Chicago-Boston on LSL with train change in Albany

[dadonatrain]

I’ve never done the LSL from Chicago anywhere, so just out of curiosity I just searched the Amtrak schedules page for trains and found a couple choices. One is the LSL 448 all the way, and another choice the site offered seems to be the same train, with a “transfer” in Albany. But it also seems to say it’s from the LSL 48 to the LSL 448 I’m confoozed! The only thing I can think is you start in a coach that actually is bound for NYC but you get moved in Albany to one that continues to Boston. Am I anywhere near on the right track here (pun intended)?

Then when I chose “book” and looked at it that way, I found both choices again, and the one with the transfer in Albany happened to cost less! Why would Amtrak even offer two ways of doing the same trip?

 

[jis]

I’ve never done the LSL from Chicago anywhere, so just out of curiosity I just searched the Amtrak schedules page for trains and found a couple choices. One is the LSL 448 all the way, and another choice the site offered seems to be the same train, with a “transfer” in Albany. But it also seems to say it’s from the LSL 48 to the LSL 448 I’m confoozed! The only thing I can think is you start in a coach that actually is bound for NYC but you get moved in Albany to one that continues to Boston. Am I anywhere near on the right track here (pun intended)?

Yes. You are correct.

 

[dadonatrain]

Thx, jis.

So what would be their motive for offering both ways at all? Especially with a cost advantage to take the hassle of having to move from one coach or sleeper or roomette, with luggage, to another car going the same place on the same train?

 

[caravanman]

Amtrak typically "offers" more than one way to reach your destination, within the parameters you enter...
The Amtrak computers look at all possibilities, and some of those will include changing from one coach on a train to an identical one on the same train, but which has joined or will be split off at some place en-route. The Empire builder and the Sunset Limited are another two such routes...

 

[daybeers]

So what would be their motive for offering both ways at all? Especially with a cost advantage to take the hassle of having to move from one coach or sleeper or roomette, with luggage, to another car going the same place on the same train?

Amtrak's ancient reservation system can't handle it otherwise; it gets confused if you want business class, that car is only carried on the Boston section. Sometimes you can find a good deal by getting a sleeper in the Chicago section (48/49) and switching to business class at Albany in the Boston section (448/449), since it's just a day section. Depends how long you're traveling on that part.

 

[AmtrakMaineiac]

Then when I chose “book” and looked at it that way, I found both choices again, and the one with the transfer in Albany happened to cost less! Why would Amtrak even offer two ways of doing the same trip?

Perhaps there is less demand or more seats available CHI-ALB than CHI-BOS so the seats fall into a lower fare bucket.