Advocacy & Safety - Amtrak - no bike carry ons - ever?

I have to go to DC this morning (from NY). I usually take the Acela Express and the the Metro, but this time I decided to take my bike. Even if I buy a first class ticket on the Acela, I can't carry on my bike, even dissambled. Even if I had a bike box, I couldn't bring it on board the Acela, as there's no baggage car.

The only choice was a regional train, which is two hours slower than driving, or fly down, which is absurd, since I'll be there driving in 3 hours. They actually wanted me to take the Acela and have my bike go on the Regional as baggage...was worried I would ever see it again.

I get the impression that local Transit, Metro, NYC Transit and PATH are a great deal friendlier to cyclists that commuter and interstate carriers like Amtrak. FYI, I was leaving at 10, beyond rush hour.

Has anyone ever carryed a bike onboard an Amtrak train?

Has anyone ever carryed a bike onboard an Amtrak train?
No, but I've considered it.
Here's their page on the matter:
http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/am2Copy/Title_Image_Copy_Page&c=am2Copy&cid=1080080554487&ssid=43

They do have bike boxes at most Amtrak stations, and you might have been able to convince a conductor to let you bring a boxed bike onto a non-crowded train. Some Amtrak conductors have even let me stash a fully assembled bike in some random out-of-the-way place on the train, rather than disassembling and boxing it for the cargo hold. But of course you can't really make travel plans around the hope that your conductor will cut you a break...

Im pretty sure this rule is only for the acela. You could probably take a folding bike.

The Amtrak Cascadia runs between Vancouver B.C. and Eugene Or. has a limited amount of bicycle racks available. They are $5 and need to be reserved to make sure you get a spot.

Has anyone ever carryed a bike onboard an Amtrak train?

At least in SoCal, as long as not during rush hour I've been able to do so into the passenger car as they're equipped with bike hooks. Other times, including rush hour, I've been asked to just roll the bike into the baggage compartment. I've never been charged extra for the bike.

The Amtrak Cascadia runs between Vancouver B.C. and Eugene Or. has a limited amount of bicycle racks available. They are $5 and need to be reserved to make sure you get a spot.

Good to know!

Thanks!

Has anyone ever carryed a bike onboard an Amtrak train?

All the time on the Capitol Corridor from Sacramento to San Jose CA. Never a problem with space. Took it on with a full touring load. You don't even need to use the racks if they're full - you can just lean it against the side of the car or ask the conductor where to put it.

At least in SoCal, as long as not during rush hour I've been able to do so into the passenger car as they're equipped with bike hooks. Other times, including rush hour, I've been asked to just roll the bike into the baggage compartment. I've never been charged extra for the bike.I've had similar experiences - the Pacific Surfliner does not charge for storing bikes, and most cars have 3 bike hooks.

The Amtrak train between OK City and Ft.Worth has back racks. No disassembly required. You can roll it on and roll it off.

Bike rack service is available on a limited number of routes. You can check the timetables online to see if your route has them. Otherwise, the only way to take a regular bike on the train is to box it and put it on and off a station with baggage service.

No, it's not very forward thinking, but rail service has always been slow to embrace new ideas.

You can roll a bike on most Amtrak trains that stay within the state of Illinois. There are exceptions and you have to check the schedule.

Has anyone ever rolled or otherwise taken their fully assembled bike on board the Amtrak Downeaster between Boston, Massachusetts and Portland, Maine?

Please get back to me.

Im pretty sure this rule is only for the acela. You could probably take a folding bike.Yes you can take a folder on non Acela trains on the Northeast Corridor. Otherwise, it seems like everywhere but the NE Corridor Amtrak is reasonable. There's no posts from anyone in NY, NJ or New England with success :(

The Amtrak Cascadia runs between Vancouver B.C. and Eugene Or. has a limited amount of bicycle racks available. They are $5 and need to be reserved to make sure you get a spot.
Currenty, this is not the case. The trains with the bike cars have been removed for repairs. Amtrak refuses to give an estimate for how long these repairs will take. This has made my housemate and her boyfriend's lives pretty miserable. We're thinking about writing Rep. Blumenauer to see if he can find out when the bike cars will return, since Amtrak won't talk to us ordinary slobs.

The Downeaster allows rolling on bikes at specific stations from Portland, ME and Boston: Portland, Wells (I think) and North Station in Boston. These are the only stations that have ramps where bikes can be rolled onto the luggage car.

What size luggage do the permit on acela? If you disassemble the bike and wrap/tie it in a drop cloth, you might get way with it, assuming the final package is not larger than other peoples stuff.

Has anyone ever carryed a bike onboard an Amtrak train?

Yes, I did that a couple weeks ago. Folded folding bikes are allowed in the luggage rack at the end of the coach. They are not allowed on the overhead luggage rack. My train was crowded so I put it in the overhead rack, which was very roomy and very safe (no way for it to bounce out). Nobody complained.

