I think I remember something about Amtrak saying they were discontinuing that practice?
Northeast Regional discussion 2024
- Thread starter Dan O
- Start date
-
- Tags
- acela nec northeast regional
Help Support Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum:
Acela150
Super Buff
No it won’t.
We booked awhile ago, Tickets to and from Trenton would be about $45.00 more Northbound and another $ 45.00 more Southbound. So don't think I really want to change tickets we have to Trenton.
Acela150
Super Buff
You don’t have to change your ticket. Reservations aren’t canceled if you board another 20 minutes away. I have daily experience in the matter.
Perhaps someone in the know can explain when there are times you can board a train at a different stop than what you are ticketed for, and when you can't. Is it different for the NEC than it is for other trains? Or is it based on how far apart the stations are? If I am ticketed to board a westbound Regional in Boston and instead I decide to board at NYP would that work also?
No it wouldn't, you'd need to change your ticket.( Long Distance Trains and NEC Trains are different, mostly dur to the distances between Stops)
See Acela 150s Post above, he is an AC on the NEC.
Last edited:
Acela150
Super Buff
Considering that I am a Conductor for the company you can trust me.
I will book tickets from South Station and board at Route 128 frequently as my kids have family in the area. I’ll also add that each crew scans tickets differently. However most crews follow a pattern of when they’ll scan.
The question is still not clearly answered....at what point in time, or distance perhaps, is someone on a reserved seat or sleeper accommodation considered a "no show", and their reservation is canceled, allowing resale? 
Is it variable by route?
Is it variable by route?
Since it's Amtrak, it depends!The question is still not clearly answered....at what point in time, or distance perhaps, is someone on a reserved seat or sleeper accommodation considered a "no show", and their reservation is canceled, allowing resale?
Is it variable by route?
Since it's Amtrak, it depends!
Acela150
Super Buff
I’ll ask around to see if I can get an answer on that. Cause it is a good question.The question is still not clearly answered....at what point in time, or distance perhaps, is someone on a reserved seat or sleeper accommodation considered a "no show", and their reservation is canceled, allowing resale?
Is it variable by route?
For long distance trains, tickets were voided if not scanned within two hours of departing the ticketed station. That voided all subsequent segments on that reservation.The question is still not clearly answered....at what point in time, or distance perhaps, is someone on a reserved seat or sleeper accommodation considered a "no show", and their reservation is canceled, allowing resale?
Is it variable by route?
Not sure if non-NEC corridors had a shorter time limit. I am reasonably sure the NEC did.
I had my return PDX-EVR voided on the Cascades when the conductor failed to scan my ticket/check me off on the manifest when I boarded at EVR. I was the only BC passenger boarding at EVR, so they knew I was on. I think they meant to just check me off without bothering to scan, got busy and forgot.
The result was Amtrak reinstated my return, but in coach. I lost my BC seat. A disappointment, not a catastrophe.
The consequences of a missed scan on a sleeper trip with connections would be much greater. Since that incident, I have made darn sure my ticket was scanned by the conductor on sleeper trips, even if I had to chase the conductor down (which I have done). I didn't trust to the attendant informing them of my presence and their checking me off. The consequences of a missed scan, losing all subsequent sleepers, was too great to risk not ensuring a valid scan in person. I also always made sure to put returns, and any other overnight layovers, on separate reservations to put firebreaks in my trips.
There have been reports that Amtrak has stopped voiding tickets for "no-shows". I cannot confirm that and will not change my practice of ensuring a valid scan.
demonizedwater
Train Attendant
The schedules for Aug and onward dropped, really bizarre stuff going on at night.
179 is moved from 6:45 to 7:55 departure from Boston, and ends in NYP at midnight.
67 is moved from 7:55 to 6:45, arrives in NYP at 11pm, leaves 11:29, then SITS IN PHILLY for 3.5 hr, before arriving in DC after 6am.
177 is still bustituted south of Philly.
This seems like an actively worse schedule, unless they need time overnight to work on catenary between NYP and New Brunswick or for the Portal Bridge project. I understand the need to fit work in Baltimore, on the Hell Gate line, and possibly in NJ together, but this makes for ... interesting schedules.
67 used to be a true overnight, leave Boston around 9:30 or 10pm, arrive NYC at 3am, leave 3:30, arrive in DC after 6; now they stuck a 3+ hr gap in there. I guess we should be grateful that it's running at all.
179 is moved from 6:45 to 7:55 departure from Boston, and ends in NYP at midnight.
67 is moved from 7:55 to 6:45, arrives in NYP at 11pm, leaves 11:29, then SITS IN PHILLY for 3.5 hr, before arriving in DC after 6am.
177 is still bustituted south of Philly.
This seems like an actively worse schedule, unless they need time overnight to work on catenary between NYP and New Brunswick or for the Portal Bridge project. I understand the need to fit work in Baltimore, on the Hell Gate line, and possibly in NJ together, but this makes for ... interesting schedules.
67 used to be a true overnight, leave Boston around 9:30 or 10pm, arrive NYC at 3am, leave 3:30, arrive in DC after 6; now they stuck a 3+ hr gap in there. I guess we should be grateful that it's running at all.
Before all the schedule changes. back in the good old days of pre Covid, 67 used to leave Baltimore at about 0610 and got into Washington at about 0700. The 1845 departure from Boston seems to defeat the purpose of an overnight train, as in the good old days, it left Boston at 2130 or so. Seems like they want to get it into NYP early enough so that they can work on the Hell Gate Bridge, and keep it in Philly long enough to make it useful for Philly and Baltimore people who want to get into DC early enough to have a full day.
demonizedwater
Train Attendant
I think the hold in Philly is due to construction south of there, or else 177 wouldn't be bustituted south of there.
Acela150
Super Buff
Correct. The RR is shut down for a major trackwork project between to the point where NS was told they would be given daylight windows on the Corridor over the traditional night time runs. This is why 65/67 sit in Philly for however many hours. I believe the plan is to extend 177 to DC again in the Fall. However, I maybe wrong.
