NE Regional Thoughts from Penn Station NY

[Guest Mike Amtrak Rider]

Hello.

I have taken a few long distance trains in the past, and this past weekend I took the NE Regional for the first time. I didn't realize that the leg room was much less than the long distance trains, and no footrests or the leg supports. Not a big deal as I understand this is for shorter trips. But I did have an issue at Penn Station in NYC. They have the big board in the middle of the waiting area/gates, and they wait until 10-15 minutes before boarding until they make the big announcement of what gate it will be. By this time, most of those that will board are standing there looking at the big board. Then a big mob ensues and almost everyone is rushing to the gate just specified. This seems to be kind of chaotic and was difficult with small kids (which I have). In DC, they announce the gate like 30-40 minutes ahead of time, giving people more time to get in line, and for anxious people like me, it allows me to line up well ahead of time. There is no mad rush at the last second in DC. I don't know why Penn Station in NY can't announce the gate a little earlier to avoid this.

Also, in DC, they announced elderly and people with small children can go to the front, which was very helpful. However, in NY, they did not do this. I was near the front of the line, so going first wouldn't have made a big deal, but this leads me to my next issue about the regionals: single passengers. (Side note: I now know to just get a train that originates in NY, so it is empty when it starts and shouldn't be late, as compared to this train from Boston, which was half full and was 40 minutes late.) Anyway, I got on the train with my wife and 2 kids looking for 4 seats together. Well, I had to go through two or three cars before finding 4 seats together. There were tons of singles sitting at window seats, with an empty seat next to them, making this hard. I thought that the conductors encourage these single riders to ride with someone else, to free up seats for couples and families. Or is that just for long distance? I saw at least 2 couples have to separate because of this.

I guess that I should not expect the same rules and expectations on the regional compared to the long distance trains.

 

[nferr]

Just a tip. If you go down one level and look at the smaller boards for arrivals you can see the track your train is coming in on. Then just head down.

 

[The Davy Crockett]

Yes, the rules are different. Seating is not regulated by the conductors on the NERs, other than to get single riders to 'open up' the seat next to them when the Regionals are crowded. And yes, NYP is a free-for-all when boarding. Fortunately there is a large turn over of pax at NYP, so many seats open up. I've always found the last car (and furthest from the cafe) to be the least crowded car and is the most likely place to find seats together for folks traveling together.

EDIT: I should say I've almost always found the last car to be the least crowded. The are times it is not. For example, this last October I boarded a southbound Regional in PHL and all these people who are Amtrak fanatics got onboard the last car with me. They were the craziest group. But then they are Amtrak fans, so ya gotta figure they must be a bit nuts.

 

[Shawn Ryu]

Speaking of NER, is there some kind of a deal this month? 71 dollars from Boston to NYP on the day o the trip seems incredibly cheap.

 

[Guest]

Thanks nferr - I did go down there once when I got there when I was trying to figure out where to go when boarding (I was then told to go to the main level to board). Do you just walk down to the train and get on before the big mob starts coming down from the main level? Not sure if they have to allow you to go down first or if the station attendants regulate it down there.

 

[the_traveler]

The reason they can't announce the track numbers sooner is two-fold:

1. Due to the number of trains that use NYP (Amtrak, NJT, LIRR and others), it is not determined what trains will use what track until shortly before arrival.
2. Most passengers either get on or get off at NYP, even on a thru train. So if they did announce the track number early and let passengers down to the platform, you think it's a mad house now? :blush: Can you imagine 200 boarding passengers standing on the narrow platform while the 200 retraining passengers try to get off on that same narrow platform? :blush:

Also, the last time I was at NYP, in the Amtrak waiting area there is an airport-type display with 2 screens. One is for arrivals and one is for departures. If a thru train from BOS to WAS arrives on track 9, there is a 100% chance that the continuing train will depart from track 9 also. And the arrivals are listed a few minutes before the departures are shown on the big board. Thus I'm usually at the gate while most passengers are still looking at the board and getting ready for "the mad rush"!

