Amtrak

Aamtrak is great… but the 2 total jerk working the counter should be replaced with helpful people! Went pick up my ticket they were laid back, feet on counter arms crossed no one there. They told me I didn’t need to come by to pick up ticket could just get it on morning of trip… no crap! Don’t think they wanted to be bothered to actually reach over and push a key on computer… then we’re really sarcastic and read ticket info to me like I was a moron… total jerks at ann arbor station!

The station itself is old & small but the workers inside have always been helpful. There is free parking on the other side of the tracks, as many have said, you go up and down many stairs and over a pedestrian bridge so if you are traveling with people who have a hard time with stairs, drop them off at the station then park. It is nice that the parking in ann arbor is free, that is rare in arbor. However, it holds about 70 cars, with as popular as the ann arbor-​chicago route is, that will fill up fast! I was surprised to see empty liquor and beer bottles thrown all over the fence line of the lot. The parking lot backs up to a wooded area, which you will notice looks like homeless people are camping out in if you take an east bound train in to the station. When i returned to my car, the vehicle next to mine was broken in to and had a smashed out window. Not how anyone wants to find their car. If you leave from this station, do not leave your car! I have heard the parking situation at the dearborn station is better.

My mother does not like to fly, and can’t drive this far. In the past she has taken the Megabus but this time said she wanted to take the train.
On the return trip home from Chicago, when my 80 year old mother arrived in Ann Arbor, her final destination, the person who was to pick her up at the train station at 11pm got sick and was not there to pick her up. When my mom asked the lady at the train station for help in getting a ride or a taxi, the Amtrak or A2 station person took the attitude of «not my problem» as it was time for her to get off of work, and left my elderly mother stranded at the station with midnight fast approaching. Luckily my mom called the police who sent her a taxi but I am very upset that the workers treated an elderly passenger this way, especially when I paid extra to get her in Business Class and had pre-​arranged special assistance and red-​cap assistance.
Who just leaves a senior citizen stranded at a train station at midnight in the winter? This could have gone really wrong and we were fortunate this time, but the worker at this station needs to be trained to assist their paying customers, especially when their safety is in jeopardy.

Avoid Amtrak at all costs! Take the Megabus, rent a car, or fly! The somewhat low cost is SO not worth the hassle! I have taken the AA — CHI route many times and I have yet to be on time to my destinations. I’m not talking 10 – 15 minutes late, I’m talking 1.5−2 HOURS late. There are MANY lengthy delays due to «mechanical issues» or waiting for other trains to pass. Amtrak in the Midwest is NOT the way to travel if your destination is few hours away — your trip will eat up half of your day!

Jim behind the counter is seriously the nicest human in a customer service position I’ve encountered. Plenty of annoyed customers (the Amtrak Michigan trains are notoriously tardy), but he always keeps a smile on his face and goes out of his way to make everyone as happy as possible. I’m a train fan anyway, but this guy makes me always especially enjoy my experience.

Love the train! This is my second trip this summer! My girlfriends and I rode the early morning to Chicago! We loved the convenience and comfort! We appreciated the electrical outlets and first seats where we had lots of space! My ²¹⁄₂ year old grandson and I are on his first train trip today! He’s checking off his bucket list! Even though the train left an hour late, the comfort and cleanliness of the station was appreciated. The staff is friendly and helpful! On both trips, the train and restrooms were clean. The only smelly part of the train is the dining car… go figure! I would recommend the text alert when booking to keep abreast of delays.

Hopped on this hellbound train over an hour and a half late. The overzealous 351 train jockey knuckleheads running this thing made it no better and had the heat set at 50. omg why do I continue to take this thing?

I had been riding this train between Ann Arbor and Chicago for 20 years. But the dirty trains, miscommunications, horrible Chicago waiting room and boarding lines — Amtrak we’re through. No more will I accept these conditions AND your 1 or 2 hour delays.

My first ride on an Amtrak. Visited a friend in Michigan and decided to take the Amtrak to Chicago. I was a little bit hesitant but the train was clean and the staff were courteous and friendly.
Terry Smith, a conductor, chatted with our group. We expressed that we didn’t really have plans for Chicago. He said he would write down some recommendations. When he returned, we had a list of sports bars, restaurants, and shopping places. He had something unique to say about each one and provided us with traveler tips to get the most out of our trip. This was the highlight of the ride.
Bathrooms are located in each cart. The food cart is at the very back of the train. The train goes 110mph after the Kalamazoo stop.
The train was late about 10 minutes but the train station kept us well informed.

