Checked Baggage (luggage) discussion
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Sorry if this has been discussed before but why doesn't Boston have checked baggage? I think that it's the largest city in the country with Amtrak service that doesn't have checked baggage anymore.
Probably because the only LD train that services Boston is the Lake Shore Limited (448/449) which used to carry a baggage car until a few years ago but it was not used very much. None of the NEC trains to Boston have baggage cars. I agree it is ridiculous that a city the size of Boston has no baggage service.
There are lots of stations with checked baggage that have only daily train. The old Night Owl should have a baggage car too.
Most stations with LD service have only one train a day. Even most with more trains have only one LD with baggage service available. Those with multiple trains with baggage service are the exceptions, not the rule.
Boston would be far from unique in only having one train with baggage service, even at places lucky enough to host multiple trains.
Septa9739
Lead Service Attendant
The problem with 65/66/67 carrying baggage is that those trains, I believe, are no longer serviced by the same two sets of equipment 151 flips to 66, 66 to 67, 67 to ?… @Anderson would know for certain. So you end up equipping more trains than originally intended and it gets messy. Of course you could run a baggage, and a couple sleepers, BOS-WAS, but that risked being successful the last time something like it was tried.
I believe the flip order is something like this:
151-66-67-186. 151 originates NYP, terminates RNK. 66 originates RNK, terminates BOS. 67 originates BOS, terminates NPN. 186 originates NPN, terminates NYP. Both trains run with the consist of about 3-4 coaches plus the cafe/business car.
[If it wasn't for frequency restrictions NHV-BOS*, I'd suggest that Amtrak should just run both the RNK train and the NPN train through to BOS, possibly sliding one later in the day...or, you know, doing a join/split at WAS since two consists each having three coaches, a cafe/business car, and a sleeper would actually still make basically every platform on the NEC. The only issue would be presumably de-staffing one of the cafe/BC cars after WAS. Having the last option for leaving NFK be at 2:30 in the afternoon is a bit restrictive. Of course, I'd be inclined to bang this particular pot a bit louder once a few more trains are running around in VA (I'm probably thinking of the 2030 plans for VA on this one.]
*And of course, there's always the option to run the other frequency via the Inland Route. Fun thought there: If you timed the two trains to arrive in Boston at about the same time, given that BOS-NYP via the Inland Route runs about six hours in the 1990s timetables, you could actually probably use the current schedule for the NPN train for that one and just pad out a bit of time at NYP if desired so as to regulate the BOS arrival. Note that 186's arrival at NYP is just before midnight; once you presumably yank out the loco swap at WAS, you could probably arrive around 2330 and board immediately, fiddling with things to arrive in BOS around 0630.
We're planning a trip from Los Angeles to New Orleans on the Sunset Limited. The train will arrive at New Orleans late in the evening, if it's on time. I was planning to retrieve our checked bags the day following our arrival. So how long do I have after the train arrives to pick them up? Are there day checking charges? I couldn't find out how long I have before day charges will be assessed on Amtrak's website.
Thanks,
jb
Thanks,
jb
I'm traveling from Newark, NJ to Seattle via DC and Chicago. App isn't offering a baggage carrying train from Newark to DC as an option but the Silver Star has checked bags and goes through Newark (which has checked bag service). Can I call Amtrak to try to book the Star even though the Star does not usually take passengers Newark-DC? Or is it possible to have the bags go on that train without us. Either way we'd pick them up in Seattle. I just want to avoid schlepping into NYP ( taking the LSL) or schelpping bags onto DC bound train in Newark.
Well, it used to be that Amtrak would accept checked baggage between any two points offering checked baggage service even if the train(s) you were booked on didn't. The bags would go on the trains that had it, although they might be delayed and/or go on a different route. Under that practice, you'd just need to have it checked in time to get put aboard the Star or another LD that made the connection even if you weren't.
Not very many years ago I checked a bag NYP-SEA when I was ticketed on a Regional without checked baggage to Washington, then the Capitol to Chicago. The bag went on the Lake Shore.
NE Regionals and Acelas don't carry checked baggage. The only trains currently on the NEC that do are the LDs, plus the Pennsylvanian and Palmetto.
I see the Star/Capitol is booking option NWK-CHI, so baggage transfer at WAS between the two is supported.
I have seen reports recently here that some agents have refused checked baggage if you weren't on the train your bags would be. I don't know whether that really is policy now or just instances of agents making up their own rules or misinterpreting them.
Since the Star/Capitol transfer at WAS is bookable NWK-CHI and the Capitol/Builder transfer is bookable WAS-SEA, you can book the Star/Capitol/Builder combination through Multi-City or an agent secure in the knowledge that the connections are guaranteed, if you don't want to trust to the whims of baggage agents at Newark. That the routing isn't shown as an option NWK-SEA is a system artifact, probably born from the fact that all connection options between city pairs must be manually entered, pair by pair.
Not very many years ago I checked a bag NYP-SEA when I was ticketed on a Regional without checked baggage to Washington, then the Capitol to Chicago. The bag went on the Lake Shore.
