First timer questions

[LeeH]

Got a few questions, but a little background first. This is my first train trip, I will be traveling with my 86-year old, disabled mother from Pittsburgh, PA to Grand Junction, CO. We will be in the handicap bedroom the whole way (hallelujah).

Question 1: How soon can you embark on the train when it arrives at the station? Ours leaves at 11:59PM, we are supposed to be in the station 1 hour early for assistance, but would like to be earlier if we can get on the train.

Question 2: How quickly must you disembark when reaching the station? Outbound, we reach Chicago at 8:45AM, not sure if we will be done with breakfast that quick as Mom eats SLOWLY!!! Inbound we reach Pittsburgh at 4:35AM (GADS!) do we have to get off right away or can we sleep a few extra hours?

Question 3: Is it possible to push a companion chair between cars if Mom wanted to go to the viewing lounge or the dining car?

Question 4: At the Pittsburgh station, what would be the best place for me to get Mom inside, with luggage? She will be in a wheelchair, and I hope I can get help in the station to get us where we need to go. But I will have to drop her off, go park, and then walk back to her.

That's it for now! As you can see I am a complete novice at this. Have pity on me, please, with my no doubt idiotic questions!

 

[Eric S]

The train you will ride from Pittsburgh to Chicago originates in Washington, so if it is running on time it will not be in the Pittsburgh station more than 10 minutes or so. (If it is running early or late, of course, things would be different.) Similarly, your train from Chicago to Grand Junction continues on to Emeryville, CA. The same would apply on the return leg, where the train will not be at Grand Junction early to board and will not remain in Pittsburgh long after arriving. So, other than in Chicago, where the trains either originate or terminate, you will not be able to stay on board after arrival or board much earlier than the departure time.

I imagine you would have quite a bit of difficulty in helping your mother walk/move around the train (from car to car, etc). The trains you will ride are bi-level trains, where you board on the lower level (and your room will be on the lower level), but you pass from car to car on the upper level. In order to move from your car to another car (such as the lounge or dining cars), you have to climb a pretty narrow staircase from the lower to upper levels.

As far as the specifics of driving, dropping off, and parking near the Pittsburgh station, I'll have to leave that to others who are more familiar with that area. I've traveled to and from (and through) Pittsburgh a few times, but I've always walked to and from the station and didn't really pay much attention to the drop-off and parking situation.

 

[the_traveler]

If you ask your car attendant, they may be able to move your mother from the lower level of your sleeper to the lower level of the Lounge Car and back at certain stops. But as said, all access between cars is on the upper level only - which involves climbing stairs from the lower level to the upper level!

 

[librarian]

I would arrive at the Pittsburgh Station as early as it is possible for you to do. They do not have Red Cap service at PGH, but the staff will assist people with mobility issues; however they need advanced notice to do so. The parking garage is across Liberty Avenue from the Station, so I would drop off your mother at the station driveway, which extends right to the doors, get her situated in the station waiting area; then park your car. You will have to park the car and come down in the elevator to street level, cross the street, and go into the station.

 

[AlanB]

Question 1: How soon can you embark on the train when it arrives at the station? Ours leaves at 11:59PM, we are supposed to be in the station 1 hour early for assistance, but would like to be earlier if we can get on the train.

At Pittsburgh as noted by other's, the train won't be in the station when you arrive that 1 hour early. So there is probably not much point of arriving any earlier, as you'll only have to sit in the station longer.

In Chicago the Redcaps can get you out to the trains a bit earlier, since the trains originate there. In between the trains the Redcap will take you to the Metropolitan Lounge where you can relax and await the departure of your connecting train.

Question 2: How quickly must you disembark when reaching the station? Outbound, we reach Chicago at 8:45AM, not sure if we will be done with breakfast that quick as Mom eats SLOWLY!!! Inbound we reach Pittsburgh at 4:35AM (GADS!) do we have to get off right away or can we sleep a few extra hours?

You have to leave immediately, even in Chicago. At the other stations, Grand Junction & Pittsburgh, the train only stops for a very short period of time. If you remain on board, you'll find yourself on the way to the next station. So while 4:30 AM may not be pleasant, the alternative is to awaken and find yourself half way to Washington DC.

Even in Chicago, you'll have at most 10 minutes or so to get off the train, as it must be sent to the yard for cleaning as those same cars will be going back out later that day. One thing to consider however is that you'll wake up while still on Eastern time, as the train will still be in Indiana unless you sleep very late. The train arrives into Chicago however on Central time. So you will have to plan accordingly, and make arrangements with your attendant to bring you breakfast early enough for her to finish prior to arrival.

