Ride the Amtrak Acela
Have you heard about one of Amtrak's fastest trains, which Amtrak calls the Acela? If you haven't yet taken a trip on it, a trip should be something you should keep on your bucket list. But to take a trip on one, this article can help explain this process.
Steps
- Try to understand the Acela train route. The Acela train travels over the same route as that of the Northeast Corridor's route (from Boston's South Station to Washington's Union Station), making some major stops in cities between these stations from Boston, MA to Washington, DC including some major stops in New York (NY), Philadelphia(PA), Wilmington (DE), Baltimore (MD) and leading up to Washington (DC). Though multiple lines are running through and around the path where the Acela runs, there is only one single line to and from the places that the Acela will run on.
- Understand some of the other intended stops. It does make a few other stops on the line, especially from New York and points south. If it stops at one point, it won't stop at the other (look at Acela's timetable and watch these differences are affected). Although it has stops in Newark (never at Newark International Airport) and Metropark, NJ, if it stops at one station, it definitely won't stop at the other.
- It also takes up a few stops in Southern Massachusetts (not nearby Cape Cod), Rhode Island, and Connecticut. It does make a stop or two in Southern Westchester County (New Rochelle as being one of its biggest stops in New York).
- Obtain a schedule of train departures and arrivals to see when and exactly where the Acela train will stop at the designated station. Amtrak no longer publishes paper schedules so that they may be obtained through the Amtrak Website. Although most often, the Acela will have a train coming through about once every hour, due to seasonal changes and other track maintenance/work and other unintended delays, its schedule can be delayed at times.
- Realize that the train may be stopped for up to one hour in New York, NY (Penn Station), as this stop is its largest and most regularly-boarded stop on the route. It will take them a while to debunk and collect passengers. Then they wait until the rest of the nearby track is clear (near the Hudson River crossing into New Jersey) and then take off again; all a process of about the hours wait. However, don't dilly-dally around when they say your train is "now boarding" from the timetable board.
- Purchase a seat from the Amtrak website, via the Self Service kiosk, or another official Amtrak-approved method. Obtain some money to pay for the intended trip. It's best to pay for an Acela trip as soon as those days are available to be seen directly from Amtrak's website, as fares for those days are always cheaper, and will always cost more as the trip-date nears. For a trip from New York to Washington, most Acela trains will run you $200-$300 from your pocket (and even more if you request to be upgraded to First Class/Business).
- Pick up your tickets a few days before the trip (if you haven't already thought about that differently). Be sure to print out your Amtrak "receipt" and scan it into the self-service TripTicket kiosk, or if the nearby stationmaster can assist you, most stations will be able to print you out your tickets from that specific itinerary. If purchased from the Amtrak mobile app or the Amtrak website, you can also have your tickets forwarded right to your virtual wallet on your phone.
- Board your train when the station board says that your train is "Now Boarding" for that train number.
- Be prepared to hand your Acela ticket to the Amtrak staff, who will come around to collect them. If you purchased a digital ticket that can be displayed on the phone, make sure the pass is open in the virtual wallet on your phone so that the scanning experience for the train engineer is seamless.
Tips
- If you decide to cancel your trip at the very last minute but intend to get from the departure station to the arrival station, you might want to have other options, including to know that other Northeast Regional (Corridor) trains to travel through these same stations. If you decide you want to cool the price and go the discounted rate, many of the lines between the states interconnect at some points. Still, all these other trains don't necessarily run as fast as that of the Acela, so you'll be in for a grand experience when riding these differences in the discounted rates that are near close to that of commuters who travel these trains frequently.
- Food in the Acela café car can be a bit pricey, but if you want to see different ideas, taking a tour of the café car may be something to take note of and be in for a treat.
- You don't have to be dressed in business (four-piece suit and tie) when taking a trip. The train may be a bit more costly and may sometimes signal others to think that this is the result of a nicer ride similar to Business class on other types of travel, but it's not.
- Acela Trains have two types of seating: Business Class and First Class. There is no regular coach seating. Currently, Amtrak only assigns specific seats in the First Class section of the train. All other seats are available on a first-come basis.
- The Acela provides a "Quiet Car," which, as its name implies, is a car where not a peep can be heard coming from others and is often used by those who want to rest or sleep, or even those who will primarily be looking out the window without talking to others nearby. This Amtrak "Quiet Car" can be found next to the First Class car on one end of the train.
- Crossing from one train car to another on the Acela is permitted but will tend to be difficult. Know exactly how far up your intended spot is located. Most café cars on the Acela can be reached at about the halfway point on the train.
- The Acela trains have seats where some passengers ride backward.
- Leading up to New York's Penn Station from 20 minutes travel time, the café on the train isn't open but is open most other times.
- The upper storage compartments close and open, much like that of an airline's storage compartments.
- The Acela train is one of the few trains on the Northeast Regional (Corridor) line that have free Wi-Fi service that you may connect to.
- With a third-rail like "antenna" on its roof that connects to an above-train electrified rail, it's nice to know this working idea/model of how this train obtains its power to make your ride safer and get you to your destination quicker than any other train that travels this same route.
- Amtrak employees on the train will be in different areas depending on their duties. There is only one Conductor aboard the train, and they are in charge of everything, including the staff and passengers. There is also an Assistant Conductor that helps the Conductor operate the train.
Warnings
- Read the "Conditions of Carriage" that Amtrak has on the website,
- Be sure to read the Safety Guide shortly after the Amtrak scanning employee comes by to scan your ticket.
