Rommie2k6

Was planning to head from NYC to a destination about 2 hour away. Booked an Amtrak for 2000 pts one-way, thought that was a good deal. Now I learned there is a local metro ride that costs $10-20 one-way!?!?!

Oh come on... those who like NYC and other places with good train systems, what's the point of Amtrak? I got the pts for free from BoA CC, but now I feel ripped off. What's the difference between Amtrak vs the local metro line?

And both take about the same time of 2+ hrs!!!

nerd

Where are you headed? If it's 2+ hours away on Amtrak I think that's beyond the limits of where NJ Transit, Metro North and the LIRR go, isn't it?

hi55us

Very familiar with the lines running out of NYC - none of the 3 commuter lines run faster than Amtrak - frequently they will be a lot slower, make extra stops and have less amenities.

Amtrak is also the only option for many of their intercity lines, for example both Amtrak and NJ Transit run between Trenton-New York, but Amtrak runs all the way from Boston-Washington, a very different market. Try going from Trenton to Stamford on local commuter rail, you'll see why Amtrak exists.

What route did you book your ticket on?

7Continents

Agreed, you get what you pay for. I doubt a "metro line" takes you where you want to go at the same comfort level, no transfers and same time spent traveling. Please post your choices and departure/destination.

Rommie2k6

I'd rather not post travel plans on a public forum, but I checked on Google maps and MTA website, it will get me where I need to go.

MTA metro services also run every half hour, whereas Amtrak is like every 2 hrs. Timing is under 2hrs, and within 30min of each other for either option. No transfers for either option too.

hi55us

It looks like you're looking at New York - Poughkeepsie

On Metro North you would have a lot less leg room, 2-3 seating (vs 2-2 seating on Amtrak) and their trains make significantly more stops. They are within 30 minutes of each other, which is a significant differential for a 2 hour trip.

All amtrak reward tickets are refundable (with I believe a 5% penalty), you can get the points redeposited into your account if you would rather take Metro North.

Rommie2k6

Thanks, I'll prob cancel one of my trips, will allow me to compare metro rail with Amtrak. I looked at some of the pics for metro trail, it looks not terrible. I know it's public transport, but at $10-20, that's really cheap.

jackal

What an odd statement.

FWIW, I'm in ANC now, heading to FAI and then BRW next week, and ending up in MSP for Fourth of July. Likely heading to Missouri after that with a potential side trip to Utah. I don't see any reason why other people here knowing that is a problem. It also helps others to give actual helpful advice if I have any questions. If I don't post specifics when asking a question, I'm basically just airing a rant, which is not helpful to me or to others reading.

In any case, assuming you are talking about Poughkeepsie, then--again, with it being hard to be able to give you any specific assistance without knowing where you're starting, where you're going--sure, it probably depends where in NYC you're starting from. Downtown? Macy's on 34th? Times Square? Grand Central? Harlem? Because Metro-North leaves from a different place (Grand Central Terminal) than Amtrak does (Penn Station), where in the city you start will affect how long your total trip is.

Starting point being equal, though, you are absolutely incorrect about the transit being exactly the same. Amtrak makes the run from Penn Station in 1h23m with two stops and with spacious, comfortable, reclining seats. Metro-North makes the run from Grand Central in 1h48m with nine stops and with harder bench seats. Try comfortably working on your laptop in those seats on a crowded train for nearly two hours. Ouch--I've done it. (Also, no at-seat power on MN--Amtrak has two outlets at each seat pair. Oh, and Amtrak has a snack car.)

Why are you angry there are two services? It is perfectly reasonable that there is Amtrak service between this city pair. Keep in mind that Amtrak keeps going past Poughkeepsie up to Albany and on to Buffalo, Niagara Falls, and (on one train a day) even all the way to Chicago. Rather than being angry that Amtrak took you for a ride, why not be grateful there are two options and appreciative that the fine folks of P'keepsie have easy access to get from their neck of the woods Upstate and onward to the rest of the country?

Rather than posting a nastygram here on FT for Amtrak because you made a mistake and booked the wrong trip, perhaps you should instead have posted your question on FT before you booked--namely, asking, "I'm headed from Times Square to Poughkeepsie. What's the best way to get there?" I'm sure many on FT would have gladly given you advice before you booked that would have helped you choose the right option.

At least Amtrak's cancellation policy is relatively generous and you only stand to lose a small percentage of your points by canceling. So, take advantage of that and change over to Metro-North if you find it to be equally convenient for you. And feel free to ask us questions--we're glad to help and give you our advice and knowledge (especially those far more knowledgable about NYC transit than me!), but we can only help you in proportion to the questions you ask and the information you provide.

dhammer53

I take Metro North for a 35 minute ride on the express to the northern suburbs. If I had to ride it for 2 hours, I'm sure I'd survive. I have limited experience on Amtrak. Last month I rode 148 from Washington to New Rochelle NY. As jackal said, it's a much nicer experience all around, but I say you'll have no problem on Metro North. Amtrak has always been more costly when traveling locally vs Metro North.

Please report back. We'd like to hear how it went. The ride along the Hudson is beautiful.

dh

nerd

Not to nitpick, but since we're nitpicking the claim was: and it's worth noting that trains terminating at Albany do not have a snack car. It's 50/50.

jackal

If we're going to nitpick, then I should point out that neither option takes two hours.

(Unless you count the transit time to the station, but that's not really fair to count against either option.)

Point about the cafe car taken.

Brighton Line

Metro North Grand Central to New Haven is scheduled from as little as 105 minutes to the max of 138 minutes on a weekend, all stops GCT to Stamford and all Stops Stamford to New Haven
.
There are only two PM weekday Peak trains that do the 105 with very few stops.

Amtrak quickest Acela does it in 92 minutes and the longest regional 110 Minutes.

Of course both depart from different points in NYC and don't meet up until New Rochelle where they run on the same tracks with the same speed restrictions until New Haven.

And comparison is subjective because the 138 minute MNRR train there are no Amtrak trains running at that time (530am on a weekend).

For historical note, the New Haven railroad had faster times but now there are a ton of speed restrictions that the New Haven did not have where Amtrak and MNRR have to follow plus a whole lot of new stations stops for MNRR.

ibrandsguest

I take Metro-North and other NY-area commuter railroads pretty often. Amtrak is more targeted at longer trips; it's a lot more comfortable (2x2 or 2x1 seating, vs. 3x2) and quieter. The higher price point on Amtrak also eliminates the general public from its ridership base.

For NYC-Poughkeepsie, I'd take Metro-North. Leaving from Grand Central is much more pleasant than Penn Station, and it's not that long of a trip. You can also buy the ticket the day of departure for no higher price. Just board early and you can get 2 seats to yourself; it's usually around track 33/34 for the longer-distance Hudson Line trains.

AMflier

For NYC - New Haven, NYC - Stamford, and NYC - Poughkeepsie I'll take Metro North unless the time saved is absolutely necessary. Amtrak is much more comfortable, but I'm choosing on price.

That said, 2 weekends ago I was going to a place that was half an hour from either Wassaic (Metro North) or Hudson (Amtrak). The time saved on Amtrak plus the friendlier schedule was worth the extra $10 even though the Amtrak train was completely full.

YMMV