Curious if the design on the America 250 card comes through on the iPhone app? I have the basic card loaded on, so don't want to be confused if I load on another card. Thanks.
Did you ever see the documentary on the Willy Wonka Experience in Scotland? Kids were crying, parents were furious and organizers were embarrassed - it was a disaster, became a national joke (and the subject of a police investigation). This reminds me of that. This cost $100+ million? Here's the link to the documentary; it is hilarious:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtsSVLRTzgY
I really like the production look of The Agency - sets, computer screens, etc. Curious if anyone noticed the laptop screen in the skif when they figure out that Viking is Bangui, CAR? Is that a commercial screensaver of sorts, an app or just some production magic? Thanks.
Have to say this new signage being rolled out by Metro North - similar to what the LIRR got five years ago - is sharp, modern and much appreciated.
The Brattleboro Reformer covered Wednesday's official opening of the new Amtrak station in the bucolic southern city of Brattleboro - and a lot of folks turned out for the event. The story and video: https://www.reformer.com/local-news/new-amtrak-station-lauded-for-accessibility-welcoming-vibe/article_513807fc-e248-424b-880a-0f33502d9594.html
What a chill ride tonight on Amtrak 478 from New Haven to Berlin. I don't know what it was but everything was just ideal - from the lighting to the temperature to the crew and lack of a crowd - everyone had two seats to themselves; no talking, no music, no cellphones, no delays - just a very pleasant 35 minute ride. I would have happily stayed on to Springfield and beyond. This came after nearly two hours on Metro North from GCT to New Haven with its 14 stops and endless announcements about making sure you're in the right car to get off.
Amtrak $8
Metro North (off peak) $19
Really cannot beat some of these fares - New Haven to Philadelphia for $16 one way; New Haven to Providence for $12. You can't take commuter rail for these prices - or drive. (Metro North from New Haven to New York is $19 off peak). Booked all of my rail travel through the end of August. Snapshot of my iPhone Wallet - kind of ridiculous. And of course, paid for it on my Amtrak credit card.
From Amtrak's website:
"Soak Up Our Big City Savings Sale for Summer
Sweet summertime savings. For a limited time, get up to 25% off regularly priced adult fares on any Coach or Acela Business ticket for trains traveling from Boston to Washington, DC and destinations in between.
Summer travel doesn’t get any breezier than with Amtrak — you’ll arrive in the heart of downtown, so it’s easy to get to your hotel, make a connection to local transportation or just start enjoying the warm weather. Relax and stretch out in between stops with no need to worry about traffic, tolls, gas, parking or weather... should we keep going?
Make sure to book by June 24 for travel from July 8 – Aug. 30, 2026. Check out these sample fares or use the fare finder above to discover even more options."
Can we please fix this app. Yes, you can buy a ticket on it but this app is showing its age. The SLE and HL Twitter updates are no longer supported, sending you to years-old posts on what is now X. The whole app needs a refresh along with the ability to put purchased tickets into your Apple (or Google) wallet. Rant over. Thank you.
Driving north to northern New Hampshire this morning; I decided to check out the new Brattleboro, VT Amtrak station that has been under construction for quite a while and is still not open; though most of the work appears to be complete. The high level platform and station building access is blocked off with yellow caution tape and I decided not to cross it to get additional photos so this is the best I could do. Passengers were assembled across the tracks for the southbound train - virtually no station services until this new one opens which hopefully will be sooner rather than later.
"No" is my new universal response to most messages I get with regard to items I'm selling on Marketplace. I don't elaborate and I don't counter-offer. These people aren't customers, they're pests.
- "Will you deliver it to my house?" No.
- "Will you take $100, I'll pick it up tomorrow?" (for an item listed for $210) No.
- "Do you take PayPal?" No.
- "All I have is Zelle." No.
- "Can I get it now?" (it's 10pm at night) No.
- "How about $40, it's for my kid?" (phone that I'm selling for $125) No.
I'm always riding on the Hell Gate Bridge for my trips in/out of Moynihan and had an opportunity this week to ride under it - unfortunately no Amtrak traffic during my short East River trip - but it is a solid piece of engineering and one that can be easily viewed on the NYC Ferry.
It is one of my pet peeves when traveling on Amtrak; the bathroom doors left open... I often close them myself. And in this particular case got out of my seat and closed both bathroom doors (there's one on the other side you cannot see in the photo.) Thoughts?
A significant event, the train arrived on time in Berlin from Springfield, MA. Almost every time I take the 5:02am departure it is delayed anywhere from 5-15 minutes. 141 made it to Moynihan on the day of the big tunnel fire - on time - but was cancelled beyond New York - so passengers heading to Newark, Trenton, Philadelphia, Wilmington, Baltimore and Washington (and intermediate stops) all had to deboard and go to Customer Service at Moynihan for rebooking information. I got off in New York, knew Moynihan would be a cluster and just headed out the east side through the old Penn Station to the subway.
Riding out of GCT last night, departing at 7:13p, I was in a car with a guy a few rows back who was having a phone call conversation with someone on speaker. Now, using a speaker on a phone is a MNRR no-no. The railroad says it is a violation and is not tolerated. So when the conductor came through, I mentioned it to him. He nodded, walked towards the violator and said absolutely nothing, even though he could clearly hear the conversation. I got up and walked over the offending passenger and asked nicely if he could turn off his speaker. Without any fuss, the man agreed and there was relative silence as we rode through Westchester County. I believe people have mentioned this useless conductor before; he is late 50's, bald and to be frank, a moron. Yes, I'm talking about you, asshole. Do your f-ing job.