Amtrak

I had an opportunity to experience the Pittsburgh Amtrak Station one 3 occasions. Once last spring and twice in January 2016. The station is sparse compared with the great train stations in the big cities. The track is owned by Norfolk Southern so the platforms are low and designed to let freight trains pass easily.
The other side of the picture are the Amtrak personnel who man the waiting room, ticketing booths and assisting passengers on an off the Amtrak trains. I give these very pleasant and hard-​working people a 5+ rating. They help you with getting your luggage on and off the train. They re there to put your luggage on a baggage cart so you do not have to haul it up or down an escalator or try to muscle it onto the single, smallish elevator.

We elected not to make this a major connection stop just to take the DC en route to Chicago (for our Toledo, OH stop) instead because this station, in no way compares to the DC-​Union Station connection. Thus station needs more amenities and a makeover to compete with the DC one!

Train was delayed by 4 hours but did not update until 30 minutes before arrival. This continued for the total of 4 hours. There is no Wifi and only two outlets. I decided to take the train because of the speed and comfort of walking around during my journey. The cons outweighed the pros. It would have probably been better to take the Mega Bus. The Washington DC train is on a performance standard which means it is constantly being checked for efficiency in time. Right now it is at 30% :(. Not good at all.

Small simple train station. No Red Caps to help customers is a big downer. Traffic getting out is horrendous also.

This place was horrible. Did not, even for a moment, have a seat on the chairs while i waited to board the next train. The walls were dirty, nasty and dingy. It smelled awful inside. It was quite crowded. And I just did not like my surroundings.
And dont let me get started on the restroom. after seeing the filth in here, i decided to walk down the street at 5am in the freezing cold to the greyhound station nearby to use their facilities.
There was absolutely no type of café or even little convenient store within this station to grab a bite to eat while you wait. I did find a vending machine to get coffee but even that was watered down.
This place needs to be torn down and rebuilt from the bottom up. I waited with my family down the street at a different station before we had to be back to board our train.
I will be sure to not have this place in any of my future stops. Not a good way to sell the city… Horrible!
The only reason why i give this station 1 star is because the train itself was quite comfortable and clean.

This is a review for the AMTRAK CAPITOL LIMITED train route between Pittsburgh and Chicago.
Riders beware. This is a nightmare and a completely unreliable mode of transportation. Norfolk Southern owns these tracks. Unbeknownst to the lay traveler there has been delays BOTH ways on this route for the past 2 to 3 months. Freight cars get preference. 7 mile stretch in Indiana with only one track. Delay was 6 hours going to Chicago and over 7 hours coming back. The staff are trying to do their job but seems like the situation is out of their control. Amtrak fails to let customers know realistic arrival time. Terrible experience, I give it a F.

I would agree the station needs a facelift. Be prepared to lift your bags up some steps and see a lot of dingy steel city dirt on the walls.
The Amtrak train itself is pleasant. Lots of leg room. Smooth ride. Friendly conductors. You can take a nap or read easily, unlike Megabus. The views of the hills and the mountains between Greensburg and Harrisburg are beautiful.

