My First Time Riding Amtrak’s NORTHEAST REGIONAL | Philadelphia- Baltimore Trip Report

Since there is no commuter rail service between Newark, DE and Perryville, MD we decided to cheat on our commuter rail adventure down the Northeast Corridor and take Amtrak. We boarded Northeast Regional 175 in Philadelphia and relaxed aboard a comfy Amfleet car down to Baltimore. What a difference in ride experience!
The Northeast Corridor is Amtrak’s busiest rail route, and one of only two electrified lines. Northeast Regionals offer higher-speed, relatively frequent service that really should be replicated in more areas across the US.
Trains Are Awesome!

[@danielueblacker9118]

30th St Station is wonderful and I have rode on the N.E.Regional. Thanks for a good video.

[@Thom-TRA]

How did you like the NE Regional?

[@MIKEJ788]

​​@@Thom-TRA What U Think Of The Amtrak Pennsylvanian? Ever Rode?

[@Thom-TRA]

@@MIKEJ788 never been on that one yet

[@MIKEJ788]

​@@Thom-TRAyou'll love it

[@syrax101]

I’m very glad people are starting to use Amtrak… If they upgraded their fleet and up the speeds, people would use it more often. Too bad the freighters got more power outside the northeast corridor lol

[@amachlis1991]

Not everyone uses Amtrak

[@syrax101]

@@amachlis1991 not everybody has a car…

[@amachlis1991]

@@syrax101 not everyone can access Amtrak

[@amachlis1991]

@@syrax101 not everybody has access to Amtrak

[@dylan1845]

I know this video was the northeast regional but every other week I take the Keystone Service round trip from 30th Street Station in Philadelphia to Harrisburg, PA. It’s a comfortable train as well with good seats and plug sockets for your iPhone. 😊

[@Thom-TRA]

Keystone is on my bucket list for sure! Love that they also run electric trains

[@ryancaldwell9463]

They’ve been talking for YEARS of reopening an abandoned station in Elkton, MD (where I live) with extending MARC, and hopefully SEPTA. But nothings happened yet. 😞 i think the last regular service to Elkton was the Amtrak Chesapeake commuter that ended in the 70s or 80s and was replaced by MARC.

[@Thom-TRA]

Although I’m not super aware of what the general commuter streams are in that region, it just seems logical to me to close the gap, you know? It seems like it would incentivize train travel for more people if you could easily travel both north and south from any given station. Thanks for your comment!

[@ryancaldwell9463]

I sure hope they close the gap soon. Even in the busier NE corridor it’s hard to find the route/connection you wish was available. Lol I’m a fan of train travel and have been thinking about taking a longer trip lately. Really cool to check out more channels like yours lately!

[@Thom-TRA]

@@ryancaldwell9463 feel free to check out some of my older stuff. And stick around, we’ve got Amtrak’s Empire Builder scheduled for uploading this summer… ;)

[@chrislano8531]

One would have to two take two MD buses and possibly two Dart buses to close the gap between Perryville and Newark

[@Thom-TRA]

Yeah that sounds like a fun challenge for a different trip. I knew I would be too tired if I tried it this time around hahaha

[@matthewyoder93]

Philly 30thst station one of my fav stations !! Union station wash DC is great too

[@Kimosabeeze]

Great video!

[@Thom-TRA]

Thank you!

[@BarryBynum]

I appreciate the great content. One thing though. You teased us with "they have a cafe car" but you did not show us the cafe care. I personally rate a train to whether it has a cafe car or not. :)

[@Thom-TRA]

I just knew if I went I’d be tempted to spend money lol. They’re the basic Amfleet business/cafe car. I’ll remember that for next time tho!

[@dennisforner6090]

More "Mud Maps" Thom😆! It is pleasing to see that many grand stations are still being used for train travel. Those coach seats sure looked so comfortable compared to the new seats on the replacement passenger cars. I've heard negative reviews about the new seating. Where you aware that former US President Gerald Ford grew up in Grand Rapids? He was born in Omaha Nebraska but spent most of his time in GR. Thanks for uploading and proving that trains are awesome and that there are so many places to visit in the US. Looking forward to your Baltimore upload.

[@Thom-TRA]

I haven’t been on the new cars yet. I hope they’re not as bad as people say, because as of right now Amtrak really does outshine all the others with seat comfort. Except Horizon cars, those are not my favorite… You should come to GR! Everything is President Ford themed (museum, airport, street signs, monuments). Both sides of Michigan have their famous Ford… Also, I will be moving soon, and announcing where in a little bit!

[@dennisforner6090]

@@Thom-TRA GR is on my ever-growing "Bucket List', as are other parts of Michigan, however not in winter. I'm sure wherever you move to will not be any further north but rather further south away from the snow & cold!🙃

[@Thom-TRA]

@@dennisforner6090 not in winter is right! It’s terrible haha. If you do ever make it over, please let me know! I’ll hop on the train and show you around!