 

[Blue Marble Travel]

Got a few questions, but a little background first. This is my first train trip, I will be traveling with my 86-year old, disabled mother from Pittsburgh, PA to Grand Junction, CO. We will be in the handicap bedroom the whole way (hallelujah).

Question 1: How soon can you embark on the train when it arrives at the station? Ours leaves at 11:59PM, we are supposed to be in the station 1 hour early for assistance, but would like to be earlier if we can get on the train.

Question 2: How quickly must you disembark when reaching the station? Outbound, we reach Chicago at 8:45AM, not sure if we will be done with breakfast that quick as Mom eats SLOWLY!!! Inbound we reach Pittsburgh at 4:35AM (GADS!) do we have to get off right away or can we sleep a few extra hours?

Question 3: Is it possible to push a companion chair between cars if Mom wanted to go to the viewing lounge or the dining car?

Question 4: At the Pittsburgh station, what would be the best place for me to get Mom inside, with luggage? She will be in a wheelchair, and I hope I can get help in the station to get us where we need to go. But I will have to drop her off, go park, and then walk back to her.

That's it for now! As you can see I am a complete novice at this. Have pity on me, please, with my no doubt idiotic questions!

Hi. A couple of things that others have hinted at, but that need to be reinforced here: your mother will not be able to move about the train, at all. She cannot go to the dining car, nor to the café, nor to the Sightseer Lounge.

The train is a double-deck vehicle, and a narrow, steep, twisting staircase leads from the bottom level to the top. The corridor through the train, in any event too narrow for a wheelchair, is on this upper level.

Your car attendant will provide room service to bring her meals, and of course you can bring things back for her. And you can step off at long stops (Toledo, OH, if you are up that early), Denver CO... to get fresh air on the platform, and wheel her about if she wants to be wheeled. But she will otherwise be a prisoner of her (adequately spacious) room.

Re boarding: getting to the station an hour early is borderline pointless, and getting there before that is foolish. This is about respecting an unnecessarily demanding rule, for the convenience of the employees.

You will tell the station agents you are there, will be told "thanks, we'll come get you 15 minutes before the train," and then you will sit in a badly-lit waiting room on hard plastic seats for 45 minutes, waiting for something to happen. You will be allowed to board the train at most 15 minutes early, and then only if it pulled in early (which can happen at both of those stations). So... target an hour, but if it's 55 minutes, don't worry. You won't be kept off the train.

 

[the_traveler]

A couple of things that others have hinted at, but that need to be reinforced here: your mother will not be able to move about the train, at all. She cannot go to the dining car, nor to the café, nor to the Sightseer Lounge.

The train is a double-deck vehicle, and a narrow, steep, twisting staircase leads from the bottom level to the top. The corridor through the train, in any event too narrow for a wheelchair, is on this upper level.

I hate to disagree with you, but while it is true that access between cars is in the upper level only, if requested, they may be able to move her from the lower level of the sleeper (where the H-Room is) to the lower level of the Lounge car (where the cafe is) at certain stops for a "change of scenery"! Then at another stop, they will move her back to the sleeper via outside.

 

[caravanman]

Hi,

Although I don't have any direct experience of travel with a handicapped person, I have often travelled in the lower level roomettes, which are in the same area, and observed the procedures.

You will be given time to board and alight from the train, in that it won't depart untill your Amtrak car attendant, who's job it is, has you safely aboard and similarly has ensured that you are awake and ready to alight at your stop.

Your attendant will order your meals and deliver them to your room, and should be available by call button if you need extra help. They generally stop by your room after you board, and explain the routine and answer any questions you may have.

As others have mentioned the entrance to the train is at platform level, and your room, together with the shower and toilets are on this lower level also.

I believe your room has windows on both sides of the train, and you also have the option to leave your sliding door open if feeling sociable!

The attendants are used to dealing with the needs of handicapped passengers, and I hope you have a smooth "first timer" experience!

Ed

 

[Alice]

The room attendants have often made errors when bringing me food. If I'm going to have meals in my room, now I ask for a menu when boarding then write down first and second choices instead of expecting them to remember what I wanted.

I tip for each meal service at the time, in addition to tipping for sleeper attention at the end of the trip.

Amtrak has a policy as others have noted about letting your mother move to the lounge car lower level at some stops. I've never tried it an don't know anyone who has, please report if you try it.