Amtrak offers only two trains out of Pittsburgh, the Pennsylvanian and the Capitol Limited, and I’ve ridden both of them. I rode the Capitol Ltd. to DC this past Feb. The biggest drawbacks of this train are the inconvenience of the arrival and departure times (PGH is in the middle of the route, which terminates in Chicago) and its tendency to be late. When I rode the Capitol Ltd., the worst part of the experience was its 5 hr. late arrival (10:30am) – I thought this train would never show up, but thank goodness, it finally did. Once we were on the train itself, it was good times. Since this is a long-​distance train, it’s a double decker and includes a dining car and lounge car. For the majority of the trip, I hung out in the lounge car and enjoyed the scenery, which was very pretty for most of the way. I also had lunch in the diner, and was pleased with the quality of the food (I had a chicken salad with fruit) and service. I found the seats, both in coach and in the lounge, fairly comfortable and the temperature acceptable. The diner and lounge also offer a great opportunity to mingle and chat, which I took advantage of, having conversations with several interesting people.
I’ve ridden the Pennsylvanian to Philly on several occasions to visit my family, who live in DE. Although I used to ride Megabus, the Pennsylvanian is now my preferred method of transportation to do so. The seats are much more spread out and comfortable than the seats on the Megabus (and you can actually get up and walk around!), the ride is extremely scenic, esp. west of Harrisburg, the wifi is pretty reliable (although it’s only available in the vicinity of the café car) and, in my experience, the crews are much friendlier than the Megabus drivers. Also, although one of my bags is slightly over the allowable dimensions stated on the website, none of the crew members have ever complained, though the Megabus crews have given me trouble even though this bag is *under* their stated dimensions! The biggest drawbacks are that there’s only one departure time (7:30am, earlier than I’d like, personally), and the fare price ($ 110, round trip). In addition to these, the temperature of the cars has been quite frigid on several occasions, so be sure to dress in layers or bring a blanket. I also recommend bringing snacks, since the offerings in the café car are limited and pricy. *Pro tip: The eastbound Pennsylvanian stops in Harrisburg at around 12:45pm for 15 min. for a smoke break, at which time it’s possible to disembark from the train and buy lunch at the snack shop in the station, which has much more variety and is much more reasonably priced than the café car. *That is, if it’s on time – if it’s running late, all bets are off. The clientele is also more varied and generally a bit classier than the clientele of the Megabus (though I did get stuck between some rednecks on my last trip – I spent most of the time west of Harrisburg in the café car avoiding them). Although fares are more expensive than Megabus (by about $ 20-​$ 30 round trip) and the trip is slightly longer due to more stopping, I don’t mind paying more to have a more enjoyable experience, given that it’s a long trip no matter which mode of transportation you take!
As for the PGH Amtrak station itself, it’s not much to see, consisting of one room with no windows, a ticket counter, some bathrooms, and a TV (usually tuned to CNN). I recommend getting there 15 – 20 min. prior to departure time – just enough time to comfortably catch your train without becoming bored. However, if you’re on the Capitol Ltd. and it’s running late, you may get stuck here for awhile, so be prepared and bring some entertainment! 3.5 stars.

Amtrak is pretty handy. I’ve taken the trip to and from Washington, DC via train 3 times now, and it’s proven to be a super painless way to travel every time.
The very first train trip I ever took, back in 2009, was wonderful, because we had splurged on a sleeper compartment. So cute and tiny! But very convenient. There are definitely a lot of perks, including avoiding the rush of coach passengers pushing each other off the train. First class gets off first! You have your own personal attendant that will get you anything. You can eat your dinner privately in your cabin if you don’t want to go to the dining car, and your seats and the ceiling transform into bunk beds! It’s magic!
Coach is not all that bad either, the seating is very spacious, with plenty of room for all your stuff. We had a very full train this latest trip, so the largest drawback is that it was a little loud. I was getting annoyed with the guy behind me singing out loud (and for several hours straight) to music only he could hear. But I had headphones with me too, so I used ‘em.
The observation car is very nice, and can give you a break if you’re being driven crazy by your fellow passengers. It can be pretty peaceful, especially when you’re passing through some nice country.
On this latest trip, we encountered some delays on our way back, mostly from freight trains being in our way, which could not be helped.
My only real warning is to NEVER EVER get a meal on the train if you don’t have to. It’s senselessly overpriced, there’s only about 3 or 4 choices, only one choice if you’re a vegetarian, and the food is not even that good. I was all in favor of grabbing some food in Union Station to eat on the train later, but because my husband had never been on the train before, he really wanted the whole dining car experience. So for dinner we paid over 50 bucks for a bland steak and a tiny short rib, with frozen veggies and a glob of mashed potatoes for our sides. Plus if you don’t have 4 people in the party you’re traveling with, they’ll stick you at a table with strangers, even though the rest of the dining car is empty. It’s the worst.
All in all, the majority of my experiences with Amtrak have been good ones, and I’ll continue to use it!

This Amtrak station is in need of a face lift! It is very dingy and outdated looking, which is surprising because it is underneath one of the most prestigious address in downtown Pittsburgh!
The employees were friendly and helpful, which was nice, and our train came on time which is really the most important thing!

I have taken the train from Pittsburgh to Huntingdon, PA a few times. I have always had the best experiences. The train is clean and comfortable, and the staff is friendly and attentive. I would recommend the Amtrak train to anyone needing to travel long distance through public transit.
p. s. The free wifi and coffee from the café car make the trip even more enjoyable!