Absolutely terrible. ~20% on-​time arrival rating from Ann Arbor to Chicago. I have now gone both ways on the route and have experienced about 2 hours of delays. Each way. NOT total. Each way.
The greatest joke on their website is «Know that trains can make up lost time as they travel.» What they probably meant to say is, «Trains will lose time at each and every opportunity there is, crushing your soul and any hope you had of arriving within an hour of our initial ETA.» But hey, those two statements are pretty damn close in my book!
As far as the service on-​board the train – the conductors usually have pretty smooth voices. This generally makes up for the fact that they keep you in the dark on pretty much everything until the last second. But hey, that could be a plus depending on how much you like smooth voices.
If you’re thinking, «Well, at least you get to be in a temperature controlled environment for the whole of the trip!» then you’re about 40% right. On both trips, the power has gone out (these have been different trains each time, so it’s not just an isolated incident), which causes the heat to turn off until they fix it. This trip, that took about an hour. Obviously this results in a bit of a chill. However, I’ve got some good news! Even before the power goes out, it’s already cold! So there’s not even that big or noticeable of a difference. This is definitely a plus if you are a creature from either of the poles, Canada, or the UP. Otherwise, brace yourself and wear layers (especially socks and warm shoes).
Finally, I would just like to address the fact that, because Amtrak is a government-​owned monopoly on most of the country, if you can’t afford to fly and don’t have a car, you have no other option! Again, this might be a bonus for you. if you are an economist, political scientist, or perhaps Ayn Rand, you might be stoked at the fact that you get to experience *first-​hand* what you have learned so much about. How exciting! For the rest of us, sorry! Try again next time :(
All in all, I must say that it’s a great option if you love wasting your money, getting delayed an exorbitant amount, staying in the dark on your ETA and delays, hearing smooth voices, experiencing arctic temperatures, and like to see first-​hand the effects of monopolies. If none of that sounds appealing, congratulations, you are about 99% of America, and should do your best to avoid Amtrak.

It’s a decent size station with enough seats inside. It can get busy. The problem is the long term parking is across the street and over a long bridge. You have to drag your luggage up the stairs then walk over a bridge then back down the stairs. I guess it could be worse because it’s free parking for up to 14 days.

Where to begin. I’m currently sitting on a train 3 HOURS into what was supposed to be a 1.5 hour trip. Not only was the train delayed for an hour but now we’re stuck on a train for what has been half an hour, standing still at the tracks because they need to clear workers off the tracks… I’m not surprised if there will be another hour delay total.
This is for Amtrak, not the Ann Arbor depot. The depot’s fine, the correspondents are reliable and want to help, it’s a good station.
Amtrak, however, would not be able to successfully plan a timely trip if it were a single straight five mile line. Now I’ve had horrible experiences in the past, but this one had been the worst. Not only has my 1.5 hours of extra time have been depleted, I am now running late to a concert I will inevitably miss. The worst part is, I will not see any compensation for the lousy service, horrendous delays, and the lack of information during the trip, and the fact that my long awaited concert will have meant I bought a primo ticket for nothing.
I will not take an Amtrak train for as long as I can, and if there is any way of traveling — and I mean ANY, Greyhound bus, your sketchy neighborhood bum’s death trap pickup truck, you name it — I heavily advise you do so. At least they’re bound to be more reliable.

This is less about the station and more about the actual Amtrak train.
Prepare yourself for my whiney tangent:
Delays. Delays. Delays. Think 1.5– 2 hours. Each way.
The smell inside.
If you plan on sleeping forgetaboutit– seats are hard and you just can’t get comfortable– not nearly as comfy as an airplane. Seriously.
The temperature inside the train is currently having a bi-​polar attack.
The good: easy boarding especially using the Amtrak app.
Disclaimer: I’m grouchy from
spending 11+ hours on this train in one day.
Pro-​tip: Bring hand sanitizer and a blanket.

When I first arrived, I quickly realized there is metered parking (maximum of 4 hours) at the train station. Panicked I tried to figure out what to do until I realized there is parking across the tracks off of Plymouth. Be warned– there are a lot of stairs up and down to get over the tracks. Bring your inhaler. Amtrak recommends to arrive 30 minutes before the train arrives. I used most of that time to deal with parking.
The station is small, but there was enough space for everyone. The attendant announced that the train was running late (after I rushed like a crazy person to deal with the parking) which was nice. Boarding was quick and easy. We arrived to Chicago earlier than expected even though we boarded 15 – 20 minutes late.
I would agree with another Unilocaler that people have no etiquette on the train. Kids watching videos/​playing games with no headphones, kids running up and down the aisle, etc. I would recommend the quiet car when possible.

