Montreal Central Station

Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum

Help Support Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Status
Not open for further replies.

Oreius

OBS Chief
Joined
Jun 5, 2012
Messages
700
When you board the Adirondack at Montreal, is the boarding as chaotic as Penn Station (they announce boarding when the train is ready to leave and everyone makes a mad dash for the gate)? Are there steps you have to go down to get to the platform?
 
When you board the Adirondack at Montreal, is the boarding as chaotic as Penn Station (they announce boarding when the train is ready to leave and everyone makes a mad dash for the gate)? Are there steps you have to go down to get to the platform?
Unless things have changed recently, the answers are a) yes and b) yes.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Montreal in my one boarding experience was everyone lined up way in advance before the train boards at a boarding gate before you use steps (or an escalotor, I can't remember) down to the platform. This platform is a high level platform with such an extremely wide gap that a bridge plate is required at every boarding door. When I took the Adirondack four years ago (in 2008) there were two and a half full cars of people going all the way through to New York, and one nice empty intermediate car for those going to intermediate stops, I was getting off in Yonkers and didn't receive a seat mate until Hudson or Rhinecliff. I was quite happy with my decision that day to get off there overwise I might have very well ended up with an aisle seat since I was towards the back of the line in Montreal.

This is the opposite of New York, where I am from and is probably one of my favorite places to board a train because by knowing that every platform has multiple staircases and elevators you can easily get down to any platform and avoid the 'official' line from the upper concourse by simply going down to the lower concourse and using a different staircase. As long as you wait for an official boarding announcement you should be fine. The last time I boarded a train in Penn Station I was in the New Jersey Transit Concourse (It is has a decent water fountain and I wanted to refill my water bottle) when the track for my Keystone train was announced and I first was declined access via two staircases with their door closed but a nearby elevator did me fine and I walked straight into the Quiet Car.

The reason I like New York is because I can still be one of the first on even if I get there only 15 minutes before departure. At most other major stations (Chicago, Washington, DC especially comes to mind) to be early to board (and get my preferred window seat on a train without numbers being handed out) you have to get there earlier and be towards the front of the line. Montreal's long-line boarding arrangement reminded me a lot of Chicago except in a much nicer great hall instead of the dingy waiting room in Chicago. The one time I boarded the Maple Leaf in Toronto it was similar, everyone lined up early and were led out to the platform first come, first served.
 
Usually there’s a long line-up in Gare Centrale but most board orderly…….no mass shove/push to the top of the stairs. Pre-boarding of seniors and those with children use the escalator but everyone else….the stairs.

 

4.JPG


 

DSC00475.JPG


 

 

And a Blast From The Past:

 

74-05Scan10042.JPG
 
My wife and I are taking the Ocean from Montreal to Halifax in September. We splurged for a big bedroom in the Park car. Does VIA Rail treat Park car passengers like Mr. and Mrs. Gotrocks with preboarding and stuff, or will we be roughing it in line with coach passengers? Is there a first class lounge at Montreal Gare Centrale?
 
My wife and I are taking the Ocean from Montreal to Halifax in September. We splurged for a big bedroom in the Park car. Does VIA Rail treat Park car passengers like Mr. and Mrs. Gotrocks with preboarding and stuff, or will we be roughing it in line with coach passengers? Is there a first class lounge at Montreal Gare Centrale?
An hour or so before departure you will see a portable counter off to one side of the concourse labeled "Ocean – Sleeping Car Passengers"..... Check-in here, get your dinner reservations then you can proceed to the "Panorama" First Class Lounge to wait.

A half hour to 45 minutes before departure you'll be taken down the escalator to board…..no need to line up with the masses.
 
My wife and I are taking the Ocean from Montreal to Halifax in September. We splurged for a big bedroom in the Park car. Does VIA Rail treat Park car passengers like Mr. and Mrs. Gotrocks with preboarding and stuff, or will we be roughing it in line with coach passengers? Is there a first class lounge at Montreal Gare Centrale?
An hour or so before departure you will see a portable counter off to one side of the concourse labeled "Ocean – Sleeping Car Passengers"..... Check-in here, get your dinner reservations then you can proceed to the "Panorama" First Class Lounge to wait.

A half hour to 45 minutes before departure you'll be taken down the escalator to board…..no need to line up with the masses.
And if you're already in the Panorama Lounge they'll make an announcement to go out and check in at that portable counter. You'll even get to meet your attendant in the Park car during checkin. The attendant for the Park car is always there at checkin, so that they can try to familiarize themselves with who is entitled to use the Park car and who is not, since only the more expensive Sleeper Plus class is allowed to use the Park car. Regular Sleeper Class is not entitled to use the Park car.

Henry, if you're returning on the Ocean, there is also a first class lounge in Halifax.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top