what's the shortest trip on Acela with a meal?

[TimSpencer]

my relatives from Europe are visitng just before Chrismas... they want to ride on Amtrak's Acela just to see what it's like.

I'm thinknig of booking the shortest(cheapest) possible routes in Acela first class. but what's the minium length of the trip

in order to get a meal on the Acela? for exampl, Philly to NYP, or Wilmington to Baltimore/Washington....(1 hour too short?)

Thanks for any info!

 

[Acela150]

I have gone NYP-PHL with a first class meal twice! I came from WAS-PHL last year and thier was a woman going from WAS-BAL first and had a meal. My Dad and I wondered why she rode first class for 30 minutes. It seems kinda stupid. We figured she did it just to say "I rode on Acela Express First Class"!

 

[AlanB]

I've done NHV-NYP and PHL-NYP and gotten meals. The NHV to NYP can be especially nice, since one can ride Metro North in the other direction to keep costs down. However it should also be noted that NHV-NYP is the slowest section of the run for Acela, it never gets above 90 MPH there and most of the run is done at 70 or less.

I'd expect that one could also do PHL-BAL and get a meal, but I've never tried that one.

 

[ralfp]

I'd expect that one could also do PHL-BAL and get a meal, but I've never tried that one.

That's a full hour; if WAS-BAL gets a meal, then I would imagine that BAL-PHL gets one.

Now what about BWI-BAL? F is $15 extra (for $40 or more total).

 

[Tony]

I would wonder (worry?) if I would not only get served something to eat, but if I would have enough time eat it and enjoy it. I would hate to get my meal, only 5 minutes out from my destination.

 

[AlanB]

I would wonder (worry?) if I would not only get served something to eat, but if I would have enough time eat it and enjoy it. I would hate to get my meal, only 5 minutes out from my destination.

And if one is boarding at a "meal" origination point, that could happen. Meal origination points are WAS, NYP, and BOS. On a very full train out of NYP, there are times that one starts to cut things close if one is getting off in Philly. That's also why when I've done the NYP-NHV turn, I've always gone north on Metro North, and then returned on Acela. That way the crew is only needing to get out a few meals, instead of 20 to 30 meals.

 

[Tony]

Meal origination points are WAS, NYP, and BOS.

Am I reading that correctly? Only 1st class passengers boarding in WAS, NYP, or BOS get fed? If I was going from PHL to BOS, I don't get a meal?

Or is it that if I board in PHL, I don't get fed until (just) after my NYP stop?

 

[AlanB]

Meal origination points are WAS, NYP, and BOS.

Am I reading that correctly? Only 1st class passengers boarding in WAS, NYP, or BOS get fed? If I was going from PHL to BOS, I don't get a meal?

Or is it that if I board in PHL, I don't get fed until (just) after my NYP stop?

No, you're misunderstanding what I'm saying. Meals get loaded on the train at those points for all passengers already on the train or expected to board the train between those points. What this does mean though for example, is that if one was very hungry and riding between say NHV and PHL, one could have breakfast out of NHV and lunch out of NYP. One might be very bloated after all that food, but one could do it.

 

[jis]

I've done NHV-NYP and PHL-NYP and gotten meals. The NHV to NYP can be especially nice, since one can ride Metro North in the other direction to keep costs down. However it should also be noted that NHV-NYP is the slowest section of the run for Acela, it never gets above 90 MPH there and most of the run is done at 70 or less.

Slightly OT, but actually the Acela does occasionally go upto 100 between New Rochelle and New York on the Hell Gate Line if it gets the right signals in the higher speed portions of that segment. I have seen it do so on GPS.

 

[x-press]

I would wonder (worry?) if I would not only get served something to eat, but if I would have enough time eat it and enjoy it. I would hate to get my meal, only 5 minutes out from my destination.

And if one is boarding at a "meal" origination point, that could happen. Meal origination points are WAS, NYP, and BOS. On a very full train out of NYP, there are times that one starts to cut things close if one is getting off in Philly. That's also why when I've done the NYP-NHV turn, I've always gone north on Metro North, and then returned on Acela. That way the crew is only needing to get out a few meals, instead of 20 to 30 meals.

I've seen that happen. Last spring, a bunch of people didn't get served between NYP-Phil at a peak time, including one guy who got on at New Haven and was told he'd get served after NYP. And they got ticked as only first-classers can.

Not the best vibe on that trip for anyone. Normally the attendants are quite good.

 

[TimSpencer]

I've done NHV-NYP and PHL-NYP and gotten meals. The NHV to NYP can be especially nice, since one can ride Metro North in the other direction to keep costs down. However it should also be noted that NHV-NYP is the slowest section of the run for Acela, it never gets above 90 MPH there and most of the run is done at 70 or less.

Slightly OT, but actually the Acela does occasionally go upto 100 between New Rochelle and New York on the Hell Gate Line if it gets the right signals in the higher speed portions of that segment. I have seen it do so on GPS.

what is the current top operation speed of the Acela, and where does it usually reach this speed?

thanks!

 

[AlanB]

what is the current top operation speed of the Acela, and where does it usually reach this speed?

Top speed for Acela is 150 MPH, reached only in the Providence, RI area.