Booking Question

[SLY]

I have plans to visit the NYC area in the very near future. I am planning to stop off in Newark, NJ and visit friends. I will book my travel from NWK and will go north to NHV. If for some reason we are running late and it will be easier for me to catch the same train (probably the regional) at NYP, is this allowed? I'd have a paid fare for that portion of the trip anyway, I'd just be boarding at a later stop.

Do I make sense, and is this allowed?

 

[wayman]

I have plans to visit the NYC area in the very near future. I am planning to stop off in Newark, NJ and visit friends. I will book my travel from NWK and will go north to NHV. If for some reason we are running late and it will be easier for me to catch the same train (probably the regional) at NYP, is this allowed? I'd have a paid fare for that portion of the trip anyway, I'd just be boarding at a later stop.
Do I make sense, and is this allowed?

Generally speaking, yes that's allowed. You'd have to be on the same train, since it's a reserved train. I've done this on the Crescent (reserved) and the Keystone (unreserved). If for some reason the NEC (or NYP) works differently, I'm sure someone will speak up.

 

[the_traveler]

I would say that since it is a later stop - no problem! Most conductors would be more concerned (if they even notice) that you paid for a segment that you did not ride. Many only care if you have a ticket from A to B. Now if your ticket was NYP to NHV and you boarded in NWK, they may have a problem!

 

[SLY]

I figured that much

I just didn't want to get caught and somehow screwed if I have to board at a later stop. I don't mind paying for the full fare.

 

[AlanB]

I would say that since it is a later stop - no problem! Most conductors would be more concerned (if they even notice) that you paid for a segment that you did not ride. Many only care if you have a ticket from A to B. Now if your ticket was NYP to NHV and you boarded in NWK, they may have a problem!

I wouldn't worry so much about the conductors, I'd worry about the gate attendant. They check tickets in NYP, BOS, PHL, and WAS, before allowing you access to the track. In theory the attendant shouldn't care, since again you did pay for a longer trip than you're taking. But I still wouldn't put it past some gate attendant to tell you no, you're not ticketed to board here.

Of course if you know NYP, there are ways to avoid the above problem.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Is there ways to get down to the tracks without going past the person who checks tickets? I mean, I know there are a bunch of stairs per track, but don't they lock them or something?

 

[CBS]

Is there ways to get down to the tracks without going past the person who checks tickets? I mean, I know there are a bunch of stairs per track, but don't they lock them or something?

At NYP, you can simply go down the stairs under the Big Board to the LIRR/NJT level and go down to the tracks from there. If you want to be really tricksy, you watch the arrivals board for the track number, which is posted some time before it gets postetd on the departures board.

 

[AlanB]

If you want to be really tricksy, you watch the arrivals board for the track number, which is posted some time before it gets postetd on the departures board.

I'd be careful with that, as I have seen last minute track changes that don't get posted on the arrivals monitors. You could find yourself boarding the wrong train that way.