Amtrak Crossroads:The Pennsylvanian
Amtrak Crossroads:The Pennsylvanian
By Giles Kennedy
Family and Travel Columnist
Columbus Wired
(with partners from Ohio Valley Rails)
Where is there a train you can park and ride all the way to New York?
Cleveland, yes; but not the answer I am looking for.
Toledo, nope; try outside of Ohio but east.
The Steel City in fact; Pittsburgh, PA.
The Grant Street Transportation Center; with the nearby Pittsburgh Amtrak Station.
https://www.pittsburghparking.com/Facilities/Facility-Locator
There is open parking in front of the Amtrak station; that is free. The parking for the day at the garage is $6. See Pittsburgh Parking’s website for other nearby garages.
I took the Amtrak Pennsyvanian from Pittsburgh to Altoona, PA. This train runs daily between the Steel City to the Big Apple. A carry over from Pennsylvania.Penn Central days; this train recently had a boost.
There will be a separate article on our visit to Altoona detailing the Railroaders Memorial Museum. This will be on our partner site Ohio Valley Rails.
With the Amtrak ConnectUS plan, PennDot, Norfolk Southern and local communities pushing extended service; the Pennsylvanian service will expand to three trains by 2025.
https://www.amtrak.com/pennsylvanian-train
Let’s get to cost effectiveness and comfort level.
You can get a coach seat (ranging anywhere from $24-45, depending on time of booking)
The coach seats are comfortable enough. Leg room is modest if not better compared to a short hop on a commuter flight.
Restrooms are nearby. As mentioned in the previous adventure to Chicago; please make sure to secure your door while using the restroom. Lock the door and see the light when inside is yellow.
You are able to use the cafe car. If you have Amtrak Guest Rewards via their Mastercard; you do get a rebate on all purchases.
My advance booking for the Business Class was in December of 2023 for the March trip.
$83 round trip; I do recommend using the app from Amtrak as opposed to printing a copy.
The conductor accepts either the app OR code or your printed copy.
Back to Business Class; normally the Business Class Amfleet II car is closer to the engine. This does give a comfortable ride. With your Business Class ticket; there are unlimited non-alcoholic drinks while the cafe car is open.
The route of the Pennsylvanian is one of the longest operated trains in Amtrak’s system. It originates in Pittsburgh. It connects with various major cities in Pennsylvania and terminates in New York City.
A family from Somerset, Ohio (near Buckeye Lake) was traveling to Newark, NJ to see the couple’s parents.
Cleveland, his wife and 2 kids were playing cards, reading and sharing stories with myself and folks from the Ohio Valley Rails group traveling.
“We have taken Amtrak before, “ Cleveland said, “ The crew were great, prices in the cafe were moderate. Food was good and the time spent not driving allowed our family to make memories.”
Shelly McClellland Garey, her son David and Kirk Miner joined me in Pittsburgh. Alan Corbitt; a fellow Operation Lifesaver volunteer, joined us in Greensburg; just east of Pittsburgh.
The comfort level in Business Class was great. I chose picking up the train in Pittsburgh for two major benefits.
Experience and relaxation.
We have a video on our YouTube channel reviewing the day.
Amtrak Crossroads PA Adventure Part 1
The train is the only mainline Amtrak service that travels on the world famous Horseshoe Curve.
Built by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1854; this iconic engineering feat is viewable aboard the train or the park (run by the Railroaders Memorial Museum).
Amtrak Crossroads PA Adventure Part 2 Railroad City
There are various places throughout the region. It is worth planning a daytrip, few days or even a vacation in Western Pennsylvania.
Always remember; life is an adventure. Get out there and live it!
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