Acela Express First Class from New York Penn Station to Boston
February 9th, 2010 | by admin |
Last trip I rode the whole length of the route from Washington DC to Boston, however, this time I just rode from the New York area. The Club Acela in Penn station NYC is the smallest of the three. The outside, as you can see, is pretty unassuming. A cube painted with the Acela logo. Inside is a bit more civilized. Still beats waiting in the general waiting area shown at the beginning of this video where riders wait until their train is displayed on the large board and they all make a mad dash for it.
NY Club Acela showed a wireless connection, but I could not connect with either iPhone 3G or my netbook. I mentioned this to the seemingly indifferent lady at the front desk. I think she couldn’t do anything about it anyways. The computers seemed kinda antiquated in the lounge and the snack variety was the least of the three lounges.
I, along with another first class passenger, almost missed our train! They are supposed to announce the train and track a couple of times up until departure. I did go to use the restroom and maybe missed the call, however, the other guy was in the lobby and did not hear the train announced. If I hadn’t gone up to the front desk and inquired, we would have missed the train all together. The doors just closed and reopened as we ran for the train. I’ve heard this happen more than once to other first class customers departing from Penn Station Club Acela in the past. The southbound train was announced, but not ours. Boston and DC had the best service and atmosphere. Boston South Station is the larger and more ornate of the three.
I had my Garmin Nuvi 1390T GPS unit with me and “played” around with it while onboard. It was funny to see the GPS try to lock onto nearby roads while en route. The Nuvi took longer than my trusted 60CSx to acquire a satellite lock. I wanted to clock the top speed, but could not lock on from a cold start when entering the area where the train gets to stretch its legs. (Kingston station) The iPhone using the Google map was fun, but map refresh times were a bit slow. I’m anxious to try out TomTom’s solution for the iPhone GPS.
Again the train seemed to stop for 15 minutes somewhere in Connecticut like my previous trip.
The Acela doesn’t get you there that much faster than the Northeast Regional, maybe 20 minutes earlier, if that, but the ride is smooth and quiet.
Wish they had WiFi onboard, but was told that due to the high current and interference, it is a technological challenge to offer it, although they are testing it in some trainsets in the Bistro Car on the Acela line.
Acela Express tickets start out at business class around $100 one way from NY to Boston or DC and first class upgrade for an additional 80 bucks. Not bad. You get a quieter waiting area and seat side meal service. Either way, it is nice not having crying babies or kids running up and down the isles, which in itself is worth the price.
Video shot with Canon PowerShot SD780is Digital Elph in 1280×720 HD.
Duration : 0:6:30
25 Responses to “Acela Express First Class from New York Penn Station to Boston”
By LEXPIX on Feb 9, 2010 | Reply
I’m gonna have to …
I’m gonna have to ride again to surf the web at 150mph.
By LEXPIX on Feb 9, 2010 | Reply
..automatically too.
..automatically too.
By LEXPIX on Feb 9, 2010 | Reply
.. and no long …
.. and no long lines and more leg room.
By LEXPIX on Feb 9, 2010 | Reply
Yeah, you guys on …
Yeah, you guys on the other side fo the pond have the rail system down better than us over here. The tables in the individual seats are kinda small, but the four seat facing each other configuration are pretty big.
By TrickyEmu on Feb 9, 2010 | Reply
Acela will offer …
Acela will offer free wifi in March 2010. Now that’s a reason to take the train.
By metaridleyfan2 on Feb 9, 2010 | Reply
HOLY CRAP!!! THE …
HOLY CRAP!!! THE DOORS OPEN!?
By metaridleyfan2 on Feb 9, 2010 | Reply
im dont like flying …
the only difference is that amtrak takes longer, but its eally confortable 
im dont like flying so amtrak is my next ticket
By WrongRoadRailways on Feb 9, 2010 | Reply
Looks great – here …
Looks great – here in England, it’s possible to get a 1st class ticket for $10 for one and a half hours, you need to know when to book! Some things are similar, such as waiting lounges and at-seat food, but I thought the tables looked a bit small for first class on the Acela. Great video.
By LEXPIX on Feb 9, 2010 | Reply
Thanks. Yeah, …
Thanks. Yeah, you’ll enjoy the ride. The quiet waiting area dnt he onboard meals and feeling less cramped in 1st is worth it for me.
By mooo483 on Feb 9, 2010 | Reply
Wow! I really need …
Wow! I really need to get a first class ticket next time I head up to Boston with Amtrak. Great video!
By LEXPIX on Feb 9, 2010 | Reply
No, not on the …
No, not on the trains. I heard they were testing on some cars, but no trainwide service yet.
Not easy to get WiFi on Acela due to the high voltage interfering with Wi-Fi was the reason i was told by one of the conductors.
By ConrailxChessie on Feb 9, 2010 | Reply
thats a nice ride! …
thats a nice ride! does the train itself have internet?
By LEXPIX on Feb 9, 2010 | Reply
It’s actually …
It’s actually pretty accurate when it locks onto a good signal, however, Car GPS systems are programmed to lock onto roads, thus trying to follow a road, not the tracks.
By Spokker on Feb 9, 2010 | Reply
That GPS doesn’t …
That GPS doesn’t know what the fuck.
By LEXPIX on Feb 9, 2010 | Reply
Yeah, definitely …
Yeah, definitely take advantage fo the Acela Club if you can. A lot quieter and less hustle and bustle to deal with compared to the general cattle call style boarding area.
By LEXPIX on Feb 9, 2010 | Reply
From DC to Boston …
From DC to Boston would be around $300 one way per person. NY to either Boston or DC should be around $200 each way, per person.
By henrysagitarius on Feb 9, 2010 | Reply
I’m steaming right …
I’m steaming right now. I take the Silver Meteor in and out of NYP quite frequently and I never knew about Club Acela. I will definitely take advantage of it in a few days when I’m there. Thank you so much!! Great video by the way!
By deathrow70170 on Feb 9, 2010 | Reply
how much is first …
how much is first class for 3 people and club acela for 3 people
By kidrock72995 on Feb 9, 2010 | Reply
yea, I take metro …
yea, I take metro north from milford to grand central frequently and it’s a pretty sketchy crowd.
By LEXPIX on Feb 9, 2010 | Reply
Nah, I had no …
Nah, I had no worries. They are a pretty cool crowd, however, I wouldn’t leave my stuff unattended on the regular local commuter trains though.
By LEXPIX on Feb 9, 2010 | Reply
Yeah, figured so. …
Yeah, figured so. LOL Although mooning the train spotters while doing 150mph would be kinda fun. LOL
By kidrock72995 on Feb 9, 2010 | Reply
I’m surprised no …
I’m surprised no one stole your laptop, and you just left it there, at 3:15 But Very nice video.
By Thewoog on Feb 9, 2010 | Reply
I was just joking. …
I was just joking. Smart thinking on them to frost the windows
By LEXPIX on Feb 9, 2010 | Reply
Not many since it …
Not many since it is frosted.
By Thewoog on Feb 9, 2010 | Reply
A window in the …
A window in the bathroom…. Imagine how many people you could moon in one minute.