Very recently my wife and I,along with another couple, took this train to New York and a return back home. We had a very nice experience. We were able to get the train at Greensburg,PA which is about 30 miles east of Pittsburgh and not too far from our home. This was a very reasonable option for us since we did not have to go into town to get the train at Union Station. A family member picked up our car and brought it back to the station when we returned--very nice. The trip was about 8 hours in duration with intermediate stops. The fall foliage was at it's peak and the ride was smooth. I was able to get a photo of the GG1 at Harrisburg that is all covered for outdoor protection which was pretty nice to see.
At about $130 for the round trip,it was a steal. We did reserved coach to NY but changed to reserved Business Class for the return which was at an additional savings. It seems that Amtrak is trying to attract business travelers with lower fares. The dining car offered sandwiches which were ok along with free soft drinks for the business classification.
With the Amtrak option I will never fly to NY. Factoring in all of the time to get to the airport,stress,air travel costs,arrival stress and baggage issues it is just so much easier to go to Greensburg to get the train and get off at Penn Station. Travel time being pretty close, I highly recommend The Pennsylvanian as an alternative to flight.
Incidentally,we went on a cruise out of Brooklyn and we had a great time!
Norm Rish