[@hirampriggott1689]

I like Philly 30th st station. it's so huge.

[@Thom-TRA]

It’s a beautiful station!

[@BusTVChan]

I also rode that train for the first time

[@White_sox_fan]

I actually did this but I was going to New York in the summer of 2023

[@Thom-TRA]

How was it?

[@White_sox_fan]

@@Thom-TRA it was great

[@NovejSpeed3]

Have you done a full BOS to DC northeast corridor video?

[@Thom-TRA]

Nope not yet

[@seprishere]

What actually is the line between "commuter" and "intercity" rail? Is Avanti West Coast "commuter rail" between Crewe and Lancaster? Is Great Western Railway "commuter rail" between Bristol Parkway and Swansea (or even between London Paddington and Reading)?

[@Thom-TRA]

I think it’s an American terminology that I wouldn’t be able to translate into another culture just like that. In the US, commuter rail runs shorter distances with more stations, where intercity makes less stops, runs farther, and has much higher levels of comfort. The difference is a little fuzzier in California. I’d consider Avanti West Coast intercity for sure. But some other railroads might have both. In the US they’re more strictly separated (also with government funding).

[@seprishere]

@@Thom-TRA The difference is that, in the UK, a lot of fairly short journeys are done on intercity trains. This was true in the days of British Rail too. In the UK, a train from London may well carry commuters at the London end (not always), and is quite likely to carry commuters and other short distance passengers at the regional end (notably Stoke-on-Trent or Crewe to Manchester, Crewe to Lancaster, Doncaster to Leeds and Bristol Parkway to Swansea).

[@Thom-TRA]

@@seprishere that’s the same in the Netherlands, where I used to live. Intercity trains are used for short distances as well. There’s not much of a difference between local and intercities. Thanks for the interesting perspective! I would love to come to the UK and ride the trains there!

[@seprishere]

@@Thom-TRA AFAICT in the Netherlands there is zero difference. The UK isn't quite like the Netherlands, but one major factor in the UK was that, when British Rail introduced InterCity, they did not impose a fare premium.

[@hirampriggott1689]

In the US, commuter rails are run by the individual states that only serve the metro areas within those states. "Intercity rail" crosses multiple states. Amtrak intercity rail is Boston/New York/Philadelphia/Baltimore/Washington DC. Amtrak is a federally funded national passenger rail system in the US.

[@gethighonlife11]

Does NJ Transit offer service to Philadelphia? Learn something new everyday!

[@Thom-TRA]

Yeah, on their Atlantic City line! Not connected to the rest of the network

[@chrislano8531]

NJT works with Septa in coordinating schedules so one can ride from Philly to NYC and vice versa with only one train hop in Trenton

[@hirampriggott1689]

You can take NJ Transit from NYC and Newark to Trenton but you will have to transfer to a SEPTA train to Philly.

[@veganguy74]

Great video. I just recently found your channel. Evidently, the "aircraft" that could land on the roof of the building were autogyros, as they existed before helicopters. You can see a video of one taking off from the roof of the neighboring Post Office building, carrying air mail: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p6DciKada6mrpNE The building has a chapel that was also used to temporarily store caskets of war dead being returned from WW2 and the Korean War.

[@JeanSavvy]

How much was the fare for northeast regional ticker

[@the-chipette]

It depends on when and how far you’re travelling. I’ve gotten tickets between PHL to NCR (two stops further south from Baltimore) for as cheap as $10 to as much as $30 p/t. Can’t be beat if you book in advance - I book holiday travel tickets (Thanksgiving/Christmas) in early fall, for example.

[@zuriyjohnson3252]

How much luggage can me and my two kids can bring I have over 8 suitcases lol

[@Thom-TRA]

It’s two per person so you can bring 6! Put the rest of your stuff in backpacks

[@midmichiganemdrailfan.4187]

I was at Amtrak last night the driver throw me off.

[@Thom-TRA]

What happened?

[@midmichiganemdrailfan.4187]

@@Thom-TRA I was standing outside and as soon she pass CN Freight & CN GM Factory yard she did not blow the horn she pass downtown Flint with out blowing the horn

[@midmichiganemdrailfan.4187]

When she got a message from conductor it's time to leave Flint Station she was ganna do it again until she see me then deside to pull horn lever no long long small long she blow at me crazy 5 time's then 1 more flint crossing and did something in Burton Railroad crossings

[@midmichiganemdrailfan.4187]

Almost forgot she did not blow the horn in Swartz Creek the first suber west of Flint and it not a Quiet zone.

[@amachlis1991]

As of now masks aren’t required

[@Thom-TRA]

Yes well this video is several years old