to turn in at 6:30. He admitted he did forget. The second night about 7:30 I was ready for the room to be converted and the same thing, light on for 45 minutes no Rene. By this time we had arrived and left at a very quick slow to 5 type station and the conductor who escorted some new passengers across the hall from me said he would get the SCA for them. Before he left I explained yet again my call light situation. After Rene came to speak with the new passengers he turned to me before he started to make there beds up and asked if I was ready. I at this point got tired of biting my tongue and and said I have been ready for some time. He snapped back over his shoulder as he makes up the other room, "I will just leave if you want me to." When he finished their room he was then ready to do mine. He slammed the top bunk down, threw the bed set up on the lower bunk...which amazingly looked perfectly made up, and then slammed the upper bunk back up and said there and stormed off after I asked for a 4:30 AM wake-up call for the 5 AM breakfast. Now, I don't know if he did this or if it was just coincidence, but all of a sudden the heat came on in the room and the hall way but was cold in the bathroom. A conductor was downstairs and he switched the cold back on. I laid on top of the covers reading whilist the room cooled off again and then when I went to get under the covers, everything was all askew. It was not even made properly. I fortunately sleep with the curtains open because I enjoy seeing the stars at night and can gage what time of the morning it is because at 4:40 AM I discovered I never got my wake-up call. I know if I say anything to customer service it wont get very far. Any recommendations to ensure the top brass know about this type treatment? read more

Try changing your ticket on the phone with Amtrak. Truly a Kafkaesque experience, and I didn't have to travel to a European country to have it. If you upgrade an existing ticket that was paid for with a credit/debit card, the original transaction will be cancelled and replaced with a new charge reflecting the higher price. Your money will be refunded to your card, but only after a 3 to 7-day period of time, which means that unless you keep tens of thousands of dollars in your checking account, your funds will be recognized by your bank as unavailable for the price of multiple tickets, and your card frozen. This happened to me yesterday. I spent an hour with a bank representative who issued me instructions for dealing with Amtrak to facilitate a speedier refund. But when I called Amtrak's Refund Department, the representative flatly refused to consider following my bank's suggestions. When I asked to speak to a supervisor, the Refund person refused. It just goes to show what can happen when you're the only game in town...the subtext being: If you don't like our service, why not try the other train company? I like traveling on the train once I'm on the train. But the customer service is beyond horrible. It's downright mean and a little vindictive. read more

Amtrak is a terrible company. I tried to call and get a refund within an hour after purchasing a 10 ride pass. The rep never processed it and I had to call back the next day. When I called back the next day I found out the rep not only didn't put it through the system, but now I would be charged a 20% cancelation fee on top of everything. I was transferred to customer relations rep who was extremely unhelpful and rude. The customer relations rep would not waive the cancelation fee even though it was the fault of Amtrak for not putting the cancelation through even though I canceled within the hour of purchase. I was going to use the Amtrak for my daily commute to work, but because of this I think I will stick to the metro north. They just lost a $700 a month customer over this treatment. read more