 

[ne52]

It's hit or miss whether they put someone downstairs to stop people from boarding. I've seen it happening a lot more during weekdays, probably due to staffing. It's really useless security theater since there are multiple entrances to each track. Depending on how well you know NYP, you can just walk to another downstairs track or board upstairs with everyone else.

 

[jis]

Just go to the NJT/LIRR concourse and board from there if there is someone regulating access from downstairs.

 

[the_traveler]

Speaking of NER, is there some kind of a deal this month? 71 dollars from Boston to NYP on the day o the trip seems incredibly cheap.

Tickets on Amtrak are sold by buckets, not by "# of days in advance" like they do on airlines. Thus if one train is selling out fast and one has very few seats sold, the prices can very widely. It's even possible (though rare) to find today's train less than a train 6 months from now! Also the 3 pm train may have a different fare than the 2 pm train, due to the number of seats sold on each train!

 

[AmtrakBlue]

For example, this last October I boarded a southbound Regional in PHL and all these people who are Amtrak fanatics got onboard the last car with me. They were the craziest group. But then they are Amtrak fans, so ya gotta figure they must be a bit nuts.

Hoping those crazies aren't heading back north when I take my day trip to Boston. Well, maybe one or two would be ok. I've been wondering which car is more likely to have two seats together. I generally board in the car behind the cafe because that's the one that stops near the escalator.

 

[FriskyFL]

I'm surprised that nobody has recommend securing the services of a Red Cap...

 

[Guest]

(This is Guest Mike, can't get my name to show here as I am just a guest).

Can the Red Cap help in this case? I remember as a kid we had one run in with a Red Cap, and it wasn't great (this was 20 years ago, in Chicago going to San Antonio on the Eagle (before it was the Texas Eagle)). A Red Cap told us how we will get on the train early with our bags, etc. So my Dad and us 4 kids were waiting and waiting for this guy. They started to board. We didn't have our bags. We went and got on the train, still waiting for our bags. Eventually we saw the Red Cap guy with our bags, but he really did nothing for us except make us think we have lost our bags forever. It would have been a lot easier without them in that case. Maybe they are better now.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Well, the way some forum members use Red Caps, even when they don't have luggage, I suppose they're better than 20 years ago. But, as in anything, you will run into "bad" Red Caps.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Well, the way some forum members use Red Caps, even when they don't have luggage, I suppose they're better than 20 years ago. But, as in anything, you will run into "bad" Red Caps.

Eric and I had a "Bad One" in the 30th Street CA after the Gathering when the Promised Ped Cap didnt Show Up even tho the CA Attendant called Him Several Times, and the Train was Already Boarding! The Attendnat let us Ride the Elevator Down to the Platform and since we were in Biz Class we were Able to Find Seats on a Very Full Regional! Only time that's ever happened to me, so Yes, most of them are Excellent!

 

[Tracktwentynine]

In DC, they announce the gate like 30-40 minutes ahead of time, giving people more time to get in line, and for anxious people like me, it allows me to line up well ahead of time. There is no mad rush at the last second in DC. I don't know why Penn Station in NY can't announce the gate a little earlier to avoid this.

Are you kidding?

I realize you've never ridden the Regional, so this is probably why you've never noticed the issue. But at Washington, frequently people start lining up 30 minutes before they open the gates for the train. That means that while we know what track it the train will be leaving from, 20 minutes before departure, the line already snakes out of the seating area and blocks access to the QuikTrak machines and so forth.

 

[Alexandria Nick]

In DC, they announce the gate like 30-40 minutes ahead of time, giving people more time to get in line, and for anxious people like me, it allows me to line up well ahead of time. There is no mad rush at the last second in DC. I don't know why Penn Station in NY can't announce the gate a little earlier to avoid this.

Are you kidding?

I realize you've never ridden the Regional, so this is probably why you've never noticed the issue. But at Washington, frequently people start lining up 30 minutes before they open the gates for the train. That means that while we know what track it the train will be leaving from, 20 minutes before departure, the line already snakes out of the seating area and blocks access to the QuikTrak machines and so forth.

And the crafty ones know that certain trains leave from certain gates every time.

Of course, now that I said that, I can't seem to remember if the D or E for the CL...