NE Regionals and Acelas don't carry checked baggage. The only trains currently on the NEC that do are the LDs, plus the Pennsylvanian and Palmetto.
I see the Star/Capitol is booking option NWK-CHI, so baggage transfer at WAS between the two is supported.
I have seen reports recently here that some agents have refused checked baggage if you weren't on the train your bags would be. I don't know whether that really is policy now or just instances of agents making up their own rules or misinterpreting them.
Since the Star/Capitol transfer at WAS is bookable NWK-CHI and the Capitol/Builder transfer is bookable WAS-SEA, you can book the Star/Capitol/Builder combination through Multi-City or an agent secure in the knowledge that the connections are guaranteed, if you don't want to trust to the whims of baggage agents at Newark. That the routing isn't shown as an option NWK-SEA is a system artifact, probably born from the fact that all connection options between city pairs must be manually entered, pair by pair.
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Thanks for the informative reply.
My usual Amtrak trip is from FL to Fredericksburg. There are two options for the trip: Silver Meteor or Silver Star. If you pick Silver Star, you need to change trains in Richmond and catch a train that has a stop in Fredericksburg, 30 miles away on the same line. Well, (they explain) ..the Silver Star doesn't stop there. OK. When I take the Silver Star, I can check my bag to Richmond, retrieve it, and put it on the passenger car to Fredericksburg, having schlepped it myself between trains.
When I take the Silver Meteor, I can't check my bags to Fredericksburg because Amtrak doesn't have baggage service in Fredericksburg. I still have to schlep my own bags. I am always so grateful for the Attendants who help me with my luggage when I get on and when I leave...and find spaces where I won't be falling over the suitcases. Tips are really heartfelt under those conditions.
When I take the Silver Meteor, I can't check my bags to Fredericksburg because Amtrak doesn't have baggage service in Fredericksburg. I still have to schlep my own bags. I am always so grateful for the Attendants who help me with my luggage when I get on and when I leave...and find spaces where I won't be falling over the suitcases. Tips are really heartfelt under those conditions.
About ten years ago I was meeting a daughter at the Staples Mill Road station. Her checked baggage didn't arrive with her, so I asked that it be sent to Alexandria, Va., because I normally used that station on workdays. Amtrak did, and I didn't have to drive to a station to get the bags; I took them with me on VRE, so Amtrak solved the problem nicely.
Hi, happy to join this forum. As my screen name suggests I live in AZ and am a novice, both to this forum and Amtrak. In fact the word novice vastly overstates my knowledge level on both this forum, this is my first post - and Amtrak, just booked my first trip. It is a roundtrip from Flagstaff AZ to St. Louis MO. Both ways it involves a change of trains and a layover. Going the layover is Kansas City and returning the layover is Chicago.
And I have a question about baggage. All of the stations show that they offer checked baggage. So if I check a bag in Flagstaff can it be checked through to St. Louis or will I have to collect it in Kansas City and then re-check it to St. Louis? Same with checking it in St. Louis on return trip - will it check through to Flagstaff.
This is somewhat of an experimental trip, for me. I've reached a point due to age, mobility, and discomfort that my flying days are over. This trip is to see if trains can give me travelling options. I've made it eclectic in my accomodations. Going, the long 26 hour leg will be in a sleeper car, a Roomette. The short 6 hour leg will be coach. Coming back, the short leg will be in business class, and the long 30 hour leg will be in coach. There were no sleepers available for that 30 hour leg, and I think that might be a blessing in disguise, as I will find out how I will handle a long leg in a seat rather than a bed. It doesn't daunt me because a few years ago I had to sleep in a recliner for medical reasons and it was no problem.
If it works well a whole new world of modestly priced travel opens up to me. I'm excited about that.
And I have a question about baggage. All of the stations show that they offer checked baggage. So if I check a bag in Flagstaff can it be checked through to St. Louis or will I have to collect it in Kansas City and then re-check it to St. Louis? Same with checking it in St. Louis on return trip - will it check through to Flagstaff.
This is somewhat of an experimental trip, for me. I've reached a point due to age, mobility, and discomfort that my flying days are over. This trip is to see if trains can give me travelling options. I've made it eclectic in my accomodations. Going, the long 26 hour leg will be in a sleeper car, a Roomette. The short 6 hour leg will be coach. Coming back, the short leg will be in business class, and the long 30 hour leg will be in coach. There were no sleepers available for that 30 hour leg, and I think that might be a blessing in disguise, as I will find out how I will handle a long leg in a seat rather than a bed. It doesn't daunt me because a few years ago I had to sleep in a recliner for medical reasons and it was no problem.
If it works well a whole new world of modestly priced travel opens up to me. I'm excited about that.
I don't believe the Missouri River Runner from KCY to STL carries checked baggage. So you could only check it as far as KCY, then carry it onboard to STL.
