Changing trains in Washington DC-coach travel

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Steve4031

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I have friends going to Washington DC on the capital Limited and then changing to the Silver meteor to go to Orlando Florida.

I am advising them to use red cap Services to get assistance in boarding train so they can sit together.

When they arrive in Washington DC is it possible for them to be request redcaps to meet them at the train? If they are successfully met By red caps can they arrange to have red caps Hold the bags and then help them board the Silver meteor?

If there is a miscommunication and they are not met by red caps, is it possible to go to the information desk to request red cap assistance for boarding silver meteor?

The redcaps cannot hold the bags I believe there is a private luggage storage company that charges five dollars per bag. Is this company still in business?

Thank you. I'm always going in sleepers so I don't know how this works for Coach Passengers.
 
I would say they should be able to get Red Caps. Red Caps are for everyone. I've seen people use them for the regionals. I used one to go from a regional to the CA (had sleeper ticket on th CL), but I know that my sleeper ticket wasn't the reason I was able to get a Red Cap.

In Oct I will be going from a regional to the LSL and will be getting a Red Cap when I get off the regional to help me navigate NYP, since I've never been there, and to get on the LSL (coach).
 
I've only taken sleepers on the CL into WAS, but each time there were Red Caps meeting the train. I assume they are by coach also.

As far as "going to the information desk to request a Red Cap", if they do that all that's needed is for them to turn around. At WAS, the information desk is on one side of the aisle and the Red Cap desk is on the other side of the aisle directly across. And except for the Club Acela storage area or the (VERY) expensive public storage room, there is no other storage areas at Union Station,
 
The Baggage Storage Room at Union Station Station is operated by a private company that has a monopoly and is one of the biggest rip-offs in the world. Think $25 to $30 to store ONE bag for maybe four hours. (I've used it once).

Please advise your friends of this. At every other Amtrak station bag storage is $4 to $5 per bag and at smaller stations half the time it seems I don't get charged.
 
Ok. If I understand this correctly the red caps would probably not be able to hold bags. The private baggage room is a rip off. Therefore they will probably need to stay in the station unless they check their bags through from Chicago to Orlando.
 
The jumbo locker which will hold at least 2 regular bags and maybe a backpack is $6/hr with a $12 daily limit is something I have used . http://www.chicagounionstation.com/lockers.html

They charge your credit card. They use a fingerprint/thumbprint system to confirm your identity to get the luggage back.

If you have more than 2 hours before you have to be back in the station, take a walk east on Jackson to go to the observation deck of the Sears/Willis tower.
 
Steve4031 said:
Ok. If I understand this correctly the red caps would probably not be able to hold bags. The private baggage room is a rip off. Therefore they will probably need to stay in the station unless they check their bags through from Chicago to Orlando.
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Correct. Unlike CHI, there are no lockers - only the ripoff rate storage room. The Red Caps are unable to hold any bags for you, (Besides the storage room (unstaffed) inside the CA, there is no place for Red Caps to keep bags.) The only other option as you said is to check them thru to ORL.
 
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Since the coaches on the CL are at the rear of the train and the CL pulls into WAS head first, you may need to walk up toward the front of the train to catch a Redcap at WAS. They tend to hover around the sleeping cars but will take anyone who is standing there. There is no restriction on using Redcaps for coach passengers and they will take you up to the concourse floors. I would mention to your coach attendant that you would like to have a Redcap assistance and they may be able to notify a Redcap of your needs.

It is unfortunate that WAS does not have reasonably price storage for those not able to use the Acela Lounge. Advice re: checking bags to Orlando would seem to make the most sense if you want to spend some time exploring Washington on the layover. The other option is to connect with the Silver Star instead of the Meteor, which would eliminate much need to store a bag since the Star leaves WAS early in the afternoon.
 
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That's a great idea I did not think of! :) They could also check them from CHI-WAS and not claim them until just before departure of the FL train, if they need it on the 2nd train but not the 1st train.
 
If they call Amtrak and add station assistance to their reservation, red cap will have to come help them. If they don't want to do this, then mention it to their coach attendant and she/he will make sure red cap is available.

AmtrakBlue - I am sure you know, but for others who may not, NYP do not have people carriers, each party either walks with the red cap or is put in a wheelchair and they put your luggage on a dolly. In order to get assistance at NYP, you have to make sure that assistance at the station is included in your reservation or there will not be one available for you.
 
June the Coach Rider said:
If they call Amtrak and add station assistance to their reservation, red cap will have to come help them. If they don't want to do this, then mention it to their coach attendant and she/he will make sure red cap is available.

AmtrakBlue - I am sure you know, but for others who may not, NYP do not have people carriers, each party either walks with the red cap or is put in a wheelchair and they put your luggage on a dolly. In order to get assistance at NYP, you have to make sure that assistance at the station is included in your reservation or there will not be one available for you.
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Never been to NYP (except passing thru in the trains recently), so, no, I have no idea how the red caps work at NYP, other than what I've read on the forum. I do not need a ride, just someone to get me from the train to the waiting area and then to my next train since my particular handicap could make it difficult for me to navigate unfamiliar territory.
 
AmtrakBlue said:
June the Coach Rider said:
If they call Amtrak and add station assistance to their reservation, red cap will have to come help them. If they don't want to do this, then mention it to their coach attendant and she/he will make sure red cap is available.

AmtrakBlue - I am sure you know, but for others who may not, NYP do not have people carriers, each party either walks with the red cap or is put in a wheelchair and they put your luggage on a dolly. In order to get assistance at NYP, you have to make sure that assistance at the station is included in your reservation or there will not be one available for you.
Click to expand...
Never been to NYP (except passing thru in the trains recently), so, no, I have no idea how the red caps work at NYP, other than what I've read on the forum. I do not need a ride, just someone to get me from the train to the waiting area and then to my next train since my particular handicap could make it difficult for me to navigate unfamiliar territory.
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Betty: If youre talking about on the way to the Gathering in October there will be Several AUers riding the LSL with you that will be in NYP waiting in the CA since they are Select Plus and above and/or are in Sleepers! Im certain one of them will have you use the CA as their Guest and when its time to Board the LD Train the Pax in the CA are allowed to board down the Escelators or Elevator ahead of the Thundering Coach hurd accommpied by an Amtrak Employee or else a Redcap! I suggest you PM one of the usual Suspects about this! ;)
 
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AmtrakBlue said:
June the Coach Rider said:
If they call Amtrak and add station assistance to their reservation, red cap will have to come help them. If they don't want to do this, then mention it to their coach attendant and she/he will make sure red cap is available.

AmtrakBlue - I am sure you know, but for others who may not, NYP do not have people carriers, each party either walks with the red cap or is put in a wheelchair and they put your luggage on a dolly. In order to get assistance at NYP, you have to make sure that assistance at the station is included in your reservation or there will not be one available for you.
Click to expand...
Never been to NYP (except passing thru in the trains recently), so, no, I have no idea how the red caps work at NYP, other than what I've read on the forum. I do not need a ride, just someone to get me from the train to the waiting area and then to my next train since my particular handicap could make it difficult for me to navigate unfamiliar territory.
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Oh, sorry for assuming, The red cap come and get those that need wheelchair assistance and you can follow one of them to where you need to go, or you can make sure you have red cap service on your reservation if you need them to take your luggage. They will walk you up and back from the tracks to the waiting area. NYP has a great waiting area for the red cap, it is separate from the rest of the waiting area, They also have a list that they keep so that when you have one red cap that brings you up, that same one will bring you back, the only time this would not happen, is during shift change.

The NYP waiting area is surrounded by stores and restaurants.
 
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