Checked Baggage (luggage) discussion

Travelbound4 said:

Hi everyone,

We will be taking the Empire Builder in a couple of weeks from Chicago to Seattle.

Can anyone shed any light on the process for checking bags at Union Station in Chicago? Is it 45 mins before boarding time? Do we get a bag ticket?

And how is the bag collection process in Seattle? Is it similar to an airport with a carousel for bags or do we just deboarded and bags are there to be collected?

thank you!

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According to the station information for Chicago Union Station, bags need to be checked at least 60 minutes before boarding. You will be given a baggage check for your checked luggage. Don't lose the baggage check. (I can't remember where you check your bags at Union Station but there should be signage.)

https://www.amtrak.com/stations/chi.html

At Seattle, there is a baggage carousel in a gated area. You go in, take your bags from the carousel and show your baggage check to the attendant when you leave the gated area. At least that is the way it was done a few years ago and maybe someone can provide an update.

Hope you have a great trip.

Alluding to the opening post it should be noted that Amtrak checked baggage service is only available at a few select stations, mainly those in larger cities or stops where boarding is usually heavy. The Amtrak timetables used to specify where service was available but Amtrak no longer prints anything that can be of assistance. I don't believe those timetables are even available online but the RPA has revised then and you can find them on their site.

Rasputin said:

According to the station information for Chicago Union Station, bags need to be checked at least 60 minutes before boarding. You will be given a baggage check for your checked luggage. Don't lose the baggage check. (I can't remember where you check your bags at Union Station but there should be signage.)

https://www.amtrak.com/stations/chi.html

At Seattle, there is a baggage carousel in a gated area. You go in, take your bags from the carousel and show your baggage check to the attendant when you leave the gated area. At least that is the way it was done a few years ago and maybe someone can provide an update.

Hope you have a great trip.

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Thank you! This is very helpful!

dlagrua said:

Alluding to the opening post it should be noted that Amtrak checked baggage service is only available at a few select stations, mainly those in larger cities or stops where boarding is usually heavy. The Amtrak timetables used to specify where service was available but Amtrak no longer prints anything that can be of assistance. I don't believe those timetables are even available online but the RPA has revised then and you can find them on their site.

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The Santa Fe Depot in downtown San Diego sometimes offers checked baggage service and sometimes does not. (That's why we no longer travel Amtrak with luggage that needs to be checked.)

What happens to checked baggage when a train arrives late to a major station and a connecting train (with a baggage car) is missed? Does the rider need to pick up their checked baggage and take it with them to their complementary lodging, or does it remain in Amtrak's possession until the next available train on the route? From experience, I know what it is like missing a connecting train without checked baggage.

I did quite a bit of searching and didn't find an answer to my question. I also chatted with a Amtrak rep on the Amtrak website, and they seemed to be clueless as to how stations with regular baggage services work.

It is forwarded on the next train to your destination that has checked baggage service.

OBS said:

It is forwarded on the next train to your destination that has checked baggage service.

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Thank you!

While that might be the usual MO, if a passenger wishes to claim his bag to have it for the overnight stay in town and then recheck it the next day, that would work, too.

Back in the days of railroad operated passenger service, many railroads advised in their timetables that people should check their bags a couple of days in advance to ensure on time arrival.

toddinde said:

Back in the days of railroad operated passenger service, many railroads advised in their timetables that people should check their bags a couple of days in advance to ensure on time arrival.

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That's what I did for a number of trips where it was critical that my gear be waiting for me on arrival. On one instance. I actually checked about the status of my bags in Chicago (they were checked through, Baltimore to Lamy), and I was glad I did, because they got sort of "lost". I got a neat tour of the lower level in the bowels of Union Station, where we found them and sent them on their way. I was overnighting in Chicago, which helped improve the odds of the checked stuff being in Lamy when I arrived, which it was.

Back when we were still traveling with luggage that needed to be checked, we would stop off at the Toledo train station the day before our departure and check our large suitcases before turning in our rental car. That way, we didn’t have to deal with them again until we got to our final destination. Then the Toledo station changed its hours and was no longer open during day. Also, Pacific Surfliner trains from San Diego to LA stopped accepting checked luggage. For our last two trips everything we brought with us was distributed among our carry-on items and this worked out so well that we never plan to check anything ever again.