nytraveler

thursdaysd -

No - all one would need to do is hire a Red Cap - tip only, no fee - and have them take the luggage down to the train. It's really very simple. Don't know about getting it off at the other end. Do VA stations have someone to help with luggage.

And the NE corridor trains are generally on time (within 15 minutes) unless there is an accident ot major storndowning trees on the tracks. Freight does NOT have priority in the NE corridor - passengers do - unlike the rest of the country.

But agree that south of Washington DC all bets are off. My uncle was once 9 hours late getting to family in Williamsburg - and they were starting to get anxious (he was a luddite and would not carry a cell phone).

thursdaysd

According to Amtrak, on time performance for Acela for the last 12 months is a miserable 66%. The Northeast Regional, despite running more of the way out of the corridor, was 78.9%. When I take the train, which admittedly isn't often, it is the Carolinian in and out of Washington. It is normal for the train to be late into Washington from New York.

Hobbert

Another vote for Bolt Bus. The fare is very cheap and the buses have always been clean and pleasant in my experience. And no need to schlep all around a train station!

sf7307

It is normal for the train to be late into Washington from New York.

Well, how late is late? I don't expect Swiss precision, but the last time we took this trip (last fall), we arrived in Washington late, but only by about 15 minutes.

basingstoke2

In the experience of DD who travels this route several time a year, the longer delays in her experience have tended to be southbound. As mentioned above, the passenger train schedule is at the mercy of the freight schedule which has priority and uses the same tracks. Personally, when I go to NYC I find the bus most convenient, most often Megabus but only because they have a stop near Baltimore where I can leave my car a few days for free. Megabus is still better than Peter Pan and the other major lines, but BOLT is nicer.

obxgirl

For the OP: The Amtrak conductors are typically very helpful with getting luggage on and off the train. You can stow your things above your seat or at the end of the car.

I have spent the better part of 5 years commuting on Amtrak between DC and Williamsburg. The NE Regional trains are notoriously late coming into DC from on heavy commuter days. Frequently an hour, sometime more.

Trains running south of DC do share tracks with CSX. 15-30 minutes delays are common. I plan accordingly. The ride is pleasant and the one particularly good thing I can say about traveling on Amtrak south of DC is that the WIFI actually works.

But agree that south of Washington DC all bets are off. My uncle was once 9 hours late getting to family in Williamsburg - and they were starting to get anxious (he was a luddite and would not carry a cell phone).

The last time you told this story it was a 7 hour delay. That kind of delay is extraordinarily unusual and I don't know why you persist in suggesting otherwise.

nytraveler

I have taken these trains many times at least 30 from NYC to either Boston or DC. Of those 30 they were almost all on time (less than 15 minutes after schedule). Late once about thirty minutes due to track repairs and once for about an hour due to a stuck train in front of us.

Generally much better than buses (more comfy, shorter trip and not bad price if bought in advance).

Caveat: I won't take the bus just becasue it is cheaper - not worth it IMHO.

yestravel

I take the train from Dc to NYC fairly often. It generally arrives within 15 minutes of its scheduled time. There have been 2 medical emergencies which resulted in late arrivals, but those are the only time I can think of where the train was 30 minutes or more late. Maybe I've been lucky.

I also don't think what is described as "the mad scramble" at Penn Station is all that bad. The track is announced and you walk over to it and get in line. The line is long going to the train so there is time to get there.

SPQR

In my experience (Amtrak Select Plus member) the delays between DC and NYC tend to build through the day. I can't recall being more than 10 or 15 minutes late on a morning train. However, on trains from NYC to DC departing say 3:00 to 7:00, I have been delayed 45 minutes to an hour many times. Normally the trains are only 10 to 20 minutes late out of Penn Station, but then the delays build during the trip, often due to being stuck behind an NJTransit or MARC commuter train. Not all the NEC regional trains from NYC to DC originate in Boston, some originate in NYC. I generally try to book those trains, because there is less chance that the train will be delayed leaving Penn Station.

Christina

The Acela I took a couple months ago from Wash to NYC was about 15 minutes late. I've had trains from NYC to DC be 30-60 minutes late, but not most of the time. The hour was unusual.

I hate Penn station also, what a dump. It's really stupid the way it is set up that you can't get down to the train except on those escalators and only about one person at a time, so they get backed up (and arriving, same problem). And why they can't annonce tracks in advance is also a mystery. Washington is the same only without the escalator problem, no decent place to wait for the train. Why they don't allow you out to wait near the quays like in Europe, I have no idea. Or have a machine that reads your ticket, which seems pretty basic, rather than people having to check them. Someone told me using a redcap is a good idea as you get down there early and then don't risk not getting a seat.

I had a "reserved" seat once on a train and it was so packed I never got one, along with other people who didn't. I did finally find a place to sit in the cafe car, but it was a hard bench, not a regular seat like I had expected in the cars. Not much fun to sit on that for 3 hours, although people with computers out on the table didn't seem to mind as much. No, it was not more comfy than the bus, far less, actually.

I've taken the bus several times and the time isn't really that different compared to the non-Acela, only about an hour more. It's fine if you don't have an appt you really have planned out, as there can sometimes be unexpected traffic/contruction problems. I make sure to take it during non-busy traffic days and times. I've taken Bolt, Washington Deluxe and DC2NY, all were fine. I think Megabus is the lowest tier from Washington. It's a whole lot cheaper than the train, for sure.