In a day in age where ppl have many choice of transportation– one might think they would keep up on they «face»
Of there company– THE TRAIN STATION

The Amtrak rail station in Ann Arbor is small of course, but it is sufficient. Located in the north end of the Kerrytown neighborhood it is convenient to downtown as well as the University of Michigan Medical Center. Vending machines with coffee drinks and snacks are located in the waiting lounge. The staff is helpful and will be able to give you fairly good estimates of trains’ actual expected arrival times, as the trains often run several minutes behind schedule. You can also check the Amtrak website which provides train status and expected arrival times.
From this station, trains run westbound toward Chicago (3 per day) departing in the early morning, midday, and late afternoon. These stop in a few cities such as Jackson and Kalamazoo, among others, on their way toward the final destination, Chicago. The three daily trains running in the other direction (arriving from Chicago) go on to Dearborn and Detroit, and then turn north stopping in three of Detroit’s northern suburbs, Royal Oak, Troy, and Pontiac (end of the line).
Ticket cost is affordable but not a terrific bargain. Seating on the train is very spacious and reasonably comfortable. Drinks and snacks are available in the café car. The trains I have ridden have been comfortable and not at all crowded. The conductors have been helpful and polite.

Ann Arbor must have a better station!
I traveled from Ann Arbor to Chicago. The first difficulty was finding overnight/​long term parking. The designated long-​term parking lot was full! I had to make due with a spot in the back, on the grass. When we returned from Chicago, the car next to ours had been pushed several feet into our Jeep, significantly denting the door! This other car also had a window broken out! I will not use this long-​term parking lot until they improve it! I would suggest getting a ride to the station, or finding a better station that has secure parking, like Dearborn.
Please note that the station itself is also too small for the volume of passengers. It must be expanded to match of volume of travelers from Ann Arbor!

I’ve gone to Chicago on the train a few times, as well as taking buses and driving, and I have to say, for $ 33 one way, the train is totally worth it.
I ended up with my own two seats the last time I travelled, and it was really relaxing. I love that I can charge my phone or laptop while on the train. It’s so easy to pop in a movie and sit back and watch it, instead of fighting traffic or feeling like I’m going to die on a bus (another story for another time.).
My only complaint is that some other passengers seem to ignore normal volume levels of their own voices. The two women sitting across from me were having a loud discussion about their mutual friend’s indiscretions, while a woman catty corner to me was screaming into her phone about trying to get to DC for an employment workshop, because she had no money.
The quiet car will be my choice next time around.

My god this station is a clusterfuck, I swear. I’m not much of a fan of traveling in general, so that may be part of the problem, admittedly so. But seriously? With as busy as that station gets, it’s THAT tiny? And then they shove all the people to one end of the platform to get on the damned train? Okay, well, the coach class people get shoved to the end of the platform. There’s got to be a better way to do this. I mean, honestly. I rode Amtrak for the first time from Ann Arbor to Chicago and was surprised and just how unorganized and clusterfuck-​y the whole boarding process was. I think I’d rather just fly next time…
I was also highly annoyed at how DUMB people were in the station. Please, people, if you’re standing around because there aren’t seats left, how about you NOT block the walkways, doors, or the Quick Ticket thingy?! Yeesh, is it that hard to figure out on your own? We’re adults — do we really have to be told these things?
See? I told you I don’t like traveling…

This has worked for me as a way to Chicago more than once. You have to book way in advance for the upgraded tickets, they are worth it in my opinion. I am kinda spoiled.
I ended up in coach this last trip and did fine though. The station itself gets crowded and chaotic but it is clean and has plenty of seating. Be warned they fill up a Chicago bound train before they make it to Ann Arbor so you might end up sharing with a stranger if you are alone at a popular departure time.
My trip there had no breakfast food that was not a sweet in the dining car but I come prepared thank goodness. The seats are roomier than airplane seats, you do not get scanned or strip searched and the bathrooms are not the size of a postage stamp. I would not sit near one though.
The trip to Chicago is pleasant and uneventful. Scenery is a total snooze. Things generally run on time though and time passes quickly enough with a book. All in all it is not a half bad option. Given the lead time you must allow when travelling by plane and the delays, this is not too much more time consuming really.