I decided to use Amtrak to visit my pregnant daughter in Woodbridge., VA. I always wanted to ride a train and this was my opportunity. I boarded the train with my 2 pieces of luggage and was provided no assistance to get it up the steep narrow ramp (not a problem). I left the Newport News, VA station on time with my destination being Quantico, VA. We pulled into the Quantico Station 50 minutes later than the posted arrival time. I gathered my luggage and waited for the Steward to open the door. NO STEWARD. I was in the business section and asked the restaurant attendant was the door suppose to open where I was or should I go to another part of the train. He stated we must not be at the right stop. I could see my daughter waiting outside so I knew we were at the right stop. I asked him could he call the Steward and he said he had no way to reach him (STRANGE). I told him this was my stop and asked where would I find him. He said towards the other end of the train. I proceeded to the other end of the train and it began moving. I got to the the last car and there were 2 Stewards. I told the Head Steward (the person that came to the business section to collect tickets and also let others on and off) that I was suppose to get off at Quantico. He responded: "I thought I had someone who was to get off there!" (Yeah me). He said he had to deal with an unruly passenger. His solution was to let me get off at the Franconia/Springfield or Alexandria station (20 minutes or more away) and he would put me in a cab back to Quantico. Let me calculate this, I am already 50 mintues late, I have to go 20 more minutes to Franconia/Springfield or Alexandria, I have to find a cab (minutes unknown), I have to explain how Amtrak is paying the fare, I catch the cab back to Quantico (20 minutes) and everything is fine (NOT!!!) My daughter said she would find the Springfield Station instead of letting it take me further away to Alexandria. I HAVE A SOLUTION FOR AMTRAK TO KEEP CUSTOMERS 1) MAKE SURE THERE ARE ENOUGH STEWARDS TO ATTEND TO THE PASSENGERS, 2) MAKE SURE MORE THAN ONE STEWARD KNOWS THE DESTINATIONS OF THE PASSENGERS, 3) MAKE SURE THE RESTAURANT ATTENDANT CAN CONTACT THE STEWARD IF NECESSARY (I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE HE HAD NO WAY TO CONTACT THE STEWARD); AND 4) I GUESS I SHOULD NOT EXPECTED TOO MUCH (REACHING MY DESTINATION IN A TIMELY MANNER). Shelia - A dissatisfied customer!!!! read more

Amtrak has provided some of the worst travel experiences I've been through and never have I felt less valued as a customer than when I've conversed with Amtrak's rude, uncaring customer service reps. Without fail, every ride (mostly from Chicago to Holland, MI) has been delayed anywhere from 30 mins to many hours, with no apologies and no amenities/provisions to help the irritated passengers. A friend of mine was once delayed for 10 hours in the winter (on a trip that should have been 4) due to delays causing Amtrak the need to switch out union crew. The customer is never first. I recently dealt with one of the rudest customer service reps I've ever spoken to in trying to secure travel for my service dog. Amtrak does not consider emotional support animals to be service animals, even though he is doctor appointed, and I have flown on airlines repeatedly with my dog with ease. In trying to discuss this with customer service, I was ever so rudely dared to get a lawyer involved (which never even crossed my mind!), and that she didn't care what I did. From the moment we began conversing, she was short and treated me with disrespect. Unfortunately, this is not the first time I've had incredibly shocking customer relations with Amtrak personnel. Amtrak is a monopoly on train travel, and up until my last interaction I rode it with a grain of salt, knowing it's far from perfect. Amtrak used to be much more affordable, with no charge for baggage, but now there is a "checked bag" fee and bags cannot weigh more than 50 lbs. I'm sorry, but are we going up into the sky, thereby needing restrictions on weight?? Ticket prices continue to go up, but for what? There are no reserved seats, which causes everyone to panic and hustle in trying to find a place before the train leaves the station. Nothing is complimentary, there is no entertainment. Wifi is essentially useless, so bring a book. Departure times have grown increasingly earlier and now the train leaves my station at the only time of 6:54 AM! My family lives, as many people do, more than hour from the station, which means the need to leave one's house before 5:30 AM. Is this seriously the best option for Amtrak? I can't possibly understand why. After my recent experiences, I was luckily able to cancel my reservation, and booked a one-way Enterprise rental car instead. Which, along with being much more convenient, relaxing, and spacious, ended up being cheaper! If I can help it, I will never give Amtrak another dime. read more

Time to Modernize - as we near the year 2020, can Amtrak please seriously benchmark and reassess it's level of service? The ticket prices are sky high for the Acela service, and the Quiet Car (where even the conductors scream "ALL TICKETS" and make idle conversation with passengers as they scan documents) is always full - so doesn't that signal to management we need MORE quiet cars? Imagine an app that shows the available seats so we don't have to COMB through the train begging for someone to move their briefcase aside, or better yet, just assign all seats like Amtrak now does for first class. I'd bet a majority of folks appreciate more peace in today's world and seek less stress. The food offerings cannot compare to those offered in other countries - and the chaos at Penn Station lining up in that atrium (and other primary stops as well) has not improved in decades. It's not clear what 'priority' boarding is, and the signage is, well, invisible? I know Congress foolishly refuses to support public transportation subsidies so I do have a soft spot for Amtrak, and I use it. But, where is the LEADERSHIP in modernizing this service to give passengers better service options, especially when prices are higher than hopping a flight instead? The US can do better. read more