Im pretty sure this rule is only for the acela. You could probably take a folding bike.
On the ne corridor it's not just the acela. it's the metroliner, too. No bikes on trains between ny and dc. Bagged folders are probably ok. I tried a few weeks ago between Phili and DC and was told "not possible."

On the ne corridor it's not just the acela. it's the metroliner, too. No bikes on trains between ny and dc. Bagged folders are probably ok. I tried a few weeks ago between Phili and DC and was told "not possible."Thanks for confirming; this is what originally made me start this thread. I'm finding the MUPs down in VA and MD are really nice opportunities for us city boys, but looks like we'll have to still drive down. It's kind of ridiculous to have a government funded organization be so backward in transportation alternatives, when they are an alternative themselves!!!

In any case, I hope funding increases or private industry takes an interest in Amtrak so the "perks" of regular non-folding bikes return to the NE Corridor. I'm happy to see that the rest of the country is a little better off!

I've had similar experiences - the Pacific Surfliner does not charge for storing bikes, and most cars have 3 bike hooks.

This is true, but let's remember that the Surfliner, and the San Joaquin and the Capitol Corridor, have this relatively enlightened policy toward bikes because they are Amtrak California lines. They get extra funding from the State to pay for (among other things) those racks and that policy. Elsewhere on Amtrak, including on interstate routes that happen to pass through California, the bike policy is still firmly rooted in the dark ages.

Folders are always allowed in coaches, as we just discussed last week in this thread (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=351790). Someone even posted a PDF of the official Amtrak memo that says so.

Non-folders, it sounds like you're subject to the rules of each line and perhaps on the current situation. I brought a folder because I would have had to bring my regular bike as freight, and they don't handle freight at the stop I needed to get off at. Bottom line, I wouldn't plan on it.

Folders are always allowed in coaches, as we just discussed last week in this thread (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=351790). Someone even posted a PDF of the official Amtrak memo that says so.

Non-folders, it sounds like you're subject to the rules of each line and perhaps on the current situation. I brought a folder because I would have had to bring my regular bike as freight, and they don't handle freight at the stop I needed to get off at. Bottom line, I wouldn't plan on it.

I took my folder two weeks ago on the Metroliner with no problems. It was bagged but you could probably do the same with a regular bike. Use the covers that Performance sells for the frame and wheels.

Non-folders, it sounds like you're subject to the rules of each line and perhaps on the current situation. I brought a folder because I would have had to bring my regular bike as freight, and they don't handle freight at the stop I needed to get off at. Bottom line, I wouldn't plan on it.I know, I should have been more specific in the thread...all I have are non-folders :(

Folders are always allowed in coaches, as we just discussed last week in this thread (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=351790). Someone even posted a PDF of the official Amtrak memo that says so.

Non-folders, it sounds like you're subject to the rules of each line and perhaps on the current situation. I brought a folder because I would have had to bring my regular bike as freight, and they don't handle freight at the stop I needed to get off at. Bottom line, I wouldn't plan on it.

double check before departing- especially holidays, peak hours and for the ACELA trains- I was told I could not take my folder on the ACELA and ended up leaving it locked at South Station in Boston for 2 days.

double check before departing- especially holidays, peak hours and for the ACELA trains- I was told I could not take my folder on the ACELA and ended up leaving it locked at South Station in Boston for 2 days.

Here's what their memo (http://www.bikefriday.com/images/news/amtrakpolicy07.pdf) says (typos and all):

Folding bicycles may be brought aboard passenger cars as carry-on baggage. Only true folding bicycles (bicycles specifically designed to fold up into a compact assembly) are acceptable and must be able to fold into a size no greater than 34" x 15" x 48". Generally, folding bicycles have small wheels and frame latches allowing the frame to be collapsed. Regular bicycles of any size, with or without wheels, are not considered folding bicycles, and may be stored aboard the train as a carry-on folding bicycles. Folding bicycles must be folded before boarding the train and will not count against the two-baggage carry-on limit. Folding bicycles can only be stored in luggage storage areas at the end of the car (or, in Superlines, on the lower level). Folding bicycles cannot be in stored in overhead luggage racks, vestibules, or in reserved (ticketed) bicycle racks.

I guess it's still a bit unclear what happens if the luggage areas at the ends of the car are full, maybe then you might have a problem. Although the first time I did this, I didn't know any better and stored it in the overhead rack, and the conductor didn't say a word. (Maybe didn't know the policy.)

Folding bicycles can only be stored in luggage storage areas at the end of the car (or, in Superlines, on the lower level). Folding bicycles cannot be in stored in overhead luggage racks,

given that the Acela trains have only overhead luggage bins (albeit oversized) and no end of car luggage areas this policy could be problematic if you take the Acela as opposed to a regional or a metroliner.

I think the trick is to bag the folder. Though there is a size restriction of 28"x22"x14" and I'm not sure what mine folds down to exactly.