Mileage run options for 40 TQP out of Washington, DC
 

I miscalculated the way TQP's are calculated, and even after diverting a few driving trips to Amtrak in December, I find myself 40 TQP's short of 5000 points.

I am based out of Washington, DC and have time on Friday and Saturday for a mileage run. I am seriously considering spending $33 on a "flexible" rate ticket to take the Northeast Regional from Union Station to Alexandria, and then taking the Blue Line back into the district.

Are there any more time-efficient ways for me to get the extra TQP's?

Union Station to New Carrollton is currently running $21 on a number of trains for those days (it's 2 TQP per dollar, right?), and is a slightly shorter trip than WAS->ALX. Whether it's more time-efficient depends on what metro line you want to be on for your return, though.

NCR or ALX would be your friends. Rockville is another option if you'd like to use the Cap instead. It's actually "too cheap" ($9-17) but otherwise it's a valid option.

WAS-NCR is definitely the most time-efficient option--headways are shorter on the Orange Line now that we have a break from SafeTrack work. What it doesn't have compared to going to ALX or RKV is any new scenery compared to the NEC.

I suspect scenery isn't a major factor for the OP. :cool:

I would hop on a train to NCR since you can get on a regional that starts out of WAS. The service to ALX is likely originating out of NYP or BOS and could be late.

Thanks! I wound up taking WAS-ALX, partly because the return trip from ALX was slightly more-convenient for me. Departure out of Union Station was delayed, so it was about a 2-hour odyssey for me. At the end of the day I'm not entirely convinced that the status was worth it, but hey, I get to say that I've done a mileage run on Amtrak.