Passenger Trains > A mini-Auto Train review

Two friends took Auto Train from FL to VA to visit family.

They arrived at the station about 11am but were unable to check in due to employee shortage of drivers to unload cars.

Once on their train the car host "Little Debbie" was the best.

They had dinner in their room and the Chicken dish was "exceptional, better than most restaurants". Sides were mashed potatoes and vegetables, both excellent. They also got grilled cheese and a burger from the lounge car.

They cannot recommend a roomette for two. Both are mobility limited and using the top bunk was a chore. One chose to use the seat in order to sit upright due to medical/age discomfort. Their return trip has reserved two roomettes across from each other.

Arrival in Lorton was timely however their car was about 330 out of 360 cars, a wait of over three hours, again due to limited staff. The I95 south and I64 east traffic levels and delays of 3 hours are causing them to reconsider using the train to Lorton in favor of a different station and service level (and price).

They may consider the regular Florida train to Richmond in the future then using a rental car.

Michael

pay to have your car unloaded early?  if your time is an issue?

You can indeed pay for express unload....it will get you unloaded from the first car usually....very quickly in any case....

My sister plans to travel north in two weeks on Auto-Train.  It took the reservationist several minutes to find a trip with roomettes across the hall from each other, and "first off" availability. I believe she said that extra fee list is only 30 cars, first come first served.  If you're #31, you could be #331 just as easily.

The upper bunk in roomettes is a challenge for most people over the age of about 12...

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
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> My sister plans to travel north in two weeks on
> Auto-Train.  It took the reservationist several
> minutes to find a trip with roomettes across the
> hall from each other, and "first off"
> availability. I believe she said that extra fee
> list is only 30 cars, first come first served. 
> If you're #31, you could be #331 just as easily.
>
> The upper bunk in roomettes is a challenge for
> most people over the age of about 12...

That's true...the spots for first off are limited to, I guess the first unloaded car, and it's capacity...beyond that you could be anywhere in the line....I have been in the first off list...and it works...you get your car quick...I have been just whereever and have waited either...a half hour....or two hours...it really is a crap shoot. I do have a theory that if you are first checked in or nearly so...or last....you may influence how you stand to get unloaded...I haven't ridden enough to draw a bead on that. 

engineerinvirginia Wrote:
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>>
> That's true...the spots for first off are limited
> to, I guess the first unloaded car, and it's
> capacity...beyond that you could be anywhere in
> the line....I have been in the first off
> list...and it works...you get your car quick...I
> have been just whereever and have waited
> either...a half hour....or two hours...it really
> is a crap shoot. I do have a theory that if you
> are first checked in or nearly so...or last....you
> may influence how you stand to get unloaded...I
> haven't ridden enough to draw a bead on that. 

Good insight.  In peak season, I've noticed that the loading pattern and unloading pattern may differ.  Esp if they are loading the motorcycle trailers / tractors, etc.  But, I absolutely agree they assure the First Off cars are really the first off.

My personal worst was three hours of waiting.