Northeast Regional - luggage?

[Mystic River Dragon]

Triley,

I just caught up with this thread again, so apologize for not answering your question (post #22) sooner.

It isn't the Regional trains themselves that I find so annoying--they are comfortable, and I especially like the addition of the regular trash collections.

And I'm fine with the route north of NYC and south of PHL. In fact, I love them in New England and Virginia.

However, for those of us who board in NJ, there are no seats (unless you go business class) because of the people with their feet up or luggage next to them, pretending to be asleep. Plus the other rude behavior of commuters going to or from New York. (For example, I had one climb over me, sit next to the window, and plug in his laptop, without ever saying "Excuse me.") Plus conductors who couldn't care less if you have a seat.

This is not true, of course, of all the passengers or all the conductors, but it happens enough that I consider the Regionals between NYC and PHL to be simply a more expensive version of NJ Transit.

 

[cpotisch]

The tough traps to close I've thrown my step boxes on them. That usually keeps them shut. But ours our designed so if the door is closed the trap can't open.

Same thing with the Amfleets. Don't know about the Horizons, which...*shudders* we'll be seeing soon on the Cascades.

What's wrong with the Horizons?

 

[MARC Rider]

Just a recommendation, the scenery isn't much to write home about on most portions of that trip, but I'd recommend you sit on the right side of the train (right side as you're walking away from the station) so you can get some short but good views of NYC as you get closer.

Hey, what about crossing the Susquehanna near where it flows into the Chesapeake Bay.

Or does MD, too, get no respect on AU.

You get a real nice view of the Philadelphia skyline when crossing the schuylkill river just north of 30th st station. This is on the right side when traveling northbound.

At the right time of day (early evening) you can see deer browsing from the right side of the train as you pull out of the BWI rail station. Kind of like a Mid Atlantic safari park.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Just a recommendation, the scenery isn't much to write home about on most portions of that trip, but I'd recommend you sit on the right side of the train (right side as you're walking away from the station) so you can get some short but good views of NYC as you get closer.

Hey, what about crossing the Susquehanna near where it flows into the Chesapeake Bay.

Or does MD, too, get no respect on AU.

You get a real nice view of the Philadelphia skyline when crossing the schuylkill river just north of 30th st station. This is on the right side when traveling northbound.
At the right time of day (early evening) you can see deer browsing from the right side of the train as you pull out of the BWI rail station. Kind of like a Mid Atlantic safari park.

While waiting for a train at BWI I saw a deer run across the tracks in front of a departing Acela.