This review is for Amtrak’s «Pennsylvanian» train, only, not for the system as a whole.
O’ Amtrak’s «Pennsylvanian» train. So much potential!
The good:
–Spectacular scenery between Greensburg and Harrisburg. The highpoint is the stretch between Johnstown and Altoona, especially Horseshoe Curve.
–Relaxing ride and not putting up with traffic.
–Generally friendly crews.
The bad:
–Lousy westbound schedule that puts you into Pittsburgh at 8pm – well past dinnertime. If you need sustenance, you have to eat the ‘meh” food from the lounge car – or bring your own. If you’re connecting to the westbound «Capitol» train, you’re stuck with a four hour layover in Amtrak’s basement waiting room.
–If you’re heading eastbound, the «Pennsylvanian» receives connecting passengers from the «Capitol». Guess what? If that train’s late, you’re leaving late.
Oddly enough, the schedule worked in our favor this time. Supervisor Susan and three of her team members had to take a one-​day business trip to Altoona. Our company car was already spoken for, however the train schedule allowed a full business day. The only question was, would the train depart on time? Hooray! It did! Believe me, we did not have a lot of time to make it to the jobsite in Altoona.

When times are tough and you really don’t want to be spending $ 50 on a tank of gas. This is one of your better options. I’ve taken the train several times and I have to say it was a nice experience. For half of what I would have paid to fill my tank up with gas I was able to get a round trip ticket to the Johnstown station and back. The regular seats are good enough for me. It’s comfortable, even if you do have to sit next to a complete stranger.

Wow. What a difference a few years makes. Back in the late 90s, I used to ride the Pennsylvanian to H’burg a few times a year. Took the train this past weekend for a meeting — out Sunday morning and back yesterday afternoon — and I was amazed by the experience.
I see the other reviews about the station. Forget the station. Any train station. They’re all sad and they offer very little in the way of amenities. You’re not there for the station; you’re there for the ride.
First and foremost, the trains were on time for both trips. In fact, we arrived in H’burg and Pgh EARLY!
Not only has the on-​time performance improved, but the service on the train is MUCH better than I remember. The conductors and café staff are warm, friendly and helpful. More like hosts than employees.
Now I did spend the extra $ 19 to get «business class» seats. It’s a Metroliner car with more room between seats and a power outlet in each row. AND FREE WIRELESS INTERNET for nearly the entire journey! You also receive unlimited non-​alcoholic beverages and a newspaper. I think I drank more than $ 19 worth of beverages on each leg of the trip.
Yea, I could have driven the route in about three hours and the train took five hours, but I arrived in H’burg without being burned out from navigating the gawdawful turnpike. Plus, I was able to get some work done. Not as much as I had planned, mind you, because I spent most of the time looking out the window at the scenery. It’s a series of wonderful views between Greensburg and Harrisburg.

Not the friendliest or service oriented station… serve yourself everything! even bags which I didn’t appreciate given that I had tons of luggage!
Had an early AM ride to Philly — not that a recommendation makes a difference — you’re kind of limited if you want to take the train!

Not the friendliest customer service. Prices okay. Look for deals on their website.

The historical Penn Station structure is magnificent and gorgeous, and it’s worth going out of your way to visit. Too bad that’s not where the «real» train station is nowadays, though.
«Dumpy» is a good word for the real waiting area. I’ve only been inside of three train stations (Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Providence) and Pittsburgh’s was definitely the lousiest.
Regardless, taking the train to Philadelphia was a great experience. I had a ton of leg room (I’m 6’3″) and a set of power outlets, and the ability to get up at any time to wander around or get a cup of coffee or snack was great. It’s also been one of my little dreams to take a train around Horseshoe Curve, so I got to check that one off my list, too.
If your schedule can accommodate it, I’d definitely suggest taking the train instead of flying.

A disappointing Amtrak station.
What’s really sad is that passenger rail has degraded so far in this country, especially in one of the areas where rail was once king. Anyone who walks outside of the Amtrak station will witness Pittsburgh’s Penn Station, a proud and magnificent facility that outlines how important passenger rail once was, with a vast rotunda to shelter vehicular traffic, and a majestic waiting area. Unfortunately, all that has been converted to … condos.
Now, there’s just a dumpy little room with some rows of seating and an Amtrak desk. Given that only two Amtrak lines serve the station, each once daily, that’s probably more sensible, but it is a sad commentary on how «progress» often isn’t.