Rob_E

I tried to carry a folding bike on board an Amtrak train. If you read the baggage rules, a folding bike is perfectly acceptable as a carry on as long as it folds to a certain size. The guy at the baggage counter wanted me to check it. I explained the policy. He disagreed. We looked it up. In the end, he gave me a copy of the baggage policy with the relevant section underlined. He said to show that to anyone else who questioned whether or not I could take the bike as a carry on.

All that hassle to do something that is actually permissible by their own policy. So if there's a question as to whether or not you should hope to get away with boarding with a clearly over-sized carry on, I would say no. If you need to get where you're going, make sure you are either in compliance or have a plan on how to get in compliance in a hurry if things don't go your way. If you don't care about getting where you're going, then, sure, give it a whirl. I have carried items on that were borderline or maybe a little big. I was prepared to check them or ditch them if it became necessary.

alan s 

Everything went smoothly. I arrived at Union Station in DC just as boarding started, and snuck around everyone to the front of the line. The guy at the gate told me I should have been there earlier, but it really didn't take long to stow the bike. It basically hangs vertically on a hook by one wheel and a Velcro strap holds it to the rack. So any bags and water bottles need to be removed.

I got off in Cumberland and rode 30 miles in the dark to a h/b site just beyond the Paw Paw tunnel. It was nice to get in some miles right away, which made the Saturday and Sunday rides a little shorter. Even had a nice dinner on the train. Two thumbs up, Amtrak.

DropBarFan

Good news. If only things were that simple for air travel.

Rob_E

I hope it sticks around. I'm usually in Ohio in late May/early June, and next year I'm already thinking that maybe I can ride that last bit of the Ohio to Erie trail that I haven't done yet (Canton to Cleveland), hop the train in Cleveland, get out in Pittsburgh, and bike to DC. Only problem is that I'll still have to box my bike up in DC to get home, but that's not so bad. Last time I took the train out of Cleveland, I wanted to box my bike up as soon as possible to make sure I had enough time (not that it took that long, but it was my first time), then I checked it and was stranded at the station until the train picked us up. Now I can buy a roll-on ticket, check my camping gear as soon as they start accepting baggage, and spend a couple of hours enjoying the Cleveland night life before the train shows up.

jobtraklite

It ranges from free to $10. With the new exception of the Capitol Limited, all roll on, roll off bike service is on state supported trains. The states dictate the price. The only state supported trains that don't have this service is NY.

jobtraklite

Just returned from a trip on the GAP. Took the train from Quincy, IL to Chicago, then the Capitol Limited to Pittsburgh. Biked to Cumberland and returned by train.

Truly it was a no-brainer. The conductors were cordial and upbeat regarding the service. A couple of tips. You can enter the bike area from the inside door, which is just beyond the steps to the upper deck. Thus you can board and de-train without having the conductor open the outside door. Although I wouldn't try that while others are boarding or de-training since the area by the downstairs luggage rack is a bottle neck. The conductor said I could have left my luggage with the bike. And unlike checked baggage, it's accessible while underway.

When I boarded in Chicago, the conductor opened the bike door but didn't scan my ticket until later on. In Cumberland, the conductor asked my name as I was loading the bike and checked me in on his phone.

Coming from Illinois, I don't have the problem of the midnight arrival in Pittsburgh since I'm usually sound asleep on my way home. The only downside was the on time arrival at 5:03AM in PGH. We've done it 4 times now (with folding bikes previously), and against all odds it was on time 3 out of 4 times. I can definitely say that enjoying dinner in the dining car beats the Pennsylvania Turnpike any day.

One other tip for those boarding the west bound in Cumberland. First, the engine pulls up to the station where they change engineers. A few minutes later, they pull forward and stop with the sleepers near the station, finally they pull forward again and stop with the coaches near the station. Since the bike area is in the lower level of a coach (the middle of 3 both ways for me), it is now that you load your bike.

Typically long distance trains stop with the middle (diner and lounge car) near the station. Thus coach passengers (and bikes) head to the left (rear) and sleeping car passengers to the right.

Bottom line. You have to be flexible.

indyfabz

Maybe add the PA to that list as the Keystone service between NYC to Harrisburg, which I believe gets funding from PA, does not have roll on service.

DropBarFan

Interesting fact, I had no idea states were much involved in Amtrak policy.

indyfabz

Yep. They have for some time. PA has been subsidizing the PA portion of the Keystone service between New York and the state capital of Harrisburg, PA. for many years. The route in PA uses one of the few rail properties that Amtrak actually owns. I have ridden it several times for business. It's pretty popular. Some people use it to commute short distances in order to avoid the traffic getting into town at rush hour. They will park at the station just east of Harrisburg and ride the train into/out of the city. It's also popular with college students. There is one stop in the college town of Elizabethtown, and there are other schools near Lancaster. It's not uncommon to see Amish and Mennonites on the train. Remember the 80s film "Witness"?

jobtraklite

Another way they (at least Illinois) got involved was that from time immemorial, business class passengers did not rate access to the Metropolitan lounge in Chicago. The state finally put a stop to that about two years ago. From their standpoint, the BC supplement helps reduce the necessary subsidy. From the passengers standpoint, it's nice to avoid the coach passenger's cattle pen boarding area (although recently Amtrak has greatly improved the situation).

Another interesting fact is that thanks to a brain dead law passed by Congress a few years ago, all trains of 750 miles or less must be state supported, no matter how many state borders they cross.

Bezalel

The Keystone doesn't have baggage cars and it's unlikely to have in the near future because Amtrak isn't investing in single level rolling stock. It might happen if the Hudson River tunnels are ever expanded.