Duragrouch

I agree. The point I was trying to make was independent of bike storage availability in baggage car; If the train has, it's there with you at a small stop. But from a labor standpoint, I think you may be able to get a conductor to pull your luggage and/or bike into the passenger car to get off at a small station, but there may not be service into the baggage car getting on at a small station. This may also be one of the many inconsistencies of Amtrak.

On the train I was on, no bike hooks in the passenger car, and I never looked in the baggage car. My folder just went on the luggage shelves in the passenger car.

Tourist in MSN

Most people do not tour with a folder, your folder can be a carry on bag according to Amtrak policies.

When you say:good luck with that if you have a full size touring bike and not your folder.

john m flores 

Boarding and deboarding always seems to be a mad scramble. Boarding the Northeast Regional at Union Station in Washington, the station agent told me to roll the bike to the platform and that there was no luggage car. The conductor, busy overseeing boarding and deboarding, quickly found a car where the wheelchair area was not being used and directed me to put the bike there - but was off to oversee the boarding and deboarding of others before I could even consider asking for help. I've got fashionably wide handlebars so it was a tight squeeze lifting the bike up the steps AND negotiating a 90 degree left while wearing an oversized backpack containing my panniers and other bags. My rear rack got caught up on a handle but thankfully my girlfriend spotted the problem.

Low platforms. High platforms. Short platforms. Long platforms. There are so many variables on Amtrak that it's best to be as flexible as possible, asks the staff at the station what the process is, and hope that you have a helpful conductor. Folding a bike and carrying it like luggage may in fact be the easiest way, but on this trip, my Bike Friday was festooned with bags and cages that inhibited a full fold and I didn't love the idea of carrying two train bags on a weeklong bike trip just to make the endpoints easier. But next time, I may try it that way and outfit the bike accordingly.

indyfabz

Yep. And that’s because, other than the Northeast Corridor and the Harrisburg Line between Philadelphia and Harrisburg. Amtrak owns very little of the infrastructure it uses.

Duragrouch

Yes, I'm not basing what I said based on any policy, I'm sure amtrak is inconsistent. On my single train trip, I recall the conductor before small stops, announcing if anyone needed luggage unloaded, to let him know. This was also spring 2022, so low occupancy due to covid, so lower workload on conductor.

Due to the low occupancy as noted above, putting my folded bike and panniers in the wheelchair area was also easy, and I could sit right there behind it, I didn't even look for luggage shelves.

Biggest surprise for me was that shuttle short-bus had front external bike rack, and would have fit my 20" wheel bike as they promised, but fork rack would have blocked the securing arm of bus rack. Fortunately, folder and no wheelchair occupant meant I just brought it on board folded. On return trip I didn't even bother folding it, it fit fine.

tcs

In post no. 36 I showed an image of the Amtrak "station" in Sanderson, Texas on the Southern Tier bike route. Yeah, it was just a gravel parking lot.

I'm pleased to say with the recent infusion of "infrastructure" moneys, the station has been extensively upgraded. There's now an awning and a bench to sit on.



Amtrak still proudly advertises the following amenities @ Sanderson:

• Unstaffed station
• ATM not available
• No elevator
• No payphones
• No Amtrak ticketing kiosks
• No restrooms
• Unaccompanied child travel not allowed
• No vending machines
• No WiFi
• No baggage car service

Westbound, the Sunset Limited still arrives/departs in at a convenient scheduled 8:27AM. Eastbound, it arrives/departs at an awkward scheduled 10:46PM.

tcs

Amtrak, regional, local. Goin' places with the foldie:

Duragrouch

It forgot to mention, graffiti viewing without the tiring walking like in a museum. "It's a feature, not a bug."