The last time I road Amtrak was in 1975 from Denver to Chicago and it was a long miserable experience. I am traveling today in Business Class from Washington DC to NYC and I see nothing has changed. Now that I can afford a better fare than a coach seat, I had hoped that Business Class on the train would provide an enjoyable travel experience, which has been sorely lacking in the airline industry since 9/11. The p.a. system had a loud screeching sound that was more than annoying, not only drowning out all announcements, but continuing on once an announcement was made. The other passengers sat in their seats looking resigned to listening to the obnoxious noise to whatever destination they were traveling so I figured this must be standard fare for Amtrak. I wandered through the cars and finally came across conductor, Farnsworth, who was seated and I asked him about it. He was abrupt, and rudely told me he was aware of it and would fix it at some point. I asked when that would be because if ti was going to be long I would prefer to trade my business class ticket for a coach ticket and would sit in the "quite" car. He said he didn't really car what I did and dismissed me. With Amtrak's poor reputation, I would think that the company would try to provide better service to all travelers and particularly those paying a premium for service. read more

This was our first trip from Union Station DC to Penn Station NY. We got a bit turned around on the way in and when we finally parked, it was a little confusing getting from the lot to the station (the escalators were all going up only). Though once we found our way, it was pretty smooth sailing from there. The train to NYC left at 4 am on the dot! I'm unsure if earlier trains like this are less likely to encounter delays. Also, on the upside, traffic into DC at that hour was non-existent. And all of the stops our train made along the way were timed to perfection. We were pulling into Penn Station at 7:20 a.m (we slept almost the whole way.) I found there to be plenty of legroom. And with free wi-fi, and outlets to plug our phones and iPad in, there was nothing more we could ask for. Overall, I think that getting into NYC by train has got to be the best way to go all the way around (cost, convenience, speed). I've heard different things about taking the Acela, however, considering the cost difference for the minimal time you gain, the regional commuter was just fine for us. I REALLY can't wait to go again :-) read more

While Amtrak does have its downfalls, especially when compared to European systems, it is still an excellent way to get around (especially within the northeast). The employees are always really nice, the tickets are moderately priced, and faster then flying within the northeast. For example, traveling between DC and New York takes under four hours (or under 3 if you take the Acela) and it just really beats flying, thing the bus, or driving. Overall, taking Amtrak is really just a much nicer way to travel. read more

Missed an important meeting July 27 taking 5.5 hours to get from NYC to DC. Trip made much worse by unreliable wifi.

I think Amtrak is a huge waste of money and needs to be modernized asap. They don't even have wireless on the trains and yet they cater to businesspeople? Huh? The buses have wireless! Come on! I think Amtrak is intensely overpriced for what it is. Sure people like trains more than buses because you can walk around and there's a food car but it's not worth $100 more per ticket to me. I took Amtrak recently from DC to Albany because for long distances the prices are a bit lower than if I was just going to NYC. I had to study for a test so I figured I could do that more easily on a train than on a bus. Flying to Albany is annoying because it really has to be from BWI so I went for the train. It happens really infrequently and probably won't happen again until at least December. When it is snowing the train can be more reliable than trying to fly. I can see why the govt is always bailing out Amtrak and it needs to join the 21st century fast if it wants to survive. read more

The worst company ever. You'd think after 100+ years of having trains we'd figure out how to schedule trains on time. Amtrak clearly has no concept of time. My real complaint with Amtrak is not their constant delays. It is their terrible customer service and representatives, on the train and on the phone. Reps on the train are non transparent and do not let you know about delays. I have seen them shout and rudely snap at customers who simply ask fair questions. Amtrak's phone reps are the worst. After waiting on hold for an hour or two, I can guarantee it'll take even longer for these incompetent people to find a solution for you. Expect less than the bare minimum when you ride with Amtrak. read more

