Acela Express on Track

During my recent travels, I had the opportunity to travel on the Amtrak Acela Express, between Boston and New York City. I truly believe that with the advent of this line, Amtrak is on its way to becoming a real alternative to air travel, particularly commuter air travel.

Picture this air travel scenario, and add up the time each takes. First, you must get from your home to Boston's Logan Airport, remembering that the Big Dig is still operational and will remain so for the foreseeable future. Second, check-in, security, why does the metal detector keep going off, where's your picture ID? Third, delays (15 minutes, 30 minutes, will they even tell you?), cancellations, finding a new flight. Fourth, finally on the plane, but not happy since you have the middle seat and the two very large individuals on either side of you have staked out the armrests. Fifth, peanuts and $4.00 for a glass of wine. Sixth, since the beverage cart is in the aisle for the entire flight you are unable to get to the rest room. Seventh, finally off the plane, but where is the luggage? Yes, the same small bag that you used to carry on, but cannot carry on any longer, since the planes are so full. Eighth, how do you get into Manhattan for a reasonable sum of money? Well, there is now a new alternative, at least in the northeast.

Our trip on the Acela Express began at South Station in Boston, which is not only a comfortable station with a bookstore and a pretty good restaurant, but it is also a bus terminal which allows folks like me, who live in Maine, to arrive by bus and catch the train in the same terminal. It is likewise a terminus for the commuter trains coming into Boston.

The seating on the Express is somewhat similar to that in business class on the Northeast Regional (now called the Acela Regional), with some very positive differences. The seats continue to be roomy, and all seats have electric outlets for laptops or other electrical appliances. There are also headphone hookups at each seat, and the availability of an "audio program." I suspect that the audio is similar to that on airplanes, but was unable to sample it since headphones were unavailable. I don't know if travelers will always need to bring their own headphones, but I would check this out when you make reservations. The new tray tops are much sturdier and steadier than the old ones, and seats with full-size tables are scattered throughout the cars. There are also single seats with small tables that face a space suitable for a wheelchair. The bathrooms on the Express are a very big improvement over the crowded, stainless steel bathrooms on the old trains. These bathrooms are roomy enough for wheelchairs, and have full vanities and good lighting, as well as changing tables.

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