V-Flyer

Thought I would drop a quick TR on the Acela train trip we took from New York Penn to Washington DC Union Stations.

Booked this a long time ago and plumped for First Class - not cheap!!!

Anyway the morning of the trip arrived and we checked out of our hotel on W44th St and made our way 20m to the Subway ACE 42nd St Station. Lugged our now 4 bags down and onto the train. On arrival at Penn Station - the next stop - we located the correct exit and a staff member said to use the emergency exit door as we had luggage - we did and alarms went off but no one paid any attention.

We found the Amtrak section and made our way to the Club Acela lounge. Ticket checked and I ordered a Red Cap. Lounge is pretty basic but they did have coffee and danishes. A short while later we were paged and the Red Cap took our luggage and escorted us to the train going straight to the front of the queue and down to the platform or Track as our cousins call it.

Luggage placed in the racks and we snagged a pair of single seats with a table. The space is amazing - the overhead lockers would easily fit a medium/large suitcase, the seats big, wide and recline. In a 2 and 1 arrangement which switches midway down the car, with tables of 2, tables of 4, pairs and single seats. The only drawback is that they don't reserve individual seats - only the ticket is valid for a specific train and you just grab an empty seat on boarding. Not that it was busy.

Being First it is full service and as soon as the train departed menus were handed out and drinks orders taken - Prosecco was requested despite it being 1100. Bigs glasses were duly delivered and quaffed. Breakfast was available until 1200 post which lunch would be on offer. The OH had breakfast and lunch and I just waited for lunch. The food was of airline standard and quite edible.

Refills of Prosecco were offered and accepted - but when we asked for further refills we were informed with a big smile that we had drunk them dry - so we moved on to red wine.

The train travels via Newark, Trenton, Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore and certainly speeds along. I had always heard that Amtrak weren't very good but have to say this was excellent - the crew were always walking through checking everyone was OK and providing refills and tidying up etc.

All too soon we pulled into Union Station, 4 minutes ahead of schedule. The station building is an architectural gem and is a complete contrast to the hole that is New York Penn Station. They should never have torn down the original station - although it would appear they have limited MSG to a 10 year operating license so maybe a new New York Penn station could be on the cards.

Thanks for the TR, I've done the Amtrak trip from Maryland to NJ in regular class and found it quite adequate. Reading your TR has inspired me to try First next time.

The only way to travel between NY and DC or NY and Boston is the Amtrak IMO ... First is not the most luxurious but as you say it's spacey, the WiFi is free, the staff are usually great and while the tuck is airline style it usually suffices. You also get some great views - is Union Station finished, I was last there in the summer and there was scaffolding everywhere. Hopefully when the US Post Office in NY is converted to a station to replace Penn it will regain some grace, as you say Penn itself is a bit of a dive.

Union Station was, at least the bits we saw, scaffolding free and stunning.

It was a murky day but the view from the train was still very nice - got some good shots of reflections as we crossed various estuaries.

Thanks for the interesting TR.

I've always thought there was a certain romance in US railways. Probably all derived from cowboy films, and based on fact that you can wander along tracks, the fact you have to step down from the train, that lonesome midnight whistle and the grace and power of places like Union Station, designed and built by people who understood that form can influence function.

All knocked out of me when I took a train from Penn Station.....

pjh wrote:Thanks for the interesting TR.

I've always thought there was a certain romance in US railways. Probably all derived from cowboy films, and based on fact that you can wander along tracks, the fact you have to step down from the train, that lonesome midnight whistle and the grace and power of places like Union Station, designed and built by people who understood that form can influence function.

All knocked out of me when I took a train from Penn Station.....

Lol brilliant