Amtrak Northeast Regional: 12 Things You Need To Know Before Riding

The Amtrak Northeast Regional train is one of the best ways to get around the Northeast United States.

Does the Northeast Regional have WiFi

The Amtrak Northeast Regional train does have free WiFi on board. WiFi speeds however will not be faster than your cell phone connection. The best use of Amtrak WiFi is if you want to save data or hook up a device without a cell connection like a laptop computer.

Does the Northeast Regional have food

The Northeast Regional does have a cafe car on board where passengers can purchase hot and cold food. The cafe car is located in the center of the train usually.

Does Amtrak Northeast Regional Have Assigned Seats

The Northeast Regional has assigned seats in Business Class only. Seats in Coach Class on the Northeast Regional are not assigned. When booking a Business Class seat, the seat is picked for you during booking, and then after you’ve booked you can go in and change the seat if you’d like.

Is Acela or Northeast Regional Better

The Amtrak Acela is faster than the Northeast Regional by about 30 minutes from New York City to Boston and by about an hour from Boston to Washington D.C., making the Acela better than the Northeast Regional. The Acela also features better food and access to the Amtrak Metropolitan Lounge if you are in first class.

This does come at a price though, as the Acela is always more expensive than the Northeast Regional.

Is the Amtrak Northeast Regional Reliable

When many people think of Amtrak, they remember their train being late. While this is true on the west coast and on overnight routes, the Northeast Regional is a very reliable train. Since the train runs several times per day, there is usually a convenient way to get to your destination.

Is Business Class worth it on the Northeast Regional

Business Class is not worth the upgrade price on the Amtrak Northeast Regional. In Business Class you’ll get free drinks and snacks, but most of the time the seats will be exactly like they are in Coach Class on the Northeast Regional. Some trains, like the Coast Starlight, have upgraded Business Class cars, but the Northeast Regional usually does not.

How nice is the Northeast Regional

The Amtrak Northeast Regional is a standard Amtrak train and is like riding in 2nd Class on most trains. The trains are not new, but are comfortable and the seats are big, with plenty of room to spread out.

Is the Amtrak Northeast Regional usually on time

The Amtrak Northeast Regional is usually on time. There are times when there will be a delay, but compared to other Amtrak routes it has a good on time record.

Does the Northeast Regional have power outlets

The Northeast Regional has a power outlet at every seat. Each passenger can use an outlet to charge their electronic devices on the trip. Outlets are found on the wall, next to the passenger sitting on the inside.

Does the Northeast Regional have a quiet car

The Amtrak Northeast Regional does have a quiet car in which passengers are expected to remain quiet. Cell phone conversations and other loud noises are not allowed in the quiet car.

What classes are on the Northeast Regional

The Northeast Regional has 3 classes of service, coach, business, and sleeper car. The sleeper car service is only on select trains though. Most trains on the line will only offer coach and business classes. If you do get a sleeper car (trains 65,66 and 67 only), on the Northeast Regional, it will be a Viewliner, so you’ll have a choice of a Viewliner Roomette, Viewliner Bedroom, or Viewliner Accessible Bedroom.

Where does the Northeast Regional train stop

• Boston, MA – South Station (BOS)
• Boston, MA – Back Bay Station (BBY)
• Route 128, MA (RTE)
• Providence, RI – Amtrak/MBTA Station (PVD)
• Kingston, RI (KIN)
• Westerly, RI (WLY)
• Mystic, CT (MYS)
• New London, CT – Union Station (NLC)
• Old Saybrook, CT (OSB)
• Springfield, MA (SPG)
• Windsor Locks, CT (WNL)
• Windsor, CT (WND)
• Hartford, CT (HFD)
• Berlin, CT (BER)
• Meriden, CT (MDN)
• Wallingford, CT (WFD)
• New Haven, CT – State Street Station (STS)
• New Haven, CT – Union Station (NHV)
• Bridgeport, CT (BRP)
• Stamford, CT (STM)
• New Rochelle, NY (NRO)
• New York, NY – Moynihan Train Hall (NYP)
• Newark, NJ – Penn Station (NWK)
• Newark, NJ – Liberty International Airport (EWR)
• Metropark, NJ (MET)
• New Brunswick, NJ (NBK)
• Princeton Junction, NJ (PJC)
• Trenton, NJ (TRE)
• Cornwells Heights, PA (CWH)
• North Philadelphia, PA (PHN)
• Philadelphia, PA – William H. Gray III 30th St. Station (PHL)
• Wilmington, DE (WIL)
• Newark, DE (NRK)
• Aberdeen, MD (ABE)
• Baltimore, MD – Penn Station (BAL)
• Baltimore, MD – BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI)
• New Carrollton, MD (NCR)
• Washington, DC – Union Station (WAS)
• Alexandria, VA (ALX)
• Burke Centre, VA (BCV)
• Manassas, VA (MSS)
• Culpeper, VA (CLP)
• Charlottesville, VA (CVS)
• Lynchburg, VA (LYH)
• Roanoke, VA (RNK)
• Woodbridge, VA (WDB)
• Quantico, VA (QAN)
• Fredericksburg, VA (FBG)
• Ashland, VA (ASD)
• Richmond, VA – Staples Mill Road Station (RVR)
• Petersburg, VA (PTB)
• Norfolk, VA (NFK)
• Richmond, VA – Main Street Station (RVM)
• Williamsburg, VA (WBG)
• Newport News, VA (NPN)

Overall we love the Northeast Regional and usually choose to take it over the Acela or other lines in the region due to the low price it offers. It is a good choice if you don’t need any of the extra perks offered by the Acela. We have found it to be a perfectly fine train, and one that we can recommend to other riders.