I'm on NER 174, just outside of Trenton on my way to New York where I'll be connecting to the Lake Shore Limited for my trip to the Gathering. Just a few observations.
1) Remind me to avoid this train in the future. OK, it's running on time and everything, but I've taken it three times this year, and it's always been crowded. I just need to take trains earlier in the day. This may also be a function of the fact that the train originates in Newport News rather than Washington, so a lot of seats are already filled by Baltimore.
2) Looks like Regional service frequency on the NEC has been increased compared to last June. Seems like more people are riding, even compared to my jaunt to Philly last August.
We're arriving in Trenton. The Delaware River stage seems higher than it was the last time I crossed the bridge.
3) I booked business class, and I checked the seating chart yesterday, and I knew I'd have a seatmate. When I got to my seat, it was taken. Apparently, my seatmate, who had booked relatively late had a traveling companion who had to book an aisle seat a few rows up, but they decided they wanted to sit together. When I arrived, they didn't want to let me in, but I decided there was no point in making a scene and took the aisle seat. When the conductor came around, I told him the story, and he said he'd take care of it. I went up to the cafe car to get my free Coke, and on my way back, I saw the couple hauling their bags through the coach section, and they told me I could have the seat, they were going to find a seat together up forward. I don't know what kind of words went between the conductor and those passengers, but now I have a whole seat tom myself for the rest of the trip! I'm not sure why people think that if they book two separate reserved seats at the last minute that they have an entitlement to be able to sit together together.
4) I saw Amtrak Blue sitting several rows in front of me after she got on in Wilmington. There was a long station dwell in Wilmington, as we arrived 6 minutes early.
Just Passed Princeton Junction. We must be on the "Racetrack," as we're doing 123 mph according to my gps app.
That's all for now. On to New York!
1) Remind me to avoid this train in the future. OK, it's running on time and everything, but I've taken it three times this year, and it's always been crowded. I just need to take trains earlier in the day. This may also be a function of the fact that the train originates in Newport News rather than Washington, so a lot of seats are already filled by Baltimore.
2) Looks like Regional service frequency on the NEC has been increased compared to last June. Seems like more people are riding, even compared to my jaunt to Philly last August.
We're arriving in Trenton. The Delaware River stage seems higher than it was the last time I crossed the bridge.
3) I booked business class, and I checked the seating chart yesterday, and I knew I'd have a seatmate. When I got to my seat, it was taken. Apparently, my seatmate, who had booked relatively late had a traveling companion who had to book an aisle seat a few rows up, but they decided they wanted to sit together. When I arrived, they didn't want to let me in, but I decided there was no point in making a scene and took the aisle seat. When the conductor came around, I told him the story, and he said he'd take care of it. I went up to the cafe car to get my free Coke, and on my way back, I saw the couple hauling their bags through the coach section, and they told me I could have the seat, they were going to find a seat together up forward. I don't know what kind of words went between the conductor and those passengers, but now I have a whole seat tom myself for the rest of the trip! I'm not sure why people think that if they book two separate reserved seats at the last minute that they have an entitlement to be able to sit together together.
4) I saw Amtrak Blue sitting several rows in front of me after she got on in Wilmington. There was a long station dwell in Wilmington, as we arrived 6 minutes early.
Just Passed Princeton Junction. We must be on the "Racetrack," as we're doing 123 mph according to my gps app.
That's all for now. On to New York!
)
