How to Take a Ride on the Amtrak Acela Train
Try to understand the Acela train route., Obtain a schedule of train departures and arrivals to see when and exactly where which Acela train will stop at the designated station., Purchase a seat from the Amtrak website, via the Self Service kiosk or...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Try to understand the Acela train route.
The Acela train travels over the same route as that of the Northeast Corridor's route (from Boston's South Station to Washington's Union Station) making some major stops in cities between these stations from Boston, MA to Washington, DC including some major stops in New York (NY), Philadelphia(PA), Wilmington (DE), Baltimore (MD) and leading up to Washington (DC).
Though there are multiple lines running through and around the path where the Acela runs, there is only one single line to and from the places that the Acela will run on.
Understand some of the other intended stops.
It does make a few other stops on the line, and especially from the point of New York and points south, if it stops at one point, it won't stop at the other (look at a timetable of Acela trains and watch these differences are affected).
Although it has stops in Newark (never at Newark International Airport) and Metropark, NJ, if it stops at one station, it definitely won't stop at the other.
It also takes up a few stops in Southern Massachusetts (not nearby Cape Cod), and Rhode Island, and Connecticut.
It does make a stop or two in the tip of Southern Westchester County (New Rochelle as being one of its biggest stops in New York). -
Step 2: Obtain a schedule of train departures and arrivals to see when and exactly where which Acela train will stop at the designated station.
Although most often times the Acela will have a train coming through about once every hour, due to seasonal changes and other track maintenance/work and other unintended delays, its time schedule can be delayed at times.
Realize that the train may be stopped for up to one hour in New York, NY (Penn Station), as this stop is it's largest and most regularly-boarded stop on the route.
It will take them awhile to debunk passengers as well as collect new passengers who are boarding, then they wait until the rest of the nearby track is clear (near the Hudson River crossing into New Jersey) and then take off again; all a process of about the hours wait.
However, don't dilly-dally around when they say your train is "now boarding" from the timetable board. , Obtain some money to pay for the intended trip.
It's best to pay for an Acela trip as soon as those days are available to be seen directly from Amtrak's website, as fares for those days are always cheaper, and will always cost more as the trip-date nears.
For a trip from New York to Washington, most Acela trains will run you $200-$300 from your pocket (and even more if you request to be upgraded to First Class/Business). , Be sure to print out your Amtrak "receipt" and scan it into the self-service TripTicket kiosk, or if the nearby stationmaster is able to assist you, most stations will be able to print you out your tickets from that specific itinerary.
If purchased from the Amtrak mobile app or from the Amtrak website, you can also have your tickets forwarded right to your virtual wallet on your phone. ,, If you purchased a digital ticket that can be displayed on the phone, make sure the pass is open in the virtual wallet on your phone so that the scanning experience for the train engineer is seamless. -
Step 3: Purchase a seat from the Amtrak website
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Step 4: via the Self Service kiosk or from another official Amtrak-approved method.
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Step 5: Pick up your tickets a few days before the trip (if you haven't already thought about that differently).
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Step 6: Board your train when the station board says that your train is "Now Boarding" for that train number.
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Step 7: Be prepared to hand your Acela ticket to the Amtrak attendant who will come around to collect them.
Detailed Guide
The Acela train travels over the same route as that of the Northeast Corridor's route (from Boston's South Station to Washington's Union Station) making some major stops in cities between these stations from Boston, MA to Washington, DC including some major stops in New York (NY), Philadelphia(PA), Wilmington (DE), Baltimore (MD) and leading up to Washington (DC).
Though there are multiple lines running through and around the path where the Acela runs, there is only one single line to and from the places that the Acela will run on.
Understand some of the other intended stops.
It does make a few other stops on the line, and especially from the point of New York and points south, if it stops at one point, it won't stop at the other (look at a timetable of Acela trains and watch these differences are affected).
Although it has stops in Newark (never at Newark International Airport) and Metropark, NJ, if it stops at one station, it definitely won't stop at the other.
It also takes up a few stops in Southern Massachusetts (not nearby Cape Cod), and Rhode Island, and Connecticut.
It does make a stop or two in the tip of Southern Westchester County (New Rochelle as being one of its biggest stops in New York).
Although most often times the Acela will have a train coming through about once every hour, due to seasonal changes and other track maintenance/work and other unintended delays, its time schedule can be delayed at times.
Realize that the train may be stopped for up to one hour in New York, NY (Penn Station), as this stop is it's largest and most regularly-boarded stop on the route.
It will take them awhile to debunk passengers as well as collect new passengers who are boarding, then they wait until the rest of the nearby track is clear (near the Hudson River crossing into New Jersey) and then take off again; all a process of about the hours wait.
However, don't dilly-dally around when they say your train is "now boarding" from the timetable board. , Obtain some money to pay for the intended trip.
It's best to pay for an Acela trip as soon as those days are available to be seen directly from Amtrak's website, as fares for those days are always cheaper, and will always cost more as the trip-date nears.
For a trip from New York to Washington, most Acela trains will run you $200-$300 from your pocket (and even more if you request to be upgraded to First Class/Business). , Be sure to print out your Amtrak "receipt" and scan it into the self-service TripTicket kiosk, or if the nearby stationmaster is able to assist you, most stations will be able to print you out your tickets from that specific itinerary.
If purchased from the Amtrak mobile app or from the Amtrak website, you can also have your tickets forwarded right to your virtual wallet on your phone. ,, If you purchased a digital ticket that can be displayed on the phone, make sure the pass is open in the virtual wallet on your phone so that the scanning experience for the train engineer is seamless.
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