r/Amtrak

hello, I understand this is a long shot but I’m desperate…

I left my wallet on the train from CT to Baltimore this past Sunday
(nodded off of the train, woke up in Baltimore, and rushed out. my wallet was in the seat pocket and totally forgot to grab it)

I realized almost instantly after getting off and submitted a lost item report like amtrak instructs you to do, as well as a police report with the DC amtrak police

however, it has been three days and no word. all of my cards, my house keys, cash, etc was in there and quite frankly I just care about the wallet because it has sentimental value.

but more than anything I am just frustrated because I was seated alone so it’s not like the person next to me grabbed it and I was able to share exactly where it was located on the train as I was seated in the quiet car. police said they clean the train after every trip and hopefully it will be found there but if anyone works for the DC amtrak and can look in the lost and found for me, I would be forever grateful. I’m desperate

it

Saw an email ad about the $100 gift card being discounted, and went to go check for myself. Best Buy’s website currently shows their $15 off. There’s a limit of 3 per buyer, and it ends at midnight today, but you can buy them online, and I’m sure there’s some way to game that limit if you wanted to.

Unformatted link to the product page to prove this is legitimate:

https://www.bestbuy.com/product/amtrak-100-gift-card-digital/J33V3XLPF6/sku/6447309

If you intend on taking Amtrak at all in the future (which is hopefully true of everyone here) this is more or less free money on the table. Even if you’re not planning to ride soon, I’d still try to go for this if you can, as gift cards don’t expire.

Anyone know what’s going on with trains out of NYPenn station? Only Two trains have left in last 1.5 hours. Trying to get to BWI and feeling hopeless.

Edit: train finally left. Gonna make it.

PSA for my fellow travelers with weed.

Ran into a woman on the Lake Shore Limited who had two gummies sniffed out by a police sniffing dog at Union Station in Chicago.

Cops gave her a choice to consume them on the spot or give them over. (She gave them to the cops.)

Really shocked me, they don't have better things to do? I'm assuming their real intent is looking for scarier stuff, and once the dog alerts they have to follow thru.

But geez man, they'll never find the scarier things with all the time they'll spend confiscating weed from elderly folks (including myself here)!

Amtrak would be my preferred mode of long distance travel if not for a few dealbreakers.

• The room temperature control is completely useless

On a few trips I've taken for both a roomette and full sized room the temperature knob was useless. As someone who cannot sleep when it's hot, I didn't get a single ounce of sleep. The next day I had to drive 6 hours home and was beyond miserable. I can't imagine ever doing a longer distance trip, I think I would have serious issues. I know compartment HVAC is difficult but it could be vastly improved. Even if its just improving the fan pressure and making the air stream operate at the actual desired temperature. This is my #1 dealbreaker.

• Lack of stable internet

This one will undoubtably have its own fanbase as there are people who like the lack of internet. That's fine no judgment either way. You can turn off your phones and devices, but having the ability to access internet is important for some. A long distance trip is enjoyed differently by different people. As an introvert, I would love the idea of doing remote work while staring out at views (while others enjoy a book). This is an even easier problem to fix via starlinks for each cabin. They run quite cheap and will provide high speed connectivity for most trips in the United States. Amtrak released a video claiming an impending improvement to internet connectivity to newer trains but it's truly headscratching because they hinted it will be improved networking on the same technology instead of satellite internet. It makes no sense. It's more difficult to maintain, more expensive, and provides less service. I truly have no idea who is in charge at Amtrak to have such a massive oversight in the big year of 2026.

And that's truly it. The room temperature is the dealbreaker as a temperature-based sleeper. I know there are significant subset of people like this (either hot or cold). There are also a major subset of workers that can't afford to go long distance without internet. It just seems like Amtrak is absolutely destroying their own base of ticket buyers. They truly have no idea how many more tickets they would sell if they made some basic improvements to these outdated cabins.

James Austin Johnson on why he loves Amtrak

He's real people like us!

Trying to get to philly. Nothing is moving. Transits are constantly being cancelled

Second question tonight but something I'd like to know

Taking the LSL from Boston to Chicago, needed more clothes and footwear to pack than I normally do when on a vacation so I'm using a big suitcase. Not carry-on sized

I know it will fit *tightly* in a sleeper but I'm thinking of just checking it.

I dislike checking baggage in general because I always worry that at the other end someone's going to grab my suitcase and run away with it before I can get to the carousel.

Having never done it before, how does it work when I get to Chicago? Stand behind everybody else or is there a more orderly distribution of baggage particularly for sleeper people?

Thanks in advance

I did search the sub before I asked this if I missed something my apologies

I'm taking the LSL this weekend from Boston to Chicago, boarding time is 12:50 PM, sleeper car.

I know the dining car doesn't join us until Albany

Is there any lunch served coming out of Boston or is that too late already in the day?

It seems like in a 22 hour trip the only thing that's available might be dinner and then breakfast.

Tomorrow afternoon, I want to take my train-loving son on a quick round trip from Van Nuys, CA (VNC) to Santa Barbara, CA (SBA). I'd like to take #777, which arrives to SBA at 5:45 pm. The southbound Starlight departs SBA at 6:20pm, but it's not an option to choose when trying to book a round trip. Why? I can just book two one way tickets no problem, but I'm restricted from buying it as a round trip?

What on earth is going on at the Newark airport train stop? You can’t get there directly? You have to check OUT of the station with your ticket? There is literally no message board for all trains in the interior or the station?? The signage is horrible! This was unbelievable.

I don't want to doom but it's looking like it's over

At best this and the "restructuring" is going to make Amtrak dysfunctional at best. I can't see this turning out well