Commuting in the Northeast – Amtrak Sleeper Trains

Living in Washington DC, I travel up and down the Northeast Corridor quite a lot, visiting family in both Philadelphia and New York. In many cases, it’s more convenient than flying since the train stops locally. The Northeast Corridor is really considered anything from Newport News up to Boston, heavily used by commuters and day-trippers to major Northeast cities such as Richmond, Washington DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York and Boston.

In the Northeast, there’s really two “official” ways to get around by train between the major cities between Richmond and Boston.

• Northeast Regional trains, which offer a Business Class. Northeast trains stop in local stations and serves as a “commuter/local” train.
• Acela Express Trains, which offer a First Class. The Acela stops in major stations and serves as a higher-speed alternative to the Northeast Regional.

Here’s the downside: these trains are often highly crowded and you have to fight for a seat (and are lucky if you get one with no one next to you).

This said, there’s an interesting alternative to these local trains – and it involves using Amtrak sleeper trains, a product that’s normally used for overnight travel between cities days apart.

Let’s take a look at the Silver Star and Silver Meteor trains, normally traveling between New York and Miami.

You’ll notice that both trains only pickup passengers between New York and Washington DC on the southern service, and only discharge passengers between Fredericksburg and New York on the northern service. Take a look at Alexandria, VA on the trains going south, though. Both trains listed do not have any indication that you cannot get on or off here, so you could travel from New York to Alexandria, VA on a sleeper train as a means of getting to Washington DC. For those that know Alexandria, it’s only a short Metro ride to the center of Washington DC, and in many cases is more convenient to certain destinations, especially those in Northern Virginia.

What’s included in the Amtrak sleeper train service?

• Lounge access in Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Washington DC.
• Complimentary meal onboard.
• Private cabin, sometimes with a private restroom.
• Bottled water, coffee and juice.
• Sleeper car attendant.

I find it a great place to listen to music, work or watch a movie since I’m essentially in my own private compartment. Folks have criticized me for using a sleeper car on such a short distance of service, but Amtrak allows it within their schedule, and I think it’s probably the most comfortable way to travel between the major Northeast cities, if I had a choice.

The rooms store my luggage without any issue, and I don’t have to worry about things not being within my eye sight I usually store my Tumi Alpha 2 backpack usually on the seat in front of me, and the overheard compartment stows my Rimowa suitcase without any issue.

What long distance trains can I travel on within the Northeast Corridor and to where?

You’ll notice a lot of these cities end in Alexandria, which is very close to DC. Manassas and Culpepper are also relatively close to Washington Dulles airport, and the western Northern VA area.

• Silver Star train 91: Get on starting in New York, Get off starting in Alexandria, VA
• Silver Meteor train 97: Get on starting in New York, Get off starting in Alexandria, VA
• Silver Meteor train 98: Get on Richmond or south, Get off anywhere Alexandria, VA or north
• Silver Star train 92:  Get on Richmond or south, Get off anywhere Alexandria, VA or north
• Crescent train 19: Get on starting in New York, Get off starting in Alexandria, VA
• Crescent train 20: Get on starting Manassas, VA, or south, Get off starting in Alexandria, VA
• Cardinal train 51: Get on starting in New York, Get off starting in Manassas, VA
• Cardinal train 50: Get on Culpepper or south, Get off starting in Alexandria, VA

Fares on these trains are competitive. I’ve found plenty of cases where last minute sleeper tickets are only $10-30 more than a coach ticket on a Northeast Regional train. In most cases, it’s very competitive, and often cheaper than what you’d pay for a First Class ticket on an airline shuttle.

The Easiest Way to Upgrade on Amtrak

The easiest way to upgrade on Amtrak is with the Amtrak Guest Rewards World Mastercard.

You get:

• 20,000 bonus points offer. It’s time to be rewarded. 20,000 bonus points can be yours after you spend at least $1,000 in purchases within 90 days of account opening.
• Earn 3 Amtrak Guest Rewards points for every $1 you spend on Amtrak travel, including onboard purchases.
• Earn 2 points per $1 spent on other qualifying travel.
• Earn 1 point for each $1 spent on all other purchases.
• Get a 5% Amtrak Guest Rewards point rebate when you book your Amtrak redemption travel.
• Earn 1,000 Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs) toward earning status each time your eligible spending reaches $5,000 in a calendar year, up to 4,000 TQPs per year.
• Enjoy a complimentary Companion Coupon, One-Class Upgrade and a single-day ClubAcela pass for access to ClubAcela, Amtrak Metropolitan Lounge or First class lounges upon account opening. Plus, each year you’ll receive a Companion Coupon and One-Class Upgrade when you renew your card membership.
• There’s no limit to how many points you can earn and you can use them when you want. Your points will not expire as long as you are a cardholder and your account is open.

Remember, you’ll get a companion coupon and one-class upgrade every year, which is HUGE value.

To get the card with this best available offer, click here. Below the cards you see, click “Show More Results” until you see the Amtrak Guest Rewards credit card. This best available offer is only available on The Forward Cabin.

Did you know you could use a long-distance sleeper train on Amtrak to travel between major Northeast cities?