 

[benjibear]

Last time I was in Washington, I got there and had 30+ minutes before my train was to leave. I wanted to get a snack so I walked around to find something and to see what gate my train was leaving from. The line already stretched from the gate for "miles". So I got my snack and just wated on the other side of the walk across from the gate. There was a man looking at me and I think he wispered to his wife that he bets I will try to cut. I was ready to yell, yes I want to get there first!

Seriously, I understand why you would want to get on earlier to get a window seat and a better window seat. First, if you are only going to be on short time, does it really matter. Second, if you watch, often you can change seats at the larger stations.

The other funny think in Washington was watching several people miss their Acela train and begging with the guy at the gate to let them in. Once guy tried pushing by but Amtrak police escorted him back to the station.

 

[jis]

Speaking of NER, is there some kind of a deal this month? 71 dollars from Boston to NYP on the day o the trip seems incredibly cheap.

Tickets on Amtrak are sold by buckets, not by "# of days in advance" like they do on airlines. Thus if one train is selling out fast and one has very few seats sold, the prices can very widely. It's even possible (though rare) to find today's train less than a train 6 months from now! Also the 3 pm train may have a different fare than the 2 pm train, due to the number of seats sold on each train!

Airline seats are also sold by buckets. They just call the buckets fare classes and adjust inventory mix based on yield management schemes similar to those used by Amtrak. The only differences are (a) airlines have many dozen fare classes as opposed to Amtrak's 5 or 6, and (b) Airlines also attach additional conditions to fare classes (advance purchase, refundability, exchangability, FF point levels, TQM levels etc. etc.) that Amtrak in general is unable to. At present Amtrak has stepped into that possibility with the non-refundable 6th bucket in some markets.

 

[MikefromCrete]

(This is Guest Mike, can't get my name to show here as I am just a guest).
Can the Red Cap help in this case? I remember as a kid we had one run in with a Red Cap, and it wasn't great (this was 20 years ago, in Chicago going to San Antonio on the Eagle (before it was the Texas Eagle)). A Red Cap told us how we will get on the train early with our bags, etc. So my Dad and us 4 kids were waiting and waiting for this guy. They started to board. We didn't have our bags. We went and got on the train, still waiting for our bags. Eventually we saw the Red Cap guy with our bags, but he really did nothing for us except make us think we have lost our bags forever. It would have been a lot easier without them in that case. Maybe they are better now.

Well, he did bring you bags to your car and got them on before the train left, so I guess that at least fulfills the bare minimum for the job.

 

[Nathanael]

The reason they can't announce the track numbers sooner is two-fold:

• Due to the number of trains that use NYP (Amtrak, NJT, LIRR and others), it is not determined what trains will use what track until shortly before arrival.
• Most passengers either get on or get off at NYP, even on a thru train. So if they did announce the track number early and let passengers down to the platform, you think it's a mad house now? :blush: Can you imagine 200 boarding passengers standing on the narrow platform while the 200 retraining passengers try to get off on that same narrow platform? :blush:

3. The platforms at NY Penn are really very narrow.
At stations on other rail systems with similar numbers of passengers and with everyone getting on and off, they just let people wait on the platforms -- but those stations have WIDE platforms with lots of room. NY Penn has platforms which are so narrow that it's hard to squeeze around the elevator shafts.

 

[Acela150]

Well, the way some forum members use Red Caps, even when they don't have luggage, I suppose they're better than 20 years ago. But, as in anything, you will run into "bad" Red Caps.

Eric and I had a "Bad One" in the 30th Street CA after the Gathering when the Promised Ped Cap didnt Show Up even tho the CA Attendant called Him Several Times, and the Train was Already Boarding! The Attendnat let us Ride the Elevator Down to the Platform and since we were in Biz Class we were Able to Find Seats on a Very Full Regional! Only time that's ever happened to me, so Yes, most of them are Excellent!

That's rare for Philly. I had a Red Cap about a year ago put me on the platform well before my Keystone pulled in. That's what is the case too. They put people down before the crowd descends from the concourse.

 

[The Davy Crockett]

I had a Redcap in Boston who got me to my train after everyone else had boarded from ClubAcela this last December.