WASHINGTON — Amtrak is advising passengers to book early for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday period to get the best prices and ensure seating, saying it is expecting record-breaking ridership based on early bookings. Last year, the company saw 1.2 million riders during the Thanksgiving season.
The company will add cars to Northeast Regional routes between Nov 25-30, and says expanded service will be available at Northeast Corridor destinations including Washington, Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston.
“Amtrak offers a comfortable, convenient alternative to congested highways and crowded airports all year round – especially during the busy holiday season,” Amtrak Chief Commerical Officer Eliot Hamlisch said in a press release. “Whether you’re a longtime guest or joining us for the first time, we invite you to experience the ease and hospitality of Amtrak as you travel to your holiday gatherings.”
Tickets can be booked at the Amtrak website, on the Amtrak mobile app, at station ticket kiosks, ticket windows at staffed stations, or by calling 1-800-USA-RAIL.
Even post Gardner NEC = Nothing Else Counts still reigns!
Amtrak says it “will add cars to NEC Regional routes Nov 25-30” and “expanded service will be available NEC destinations”. Yet, no mention made of adding any cars to long-distance routes. So sad that Amtrak refuses to put a couple of its ‘extra’ 72-seat, short-distance coaches, on long-distance, eastern routes like the CARDINAL and CRESCENT, both of which only operate with two and three coaches per train, respectively. The CARDINAL’S two, 58-seat, long-distance coaches (116 seats) are already sold out for Wednesday and Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend. So potential CARDINAL passengers, already limited by tri-weekly operation, can’t even ride from Washington to Charleston, WV or from Chicago to Indianapolis. Yet, on the NEC, trains with 8-10 coaches each will operate every 30-60 minutes! Amtrak Management’s mentality is to ignore the rest of the country, will it caters to the NEC!
A ‘Holiday’ CARDINAL consist could have looked like this —
Engine
Coach (72-seat) Holiday Extra-Car for short-haul passengers
Coach (72-seat) Holiday Extra-Car for short-haul passengers
Coach (58-seat) Regular Assigned Car for long-haul passengers
Coach (58-seat) Regular Assigned Car for long-haul passengers
Dinette Regular Assigned Car
Viewliner II Regular Assigned Car
Viewliner I Holiday Extra-Car (from 6 newly-refurbished cars)
Bag/Dorm Regular Assigned Car
.
The two extra coaches could have provided 144 extra seats exclusively for ‘short-haul’ passengers, while allowing long-haul passengers to occupy the 58-seat long-distance cars. The extra sleeper could have added 10 more roomettes, 2 bedrooms and 1 accessible bedroom. Total of four Amfleet I coaches needed from NEC equipment pool and 2 Viewliner I sleepers from the pool of refurbished cars being completed 1 every 2 months.
I am telling anybody who is taking Amtrak (at anytime of year) to have a plan B in mind or in place. Just last week I was bumped from a sleeping car to coach due to a bad ordered sleeper. I called guest rewards, had them cancel the trip and provide an immediate refund. when you get a refund on a sleeper fare, thats more than enough money to buy anairplane ticket, even last minute.