Standing on Amtrak?

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I took an Amtrak train during April holiday break several years ago from NYC to Rochester NY. The aisles were jammed with standing passengers and all their stuff. It was NOT fun, and I have not been anxious to take Amtrak since.

Now my son is about to move to Worcester MA for college. I'm wondering which would be better for him to take home, the Greyhound bus, where he is guaranteed a seat? Or an Amtrak train where he might be more comfortable IF he gets a seat? (He is very tall.)

Anybody know anything about why people are standing on the train???

Thanks for any ideas.
 
I don't anything about the routes you're asking about, but I know Greyhound does not guarantee a seat. Here is their policy off greyhound.com

How We OperateNo reservations are necessary when you travel with Greyhound. If you know the departure schedule, simply arrive at the terminal at least an hour before departure to purchase your ticket. Boarding generally begins 15 to 30 minutes before departure. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Advance purchase tickets do not guarantee a seat.
 
I think it has been changed from unreserved seats to reserved seats several years ago. Unreserved means unrestricted sales on tickets, regardless of how many seats. Very few Amtrak routes are on unreserved seats. I think part of Keystone is unreserved.

Spring break and Thanksgiving holidays are traditionally the most demands for Amtrak.

Others will chime in about the Amtrak northeastern corridor.
 
I took an Amtrak train during April holiday break several years ago from NYC to Rochester NY. The aisles were jammed with standing passengers and all their stuff. It was NOT fun, and I have not been anxious to take Amtrak since.
Now my son is about to move to Worcester MA for college. I'm wondering which would be better for him to take home, the Greyhound bus, where he is guaranteed a seat? Or an Amtrak train where he might be more comfortable IF he gets a seat? (He is very tall.)

Anybody know anything about why people are standing on the train???

Thanks for any ideas.
The holidays are always a busy time for every form of transportation, be it the airlines, buses, or Amtrak. Trains are occasionally overbooked, and sometimes if there has been an equipment failure, that too can cause a train to become packed. It is also possible that at the time you took that ride, that Amtrak still had unreserved seating on that train. These days most trains are reserved, so that does help to cut down on overbooking.

I'm unclear though if your son would be going from Worcester to NY City, or to Rochester. Knowing that might help me to give you a few tips.
 
He will be traveling from Worcester MA to Rochester NY.

I suppose if Greyhound "overbooks" then they just don't let you on the bus? I mean, I can't imagine they can drive with people standing?

Thanks everybody!
 
He will be traveling from Worcester MA to Rochester NY.
I suppose if Greyhound "overbooks" then they just don't let you on the bus? I mean, I can't imagine they can drive with people standing?

Thanks everybody!
I remember reading somewhere on their website that if a bus fills, they would simply call another bus.
 
He will be traveling from Worcester MA to Rochester NY.

I suppose if Greyhound "overbooks" then they just don't let you on the bus? I mean, I can't imagine they can drive with people standing?

Thanks everybody!
I remember reading somewhere on their website that if a bus fills, they would simply call another bus.
That assumes that they can find another bus and a driver. And only if they are way over booked. They don't call another bus for say just 2 or 3 passengers. You just sit and wait until the next scheduled departure.
 
He will be traveling from Worcester MA to Rochester NY.
Ok, in that case he'd be riding on the Lake Shore Limited, which is a long distance train. While it does occasionally get over booked, it doesn't happen too often since one can't have passengers standing up overnight. And in the case of overbooking, the train does have a lounge car, so the conductor would send passengers into that car to sit in the booths. Not the best arrangement, but better than standing or being told to wait for the next bus.

Now with all that said, if your son plans to come home for any holiday, then he should make his reservations as early as possible for two reasons. One to ensure that seats are available, because most trains do sell out during holiday periods. Two, because as the train sells out, the price of the seats goes up.
 
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Thank you Alan!

Is it the Lakeshore Limited the whole way? Doesn't he change trains in Albany? I really know nothing about this. Hope I can figure it out - we've got at least 4 years of this! Ha!
 
Thank you Alan!
Is it the Lakeshore Limited the whole way? Doesn't he change trains in Albany? I really know nothing about this. Hope I can figure it out - we've got at least 4 years of this! Ha!
Yes, it will be the Lake Shore the entire way, and yes he will have to change trains in Albany. The main part of the Lake Shore Limited runs south to NY City from Albany, while a seperate "stub" train runs east to Boston and through Worcester. At one time Amtrak used to take a few cars off the main train and add an engine to run them over to Boston, saving the passenger's from the need to transfer. But alas no more. Now they must transfer from the stub train to the main train.

Eastbound he'll usually find that the stub train is waiting for him directly across the platform from the main train that left Chicago a day earlier. Westbound, depending on timing, it may be a direct transfer or he could find himself sitting in the station for a bit.

Ps. The Lake Shore is train numbers 48 & 49.
 
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Anybody know anything about why people are standing on the train???
Thanks for any ideas.
Aloha

Some years ago I rode the Broadway Limited from Philadelphia to Chicago. I had a sleeper but noticed people standing in the Aisles. Next morning when going to breakfast I also noticed people standing in the same coach. When I asked the attendant if they had stood all night. His answer was that no one stood for more than 2 stops but there were standees all night. This was the summer before Amtrak canceled the BL as not profitable
 
His answer was that no one stood for more than 2 stops but there were standees all night.
Honestly, the train I was on with all the "standees" felt like a third world nation. No one could get to the bathroom, the food was sold out (not that you could get to the snack car anyway), babies and kids were howling. At every stop more people and luggage pushed on. Yuk. It made me terrified of taking the train again. I mean, is it too much to ask that customers be guaranteed a seat?!
 
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His answer was that no one stood for more than 2 stops but there were standees all night.
Honestly, the train I was on with all the "standees" felt like a third world nation. No one could get to the bathroom, the food was sold out (not that you could get to the snack car anyway), babies and kids were howling. At every stop more people and luggage pushed on. Yuk. It made me terrified of taking the train again. I mean, is it too much to ask that customers be guaranteed a seat?!
Unfortunately, with the state of disrepair that some of Amtrak's equipment is in I'm afraid that there are going to be more and more equipment failures. One hard winter takes a terrible toll on rolling stock and locomotives. Triple digit heat does not help matters either.
 
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He will be traveling from Worcester MA to Rochester NY.

I live near Worcester and have used that station many times. The Mass. Stub Train to Albany is rarely more than 1/2 full.

I suppose if you wanted to guarantee your son a seat, you could get him a roomettet from Albany to Rochester. I think it would be a waste of money personally, but you could do it.

Where is your son going to school? Holy Cross? WPI? Clark? Holy Cross and Clark are near the trin station. WPI isnt.

Rick
 
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