Septa9739
Lead Service Attendant
The only trains that carry luggage through STL are trains 21/421 and 22/422, the Texas Eagle, so if you wanted to check, you would need to take a voluntary separation. Going to Saint Louis, your bags would stay on the Southwest Chief all the way to Chicago and then be placed on the next day’s Texas Eagle, arriving Saint Louis about 24 hours after you. Returning would be the same deal because the Eagle, if on time, only arrives Chicago about an hour before the Chief departs. That baggage connection is very likely to be missed. If you live close to the station in Flagstaff, its well worth it to check as the Chicago transfer is a bit brutal with bags, but Amtrak is usually (you’ll hear that word a lot here re Amtrak service) very helpful with bag assistance for passengers. What I would not do is check to KCY, claim, and continue. That connection is tight and such maneuvers are against Amtrak policy and may result in a several hundred mile separation that you are liable for.
Thank you for your answers. Apologies for including a question in my New Member introduction post.
Are you planning on the 8:40a KCY-STL or the afternoon run at 4:15p?
I think they will hold your baggage at the KCY station for the day.
The problem is the Southwest Chief can be late getting to Kansas City.
The ride in coach west from KCY begins late in the evening and you will wake up near the Colorado border. You might not sleep as well as in a room, but you will be able to nap the rest of the day anyway.
I think they will hold your baggage at the KCY station for the day.
The problem is the Southwest Chief can be late getting to Kansas City.
The ride in coach west from KCY begins late in the evening and you will wake up near the Colorado border. You might not sleep as well as in a room, but you will be able to nap the rest of the day anyway.
I think the latter. I had a choice between a 1+ hour layover and a 9+ hour layover, and having heard that lateness is common opted for for the 9+.
You make a good point about sleeping. At this point in my life I am an inveterate napper. Sometimes I feel like I am channeling my inner Winston Churchill.
No one seems to have mentioned that 65/66/67 can't carry checked bags to Boston because it doesn't go to Boston! Not this summer, anyway.
Amtrak (and Metro North, the commuter rail that owns the NEC tracks north of NYC through Long Island and Westchester county into Connecticut) is rebuilding some bridges, in particular the Hell Gate Bridge, and adding new tracks (a third and/or fourth track in some sections where the is room but currently only two tracks), and are shutting down the line each night to do the work. They have to turn off the power in the overhead wires for safety reasons.
The only trains on this section between about 11PM and 5AM is the Night Owl (aka 65/66/67) and maybe some late evening commuter runs, so they shut them down from March until sometime in September. Currently, the trains originate/terminate at NY Penn Station.
They are doing one track this year and they are planning to do the same thing (including shutting down the 65/66/67 train, I think) for the other track next year. The project is supposed to finish in 2027, but I don't know if it will require shutting down the current lines after next year. I think the plan is to rebuild the existing tracks first and then install the new tracks in 2025 and 2026.
They had previously shut down the 65/66/67 during Covid and after they restored it, it lost its sleeper. I don't know it it also lost its baggage car as well. For many years, you could check baggage in Boston, but no matter what train you were on, the baggage would always go on the 65/67 (or arrive on the 66.)
About the numbers: 66 is the northbound train which is currently terminating in New York. 65 and 67 are the southbound trains. They run on a slightly different schedule on weekends, hence the two numbers.
Good info, John. 65/66/67 is open for reservations starting 9/11/23, albeit with significantly changed times due to an absurd layover in NYP both directions.
Unfortunately there is no longer baggage service anywhere northeast of NYP: no NER, Vermonter, Ethan Allen, LSL, or Downeaster.
Unfortunately there is no longer baggage service anywhere northeast of NYP: no NER, Vermonter, Ethan Allen, LSL, or Downeaster.
NEPATrainTraveler
Service Attendant
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So, I am planning on riding the CL in November from Chicago to Pittsburgh where I will connect with the Pennsylvanian to PHL and then take a thruway a bus to WKB from there (This is all on the same reservation, so guaranteed connection). I was thinking of checking a suitcase from CHI to PHL. I know sometimes the eastbound CL misses the westbound Pennsylvanian and passengers get bustituted, so I'm wondering what happens to your checked bags when this happens and you have bags checked to a NEC station like PHL or NYP? Do they give you your bags at PGH or would they send the bags down to DC and then back up the NEC on another train?
Thanks in advance
Thanks in advance
Booked Capital Limited in coach, so baggage will be in baggage car. Transferring to Texas Eagle bedroom in Chicago and want luggage with us. How do we get our luggage for 2nd leg? How do I let them know that we want it with us on the TE? The 2 legs were booked separately.
Check the bags to Chicago, pick them up there. Hopefully the CL will be there in reasonable time. Other option is to split luggage up with a few small carry ons for the things you need on the second leg and check the bags all the way through if your destination station has checked bags. If you choose to pick them up, you can stash them in the Metropolitan Lounge while you walk around, same for carry on. That's what comes to mind for me, hopefully others will weigh in. Cap to Eagle timekeeping is probably better than the other way around, others can weigh in.
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!
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!
