Introduction
I recently took a quick overnight trip to Philadelphia. I took Amtrak’s northeast regional from DC’s Union Station to Philadelphia’s William H. Gray III 30th Street station. Believe it or not, this was my first train ride domestically here in the US. I’ve taken trains in other countries, but not my own, and I wasn’t totally sure what to expect, so I figured this was a perfect opportunity to document my journey.
Departing from DC was easy. The ride share drop off out front was busy, but not overly crowded, with far fewer cars than drop off lanes at most airports. Once inside, Union Station was easy to navigate with clear signage pointing the way. Something felt a bit strange about no security lines and no ticket check before boarding, so it left me feeling like I was missing something.
At The Station
While waiting in the terminal, the restrooms were on par with what I would expect for a public transit station, they were acceptable but not clean-clean. There were multiple food options and convenience stores just like at an airport. Lines in general seemed very short or nonexistent when I was there, unlike an airport where you often have to wait to order or wait to pay.
There were several screens where gate assignments were being posted, and there were crowds standing around the screens watching for their gate assignment rather than sitting and relaxing until boarding time. Once my train’s gate was announced, there was absolute chaos — everyone bolted to the gate. Out of all the boarding experiences I had seen during the hour or so I was waiting, none of them had been quite so rushed and frantic as mine. Guess DC to NYC is a popular route!
On Board
I was automatically assigned a window seat however I generally prefer aisle access. I switched my seat with ease before even leaving home. Once on board, I realized the aisle seat did not have its own outlet. I had planned to do schoolwork on my laptop, and decided for the short journey I’d rather have the outlet than the aisle. I opened up the Amtrak app, and there was plenty of availability to reassign my seat to the window. Nobody ended up joining me in my row anyway, but it was still nice to know my preferred seat was assigned to me. Before departure, the conductor came through and scanned my ticket, validating that I did indeed belong in the business class car. I used the Amtrak app and it was very convenient and easy.
After departure, there was quite a bit of shuffling mid-trip. A lot of passengers ventured into the business class car by mistake, then turned around to find seats grouped together in other cars. Some passengers upgraded themselves to business class mid trip (whether officially or not, I’m not sure).
Even with all of the shuffling, and getting stuck behind a 5 person band all seeking spots for themselves and their instruments, I was still able to get to and from the cafe car between BWI and downtown Baltimore. In the cafe car, non-alcoholic drinks are included on a business class ticket. The alcoholic drinks seemed overpriced but it’s nice to have the option if you’re on a long journey.
Food options were plentiful for an average diet but not so accommodating for anyone with allergies or special dietary needs, given that most of the items were pre packaged and not customizable. I am pretty sure my food options would have consisted of Hippeas chick pea puffs, fresh veggie crudite only if the veggies excluded peppers and tomatoes, or… no. That’s it. That’s where the list ends. Thankfully I knew better than to expect to be able to eat in transit. I brought an Enjoy Life chewy snack bar in my backpack, and timed my journey so I would arrive at my hotel at a reasonable dinner time to order Uber eats from a familiar chain restaurant.
I sat in row 3 of the business class car and noticed that when I removed my mask to take a drink, the smell from the bathrooms was quite strong. If there’s flexibility, you might consider choosing a seat further from the bathroom.
The wifi connection onboard was so spotty I wasn’t able to work on the internet. It would connect briefly, then stall out, and it became more aggravating than anything. I was a bit bummed since I had planned to do research for a grad school paper and was looking forward to the solo child-free time.
Once I arrived in Philadelphia, it was quick and easy to find the ride share pick up location. Similar to Union Station, signage was clear and there were not many people or cars waiting. It was an easy car ride to my hotel in Center City.
Final Thoughts
Overall, my experience riding Amtrak was pleasant, and I would make that journey by train again. The economy class cars did seem quite crowded, so I’m guessing my experience on this ride was not representative of all train travelers. Stay tuned for a future post reviewing Amtrak’s northeast regional in economy class.
