Boarding LD train at Penn Station NY

[John]

Hello!

Taking the Silver Meteor from NYP to Miami next month with coach seating and wondering about the assigned seating. I normally use the Penn Station trick to wait on the lower level and avoid the crowds but I've read the long distance trains assign seats. For the silver trains do I have to wait above with the rest of the herd or do conductors assign seats as people enter the trains?

Thank you.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I have not ridden either Silver train, but my two times riding in coach on LDs, I was not assigned a seat, just a car. The first time I boarded the Cardinal in Wilmington, DE, so close to the start of the trip. The 2nd time I boarded the Lake Shore Limited at NYP, which, of course, is the start point.

I did notice later on my trip on the Cardinal they were assigning seats as people prepared to board. This was because the train was filling up and they were assigning the empty seats in the cars they wanted the pax to be in.

So, I'm guessing since you're boarding at NYP, you'll just be told which car to sit in - based on your destination.

 

[Hal]

Hello!

Taking the Silver Meteor from NYP to Miami next month with coach seating and wondering about the assigned seating. I normally use the Penn Station trick to wait on the lower level and avoid the crowds but I've read the long distance trains assign seats. For the silver trains do I have to wait above with the rest of the herd or do conductors assign seats as people enter the trains?

Thank you.

You will be assigned a coach. Probably you will be assigned a seat. Which coach and seat assignments depend on the manifest for that day. The train will come in from the yard and the crew gets on at the station and will do a walk thru. Don't wait on the lower level. They will send you back upstairs. If you want to pre board get a red cap.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[pennyk]

I boarded the Silver Meteor in NYP yesterday. Because I travel. in a sleeper, I usually preboard. However, yesterday, they preboarded early and I got caught off guard. By the time I finished my conversation with a woman (who I recognized from TV) and got my stuff together (about 4 layers of clothing), I missed preboarding. I boarded with the coach passengers and I noticed that passengers were directed to a specific car based on destination and the attendant was assigning seats. That is the procedure when coach passengers board in Orlando to go North.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Hal and Penny have the latest info, take it as Gospel, but since it's Amtrak, you never know??