When traveling between New York City and Washington DC there are many travel options including flights, driving and taking the train. Rail options are divided into two categories the slower Northeast Regional and high speed Acela bullet train. The Acela operates high speed service between Boston South Station to Washington Union Station with intermediate stops in Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland. The Acela is Amtrak’s flagship train, reaches speeds up to 150MPH making it the fastest commuter train in the United States. With the current trainsets reaching 20 years old, In this Amtrak Acela review we look at does the Acela Business Class possess a good value for the money?
Station Experience
Booking is accomplished through Amtrak’s website or app. For this particular trip a business class ticket runs $91 per person. On some days the fare can reach over $200 per person. It is worth noting that there is no coach class on Acela trains, coach class is available on the Northeast Regional however. Tickets can be printed via email or the Amtrak app. Tickets can also be printed at kiosks located in New York’s Moynihan Train Hall. The revitalized Penn Station Moynihan Train Hall complex is a vast improvement over the old Penn Station. There is a dedicated food hall, retail options and plentiful seating. Boarding commenced 10 minutes behind schedule. The assigned platform is not announced until boarding commences. The selected seat was located in the very first car making for a short walk to the train. The first car after the locomotive is designated the quiet car. In the quiet car, passengers are requested to keep conversations to a minimum and are discouraged from making phone calls. The seats are arranged in a 2 on 2 configuration with large overhead bins and luggage storage at either end of the train car.
Onboard Experience
The seat contains a full sized tray table, AC power outlet and a small literature pocket containing a safety card. There is plentiful legroom and adequate recline, similar to that of a domestic business class seat. After departing New York, attempts were made to connect to the internet. After a few attempts logging on was successful. The network was extremally slow for the entire duration of the journey with the network cutting in and out. On many sections of the trip the train reached speeds in excess of 80 MPH, the tilting mechanism built into the train made turns a much smoother experience. The ride however was bouncy making it hard to complete tasks on the laptop at times. The café car is located mid-train. It was stocked with various snacks and drinks for purchase. Unlike other trains such as the Empire Service, Acela Business Class does not include a free beverage. Some Acela trains will feature a buy on board snack cart service but this particular trip did not have this service.
Final Thoughts
In this Amtrak Acela review the Acela does not hold a strong value for the money. This particular train departed New York late arriving into Washington DC behind schedule. The overall onboard product is rather basic and is starting to show its age with signs of wear and tear around the seats. The current Acela product does not differentiate much from the Amfleet coach class product found on many trains including the slower counterpart to the Acela, the Northeast Regional. The current Acela trainsets will be phased out in the next couple of years in favor of new Avelia Liberty trains from Alstom. The price point for the overall experience becomes questionable when looking to book on certain dates. Ticket prices can reach well over $300 a passenger, which at times is more than an airline ticket on the same route. Luxury motorcoach busses such as The Jet also come in at a much cheaper price point with travel time being only an hour longer than the Acela. If the prices are right and slow WIFI is not a deal breaker, the Acela may be worth considering.
