Train-ing Raleigh to Hartford, current Amtrak bike policies?
October 13, 2023 4:04 PM Subscribe
I'm travelling from Raleigh to Hartford on multiple lines next week and would like to bring my bike. I don't want to box it up. I found some old AskMes about checking bikes on Amtrak, the couple of people I've asked say it depends on the line. But I can't find line-specific policy on the site. Just multiple policies stating that checking and carrying on is possible, depending on the line.
Is there anywhere online that has documented this or is there a best approach to verify?
Best answer: I just took my bike from Milwaukee to Chicago-ish on the Hiawatha last week. Everything online was full of lies and misdirection. In person, and with bike on hand, things were only slightly less confusing.*
Top line advice: Call the stations where you'll be entraining. Ask if they will be taking bikes on the SPECIFIC trainset that is scheduled for that run. If they don't know what trainset is running at the time you're calling, ask when they will know... day of? sooner?
*I was told I had to wait for the trainset that had a baggage car to hand my bike up into, and then as boarders were assembling, I was told that, actually, I was going to ride with my bike in the coach, and then as we boarded the coach, lo! there was a whole ass bike rack right there. So while the internet is misleading, don't assume that the station agents are all knowing either. Amtrak has too many multiple generations of coaches running right now, thus confusion is inevitable, but someone should hopefully know on site.
Summary: It seems that the bike capacity of a given amtrak run totally depends on the trainset it's operating. You might just have to go to the stations and figure it out with the station crew as you go. Be nice, understanding and flexible and you'll get there with your bike and sanity intact.
posted by Cold Lurkey at 5:36 PM on October 13, 2023 [2 favorites]
Top line advice: Call the stations where you'll be entraining. Ask if they will be taking bikes on the SPECIFIC trainset that is scheduled for that run. If they don't know what trainset is running at the time you're calling, ask when they will know... day of? sooner?
*I was told I had to wait for the trainset that had a baggage car to hand my bike up into, and then as boarders were assembling, I was told that, actually, I was going to ride with my bike in the coach, and then as we boarded the coach, lo! there was a whole ass bike rack right there. So while the internet is misleading, don't assume that the station agents are all knowing either. Amtrak has too many multiple generations of coaches running right now, thus confusion is inevitable, but someone should hopefully know on site.
Summary: It seems that the bike capacity of a given amtrak run totally depends on the trainset it's operating. You might just have to go to the stations and figure it out with the station crew as you go. Be nice, understanding and flexible and you'll get there with your bike and sanity intact.
posted by Cold Lurkey at 5:36 PM on October 13, 2023 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Once you have identified the policy, persevere to get your bike on the train you want to take.
Last time my partner rode Amtrak, she had to work her way all the way up to the conductor in charge of the train she was going to be riding on, and connect the conductor with the ticket agent who had gone and looked up the policy my partner cited. Stick to the policy, focus on having the employees reference the Amtrak policy for your train. Part of the trick in her case was she found a brochure in the station with the policy printed on it. Having something on a physical brochure makes it undeniable.
It shouldn't be necessary, but sometimes bike-friendly Amtrak education happens one employee at a time.
posted by aniola at 6:19 PM on October 13, 2023 [1 favorite]
Last time my partner rode Amtrak, she had to work her way all the way up to the conductor in charge of the train she was going to be riding on, and connect the conductor with the ticket agent who had gone and looked up the policy my partner cited. Stick to the policy, focus on having the employees reference the Amtrak policy for your train. Part of the trick in her case was she found a brochure in the station with the policy printed on it. Having something on a physical brochure makes it undeniable.
It shouldn't be necessary, but sometimes bike-friendly Amtrak education happens one employee at a time.
posted by aniola at 6:19 PM on October 13, 2023 [1 favorite]
Best answer: This is one of those instances where a phone call will do more for you than piecing together stuff on the internet. I travel Amtrak a lot and the customer service folks on the phone are always surprisingly friendly, competent, and problem solving oriented.
posted by Miko at 6:32 PM on October 13, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by Miko at 6:32 PM on October 13, 2023 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Sounds like the primary answer is "no," but I appreciate additional anecdata too. Because I'm traveling so far as to have to stay overnight in DC to even make the journey, I won't have a lot of flexibility. I also won't be coming back the way I go, so no locking it up halfway along to grab on the way home. And so, I need firm answers before I commit to add the bike. I appreciate Alligator Pear's surfacing some addl online pages that go into the reservation piece, but also Turkey Lurkey's "boots on the ground" perspective. And Miko, thanks for the encouragement to call - I'd expected I'd get a smug bureaucratic confidence with no actual knowledge, so I'll give that a try too.
Feels like about a 40% chance I abandon this idea, but will follow up with an FPP if I find success here. Thanks!
posted by SoundInhabitant at 8:25 AM on October 15, 2023
Feels like about a 40% chance I abandon this idea, but will follow up with an FPP if I find success here. Thanks!
posted by SoundInhabitant at 8:25 AM on October 15, 2023
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It sounds like you want Carry-On service, which may work if you are on a combination of the Carolinian, Northeast Regional or Vermonter, and Hartford lines. But you may have to take off your front wheel for the Hartford line. You also need to book and pay for the bike reservations before you go (and you’ll certainly want to make sure there is space on each leg of your trip). Sometimes these sorts of things are difficult to add-on after the fact if you’re already booked your ticket, so you may have to call their customer service line to adjust your reservation if you can’t figure out how to do it online.
posted by alligatorpear at 5:09 PM on October 13, 2023