Business Class Comparison - VIA vs Amtrak

[Northwestern]

An interesting article on the differences between business class on a VIA train and on an Amtrak train:

I compared every aspect of business-class train travel in Canada and the US. One is worth the higher price.

You can buy business-class tickets on Via Rail trains and Amtrak in the US. The Canadian rail service proved to be an overall better experience.

is.gd

 

[zephyr17]

An interesting article on the differences between business class on a VIA train and on an Amtrak train:

I compared every aspect of business-class train travel in Canada and the US. One is worth the higher price.

You can buy business-class tickets on Via Rail trains and Amtrak in the US. The Canadian rail service proved to be an overall better experience.

is.gd

As one who has taken VIA's Corridor BC as well as the Maple Leaf's BC the writer described, I'd say it was pretty accurate. I still take the Leaf's BC because I like the single seats. The only caution I'd make is Amtrak's BC product varies quite a bit on which train. The NE Regional's BC is different from Empire Service (which pretty much includes the Leaf), which is different from the Cascades, which is different from the Starlight. Cannot speak to Michigan, Illinois or other BC services because I haven't ridden them. I did ride Acela's BC, but that is pretty much coach except for the ability to reserve seats.

I will say VIA's BC is more equivalent to Acela First Class than any iteration of Amtrak's Business Class.

 

[Northwestern]

As one who has taken VIA's Corridor BC as well as the Maple Leaf's BC the writer described, I'd say it was pretty accurate. I still take the Leaf's BC because I like the single seats. The only caution I'd make is Amtrak's BC product varies quite a bit on which train. The NE Regional's BC is different from Empire Service (which pretty much includes the Leaf), which is different from the Cascades, which is different from the Starlight. Cannot speak to Michigan, Illinois or other BC services because I haven't ridden them. I did ride Acela's BC, but that is pretty much coach except for the ability to reserve seats.

I will say VIA's BC is more equivalent to Acela First Class than any iteration of Amtrak's Business Class.

As one not familiar with most Amtrak trains east of the Mississippi, do any of these trains have reserved seats in business class? The last time I took the Cascades, no such thing.

 

[fdaley]

As one not familiar with most Amtrak trains east of the Mississippi, do any of these trains have reserved seats in business class? The last time I took the Cascades, no such thing.

I believe Acela is the only Amtrak operation where one can reserve a specific seat, both in business and first class, as one can on VIA's corridor trains, so that one can opt for a window or aisle seat, table seating or a seat near or away from the restroom. For other business class services I've used on Amtrak (Empire Service, Northeast Regional, Downeaster, Wolverine, Surfliner), seats were reserved only in the same sense as Amtrak coach seats: Your reservation entitles you to a seat, but not any particular seat.

 

[zephyr17]

As one not familiar with most Amtrak trains east of the Mississippi, do any of these trains have reserved seats in business class? The last time I took the Cascades, no such thing.

Acela, both BC and First and NE Regional Business.

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

Excellent article.

Is this the same girl who was bored to tears on the Silvers (or was it that she was terrified to leave the congestion of NYC and relax by herself in a lovely peaceful roomette)?

If so, her earlier articles were all about her and her reactions and, I believe, short on details.

This one has excellent details, and she did her homework and gave a thorough report.

She isn’t Simply Railway or Dylan’s travel reports, but frequent rail passengers are not her target audience.

If I were grading her writing, I’d move her up from maybe a “C” on earlier articles to an “A” here.

I’m very pleasantly surprised.

 

[MontanaJim]

"In the US on Amtrak, I found that the bathroom trash was overflowing.". Seems to be a metaphor for alot of Amtrak service unfortunately.

 

[MARC Rider]

The only caution I'd make is Amtrak's BC product varies quite a bit on which train. The NE Regional's BC is different from Empire Service (which pretty much includes the Leaf), which is different from the Cascades, which is different from the Starlight. Cannot speak to Michigan, Illinois or other BC services because I haven't ridden them. I did ride Acela's BC, but that is pretty much coach except for the ability to reserve seats.

One thing that's fairly consistent (except for the Palmetto and Pennsylvanian) is that Amtrak Business class is a roomier and nicer hard product than the coach on the same train. I guess when the Airos are deployed, the Palmetto and Pennsylvanian will also have a nicer business class than in the coach, but the coach on those trains will be downgraded from the current Amfleet 2s. As for the Acela BC, I think it has more legroom than an Amfleet 1 coach, plus they have window curtains.