I had a horrible experience with Amtrak. First of all the Amtrak staff at the station guided me to the wrong train causing me to miss my flight that day. Not only that but when I had to take a train back towards my destination the conductor accuses me of trying to get on the train for free embarrassing me in front of the other passengers. Missing my flight caused me to reschedule my flight with an ADDITIONAL cost of $487. This situation could have been easily avoided had staff been more diligent and aware. When I tried contacting Amtrak about the situation it took a few months only for them to conclude that while they might be at fault I would still have to bear the cost of my flight change and there was nothing else they could do for me. Amtrak did however give me $50 dollar voucher which they made sure to communicate was "more than generous" of them to do. But with such a lack of empathy and care for their passengers why would I want to use them again? Honestly if you need to get to BWI airport from Arlington Virginia pay the extra money for a rental car, taxi, or shuttle service. It will save you a piece of mind and in my situation a lot cheaper. read more

I love Amtrak. Every once in a while they even have really good deals going. It's the best way to travel those 3-6 hour routes. Expensive, yes. But trust me, I did those disgusting, uncomfortable bus trips all throughout college - spending the extra $50 or so is worth it. read more

Love taking the Acela Express from DC to NYC. On our way there, we traveled business class. On our way back we traveled first class. The seats are pretty much the same, but for an extra $350 in first class, you have Acela Club access and you are served a meal. It turns out the food in the regular Amtrak cafe, a $7 burger which we think is fairly priced, is much better than the meal they serve you in first class. What you're really spending the extra $350 on is the club access and that is only worth it if you get there earlier enough to have to wait. Just make sure it's open. Penn Station club was closed for renovation. read more

I haven't been on an eastern Amtrak train in about 10 years, because last time I took Amtrak from Richmond, Va. to Alexandria, Va.( a 2 hour drive) it took 7 hours on Amtrak!! We were constantly stopping to let CSX trains go by, and then we had some mechanical issues. We sat on the track, they turned off the a/c.. And it was JUNE!!! We were exhausted by the time we arrived, and the employees? Well, they seemed to disappear and the conductor barely communicated. So, flash forward ... My husband decided we should try Amtrak for a trip on the Silver Star, train 91, from New York to Richmond. We were hoping for a good experience, especially since flying would have been cheaper!! We arranged to have a sleeping room, since Amtrak coach passengers are generally rude; they talk continuously on their phones and their music can be heard by others... All in all, not a pleasant experience when one has to be on the train for a long time! Btw, on the West coast trains, the conductor makes an announcement when train starts out, telling passengers that no one else really wants to hear their music or their phone conversations... so Much nicer and civilized compared to taking Amtrak on the East coast where passengers seem to have no regard for other passengers and conductors don't keep passengers informed. Our sleeping room attendant seemed nice enough, but had disappeared when we wondered why the train was delayed( about 1 hour) for what seemed like no reason. Also, there was no coffee available by the drink area. This is normally One of the sleeping car amenities. After seeing one employee walk by our sleeping car and asking for coffee, we continued to wait for over 30 minutes. I had to walk up to the dining car to request coffee. I didn't mind the walk, however, when I saw my sleeping room attendant as well as other attendants sitting down either talking or playing on their cell phones, I wasn't thrilled. We paid extra $$ for quiet and additional amenities, but we were disappointed. The room was extremely small for two people... but all in all, better than sitting in coach. We decided to use the coach bathroom, even though there was one in our tiny sleeping area. That was a MISTAKE! It was filthy, and the paper towels were overflowing out of the trash can... Why can't someone keep this clean? I agree with others; Amtrak is a monopoly, and has been saved by our government too many times! The employees are not friendly in general, and realize this is like a government job. I wish Amtrak had competition... Maybe they would actually be forced to do a good job for their passengers! I think it will be awhile before I get back on Amtrak again. read more

Amtrak kicked us off a train because they mistakenly thought our connecting train was canceled due to flooding. They refuse to refund us. In addition the customer service representative, Mike, just hung up the phone on me. read more