My First Trip on AMTRAK

Rust. It’s the first thing you notice when leaving Union Station on AMTRAK for New York. The reddish-brown color engulfs the area. The Metal I-beams, platforms, fences and rails are all covered in rust. Even the brick buildings in the rail yard have the same reddish-brown color. It is neither appealing nor attractive. But it is symbolic of the city in many ways.

On the one hand, the shops and restaurants at Union Station are clean and bright, inviting and relatively safe. On the other hand, just a few steps away, the rusty rail yard sits – calling out for renovation and renewal. When will that happen? That’s anyone’s guess.

I rode AMTRAK for the first time ever on a business trip to NYC. I have taken trains in Europe and Asia. And I have taken commuter trains in the U.S. But I have never ridden on AMTRAK until the other day.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised. Boarding only took a few minutes. You were allowed to take any seat, even though the ticket indicated “Reserved Seating.” And I had a row all to myself for most of the trip. The seats were clean and comfortable. The train departed on time and arrived in NYC on time. And the stops along the way were relatively short.

I understand trains tend to be more crowded on Mondays, Fridays, weekends and holidays. I rode up on a Wednesday, and didn’t have any problems with crowds.

It takes about 3 hours to travel by train from DC to NYC. Some people feel that takes too long. The alternative is to drive or fly. Driving takes 4-5 hours. Flying only takes a little over an hour. But there is additional travel time getting to the airport, clearing security, waiting for boarding, then arriving at the airport and catching ground transportation into the city. All that takes about 3 hours as well.

I enjoy flying. And don’t mind short flights whatsoever. But the last two times I have flown out of NYC, I have gotten caught up in flight delays. I hear that is more the norm than the exception. Many seasoned travelers try to avoid connecting flights in big cities such as NYC and Chicago to avoid the crowds and frequent flight delays.

AMTRAK is definitely worth considering for future trips to NYC.