Do folks ever do this...use two tickets for a trip, with a forced connection in the middle to get more points? For instance, NYP-WDB usually yields 120 points ($60), but going NYP-WAS and WAS-WDB on two different trains (90-minute layover) would be $49 plus $14 for 200 points. Is it worth it?

Yes, I assume plenty of people have done this. I have split a journey into 3 segments and it cost me the the same as one contiguous journey. Earned more than twice the points I would have otherwise.

Only thing you need to consider is whether it's worth wasting your time for a measly 80 points. Remember these methods make a lot more sense when you have bonus points/other promotions going on.

The minimum earning per segment has been 100 points for several years now. No revenue segment, regardless of how short or how cheap, earns less than 100 points. Right now I'm earning at least 250 points per segment with the 50% S+ bonus and double points promo. When it becomes triple points on National Train Day, the minimum for me will be 350 points per segment for the duration of the promo. ^

Thanks. I think I'll try this a few times until the promotion ends in May. Not too difficult to spend 90 minutes in Union Station. I checked into splitting in PHL, but that's not cost effective.

A small clarification if I may; only the first 4 segments on any one day earn the 100 point minimum. Ride 5 segments where each segment cost less than $50; only the first 4 will earn the 100 point minimum. The 5th will earn the normal 2 X $1 in points, as would the 6th segment as so on.

And of course the rule about each segment needing to be on a different train still applies to all of the above.

Yes, but what I was trying to say is that splitting the journey into 2 segments only nets him an additional 80 points as opposed to a single contiguous journey (when double points promo is going on it would be 160 extra). Whether that's worth the wasted time only the OP can decide. Now if he was S+ like you guys it might make a little more sense to do it.

If I do a 4 segment northbound journey and then a 4 segment southbound journey on the same day, I wouldn't get min 100 points for any segment on the southbound journey?

The additional Keystone trains that run NYP-PHL often make it possible to pick up extra points with just an extra 10-30 minute stopover. NYP-PHL-WAS-WDB might be feasible depending on your travel times. 300 EQPs each way for that itinerary. Alas, if you're booking the 14-day special fares on the Northeast Regional, the inclusion of the Keystone will kill that discount.

That is correct.

Alternatively, multiple tickets/trains on the same trainset will not result in multiride credit, correct? For example #7 CHI-Columbus, #27 Columbus-Tomah, #807 Tomah-MSP.

I never considered that case, but it's a great question. You can only earn one trip credit for each train number on a given date. Trains 7, 27, and 807 are all unique trains for accounting purposes. I'd love to know the result if you or someone rides all three "trains" consecutively.

Neat! I didn't realize that Amtrak's reservation system would allow a 0-minute connection from 7 to 27 in a random city enroute. I just tried it and made it to the payment screen without a problem. Given how computers tend to be programmed, I'll bet that you'll get credit for all segments. For overnight trains with a different departure date on each segment, I'm willing to wager even more!

Here's another question regarding split trips, or really any through fare for that matter. Can AGR upgrade coupons be applied to them? Say one's traveling WAS-NYP-ALB on a standard connection or BOS-NYP-PHL as a split trip. In either case, a single through fare for the entire journey. Will Amtrak be able to accept the upgrade coupons at all? If so, are we looking at two coupons or one?

Many, many years ago, I attempted and failed to use a S+ upgrade coupon for a split. Computer wouldn't accept it, I was told.

Alan mentioned in another recent thread that all tickets for a given (physical) train are stuffed in a single envelope, which is scanned in a single batch, and then a single train number is assigned to the entire batch.

The conductors won't separate out the tickets for 7, 27, and 807, so they'll definitely all be in a single envelope and scanned as a single batch (as train 7, most likely, regardless of which train your ticket was actually for).

As such, I doubt you would see more than one credit show up.