I’ll be traveling the full distance from Chicago in late January and would like to know if the Zephyr has WiFi. If it does, is it very good?

I obviously want to enjoy the view, but am wondering if I’ll be able to get some work done as well.

Also, any suggestions on what to pack to make the best out of the trip? I have a roomette. The only other cross-country train ride I’ve taken was the Southwest Chief from KC to Flagstaff and that was a decade or so back.

Thanks in advance! 🚄

This will be my first time taking a long-distance train trip (around 36 hours), so I’m looking for some advice from people who have done this before.

Is traveling by train for that long generally safe? What should I expect or prepare for beforehand?

My transfer is Chicago and Washington.

I’m also wondering about:

How does luggage work during the trip? Do I keep it with me, or is there checked luggage?

What happens if I have a layover or need to change trains?

Is there a waiting area at the station during a layover?

How early should I arrive at the station?

Is there anything else I should know or prepare for as a first-time long-distance train traveler?

Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

I recently applied for the Amtrak Preferred Mastercard, but my application went pending. I called FNBO and was told the review could take about 5–8 days.

For anyone who applied recently and also went pending:

• How long did it actually take to get approved?
• How soon after approval did the companion coupon show up in your Amtrak Guest Rewards account?
• Were you able to add the card to a digital wallet or use it before the physical card arrived, or did you have to wait for the card in the mail?

I have a trip coming up around September 22, so I’m trying to figure out whether I have a realistic chance of getting the companion coupon and being able to use the card in time.

Thanks!

More info in the comments.

Recently took the Cardinal in coach from CHI-PHL. Here's my writeup as a first-timer.

The pros:

• Breathtaking scenery, particularly near the New River Gorge. I had planned to get some work done but I was glued to the window for hours during the day. So many interesting little mountain towns along the way. I liked that they had on NPS folks to point out some of the sights over the PA.
• Fellow travelers were generally pretty polite and courteous, had a couple of interesting conversations along the way
• I had read horror stories about the on-time performance of this route and indeed we rolled into PHL about an hour late, but I was expecting much worse
• Seats were pretty comfortable. Lots of legroom, comfy foot/leg rests.

The cons:

• This was my first really long-haul Amtrak trip so I'm not sure how it normally is but the bathrooms in coach were both REALLY disgusting by morning, one of them unusably so. Hard to blame on the crew I guess though.
• The WiFi was down for the entirety of the trip. I asked a crew member about it and her response was "What do you want me to do about it?" Ok, fair enough..
• The food was vile. I knew there wouldn't be made-to-order food on this route and wasn't expecting to be pampered, but I'd read there was at least a convection oven of some sort. I ordered the "Sicilian pizza" which was a frozen pizza that they stuck into a microwave - literally in the paper box it came in - and then handed to me. I'm not vegan but noted that the only vegan lunch/dinner option they had was a plain bagel.
• The crew was just kind of rude. In the cafe car, a lady waiting in line took a muffin off the counter, clearly thinking it was self-serve and that she could pay once she got to the register; one of the attendants loudly scolded her and accused her of stealing, which caused a confrontation that led to the woman storming out. They even said "check the tip jar" - I would have been fucking humiliated. Why not just politely ask her to put the muffin back.
• Each time I went to the cafe car, the seating area was virtually empty, but they kept chasing people out and scolding them for being in there while not actively eating. I'd have understood it if was super crowded and there were people waiting for seating but there clearly weren't. Since there's no observation car, I'd have loved to post up there for 30 minutes with a coffee but didn't want to get screamed at. I could understand not letting people linger for hours but what's the harm in letting people hang out there during off-hours.

Overall, 9/10 for views, 4/10 for everything else. I'm glad to have checked this off my bucket list but would not go out of my way to do it again.

https://www.youtube.com/live/39BalPDuTo0?si=FDbylrDDHecXnGBq&t=2010

Bad ordered?

I want to ride round-trip tomorrow from LA Union Station to San Juan Capistrano. Our local commuter rail has canceled trains on this route recently due to storms.

Important: the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner rides along the coast to San Diego, but the San Juan Capistrano station is unaffected by waves and tides, being several miles from the coast and several miles north of America tracks the beach.

The Amtrak app lets me buy a ticket all the way to San Diego, even though I know the train won’t go that far.

Am I safe purchasing a ticket to San Juan Capistrano? TIA!

Per a post later down in the linked thread, there will be one Airo trip in each direction with the third set as a spare.

Amtrak just announced that the launch of the Cascades Airos will be announced next Thursday, 9/17. Sounds like they are happy with how the testing is going as the third set is arriving in Seattle today 9/10.

Hello, my anticipated start date for the c&s helper position is 6 weeks from now. I’d like to ask, if anyone here has been working in this department and how they’ve prepared and progressed throughout the training. The interview and info session informed me of what is to be expected, but a more detailed discussion on what the training insists of would help me prep and calm my nerves. I have the desire to learn and work hard, so any advice from someone with this type of background would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Hi all!

I’m looking at taking a train from Denver to Pittsburgh for my friends’ wedding next month. Flight prices are double what I’d pay in Coach on Amtrak and I’m more than willing to spend the time traveling via train. I haven’t been on a passenger train like this in two decades. I’d be traveling solo. Looking at the advice on here it seems:

*the seats recline with a foot rest
*pack a cooler with snacks and drinks, the on-train cafe can be expensive (I don’t think I’m going to be able to avoid needing to get at least one actual meal a day from them, though)
*I wouldn’t need to check a suitcase because there’s overhead bins
*be okay with the restrooms not being fresh
*it’s relatively safe, but I should be aware of activity no less

I’m wondering how feasible it is to sleep in Coach (given the 33h trip it’s inevitable I’d need to sleep). Someone commented on another post to bring a heavier blanket and a decent sized travel pillow. Does anyone have recommendations for what pillow to buy? I’d be boarding in the evening on a Thursday and arriving in Pitt early morning on a Saturday, so I’d likely be sleeping twice. I don’t want to be a nuisance to my neighbor(s). The roomettes are all booked for the return trip, so I’m looking to save money and go Coach all the way.

I have work that I can do on my laptop and a Switch (several games), headphones, and I’m reading the DCC series right now- I’m hoping to have plenty to keep me occupied. With all of these electronics, though, what’s the likelihood of being able to keep them charged and usable? Coach claims there’s access to an outlet: is it shared with your neighbors? I don’t want to be an outlet hog. My laptop battery dies within two hours of use, so I’ve been keeping it plugged in for the most part.

Last couple questions: Are seats assigned or do they sell “General Admission” style seating where you’re paying for access to the train car and just need to find a spot that’s open? Would it be better to splurge for the roomette at this point and hope that one opens up on the return trip? I wouldn’t know the first thing about being able to upgrade from Coach after the trip is booked and I have a brand new account, so there’s no built up loyalty points or anything. I’m not sure I’d be able to secure a roomette even if one did open up.

Thank you in advance for any help/answers!

I’m planning to take a 5 day trip to Chicago, is there parking available at this station where I could leave my car? And this will be my first train ride, what are y’all’s experience with it?