2:22 While there is no direct connection between the Moynihan train hall and the old Penn Station *upper* concourse, you can travel between the 2 buildings without walking outside. Go down to the old LIRR waiting area and walk down the recently renovated and widened hallway to the other end. Walk through the subway station entrance and just keep walking forward and you'll end up in the lower section of the Moynihan train hall. There's no fare gate you have to pass through in order to walk between the stations.
@@LonestarTrips That's true. Penn station is like a maze to anyone who doesn't go there regularly or doesn't have a good sense of direction. Actually to be honest, I stumbled on it completely on accident.
@@LonestarTrips I have as well ever since it first opened. I only ever go into penn now whenever I use NJT. Thankfully there's a lot of work being done on penn now but it's still really dirty and gloomy in parts. Never have I been in there and not seen a spilled dunkin coffee cup
The best part of Amtrak's Northeast Corridor is the Hell Gate, wait until Metro-North Railroad starts sending New Haven Line trains to Penn Station through this section!!!
I really hope Amtrak brings back the sleeper on the Night Owl trains. I really wanted to try it back when they were in service, but I wasn't able to make it happen.
FYI - the speeds on Metro North’s New Haven line reach speeds of 80 and 75 MPH in some areas. It clearly is not a high speed section for sure. Many Amtrak engineers call this portion of the NY to Boston trip “The Black Hole”. 😂 The catenary structures all date back to between 1907 and 1913. They may look old but are structurally sound and there are no plans to replace them anytime soon. The Peqonnic River bridge you are showing is actually the Housatonic River bridge some 5 miles east of Bridgeport.
Some of the catenary is new, erected with the weight, cable, and pulley system installed to keep the power cables at a consistent height, rather than sagging in heat. When that system was installed, any old stuff that couldn't be rehabilitated was removed.
All the passenger circulation in Penn Station before 1963 was also below ground. In fact the floor plan, aside from additional concourses built over the past few decades, is basically unchanged. In other words nothing was made worse on that front, and in fact it has gotten much better, in purely practical terms. But there’s no question it looked nicer and probably felt like a more pleasant place to be when the original building was still above those areas, because there were higher ceilings and more (or any) light coming in. It really goes to show how important it is for public spaces to look inviting, because anything practically wrong with Penn Station in 2024 was already true in 1924, but at one time it was able to get by on its good looks and now it isn’t. (Contrast this btw with Grand Central, which is a little newer and benefits from being a terminal station so it didn’t have to straddle the tracks…not only does it look amazing, but it has also always been functional, too.)
Well if you don't know i heard metro north will be expanding to Penn station. So that means it will follow down the northeast corridor with Amtrak and have 5 or 6 different train stations where you can make a transfer from Amtrak to Metro North or Vice Versa. That will make it's debut in 2027.
That should make late night travel from EWR to New Haven reasonable. Right now, Amtrak's last train from EWR to New Haven leaves at 1820, too early for those flying west across the pond. Hopefully, teh fourth track across Hell Gate will be replaced to reduce conflicts with Amtrak and CSX. Even worse, the Pelham Bay replacement bridge is slated to remain double track, when the old approaches were built for six.
This was a great video as always. I've always wanted to visit Connecticut, especially around the Stamford, Bridgeport, and New Haven areas. I also have two very good friends from high school who go to college in Fairfield.
My only Amtrak trip so far was in 2019, Charlotte to NYC, Crescent on the way up and Carolinian on the return. Given my early departure, I entered the Penn station side (since I had exited from there 4 days prior, but before the new station was completed) and couldn’t find anyone to direct me to the Amtrak lounge and tracks under the MSG. I finally made it to the lounge only to be greeted by 2 pigeons! I didn’t know business class had those perks.
Perfect timing, just before I hop aboard train 66 two Saturdays from now, for not only my next shift of work, but my new permanent move from my birthplace of Baltimore to my specific job/company location.
I’m so glad you posted this! I plan to take a Northeast Region from New Haven to Boston Back Bay next week and have been soooo curious as to what the coach looks like for Amtrak trains leaving New Haven. It’ll be my first Amtrak ride 👍🏻
I think the best views are that of the Sound. But that’s mostly north of New Haven. South of it is pretty too just very, very slow, sometimes painfully so.
You can walk down into the Penn Station directly into Moynihan after going down the escalator by walking under the 8th st subway and turning left and then you are one flight up to the train hall. This puts you in the boarding gallery where you would wait for the LIRR
I haven't been to Manhattan in years and when I heard you mentioning Moynihan Train Station I thought, where the heck did they come up with room for a station and then it made sense... Its not a new station, Moynihan Terminal is the old Main Post Office which was absolutely ginormous. It's somewhat sad that it's gone but glad the building was repurposed well.
The silver star 92 and 91 I've been on several times.. Stamford to New York .I moved to North Carolina . When 92 leaves Southern Pines it goes by my home in Aberdeen. When 91 passes Aberdeen it climbs the highest hill in The Northeast and picks up speed getting into Southern Pines.. love the ride ..
I enjoyed your usual excellent staton footage! When the Madison Square station replaced the old Penn Station, the Architectural Historian Vincent Scully wrote, “One entered the city like a god; one scuttles in now like a rat.” As a result of the demolition of this landmark train station, it ended up being one of the defining moments in the history of architectural preservation in the USA. Two years after Penn Station was razed, New York City founded its Landmarks Preservation Commission which is why Grand Central Station was preserved.
Yes! I love that quote! I almost used it in the final script too. To be honest, I don’t know why I cut it, it’s so accurate. While it’s a shame the demolition happened, I’m glad it established the preservation commission to ensure nothing like it ever happens again.
I love the video but I think you made mistake The Housatonic River Railroad Bridge built 1908 10:34 not 1998 I am going to nyc with my family on May 24 see you next week
Right you are! The footage came chronologically after the Bridgeport shot, so I assumed it was the Pequonnock river. The info on the Pequonnock bridge is correct as far as I’m aware, but the bridge in the footage is in fact incorrect.
Average NY/CT train rider: New Haven Line out of Grand Central 🙂 Lonestar Gigabrain: Amtrak from Penn Station 🤓 Edit: 1:20 Fun fact, the then-WWF in February 1997 put up a ring in the middle of that high roofed area and taped a match between the Undertaker and Triple H.
@@LonestarTrips just checked the prices for the trips between NHV and NYP, they should keep them close to Metro North fares with something like a $10 upgrade fee to ride between the two stations, at least for NER trains. Would probably benefit a few commuters until the start direct New Haven Line service to Penn.
@@marcitos_9329 They’re usually pretty close if you book far enough out. I booked about a month in advance and only paid $15.00, which is a couple bucks cheaper than MNR. Even then I’d pay more than MNR for the more comfortable seat and 40 mins saved en route.
Plus, Penn station is way away on the West Side, while GCT in the center of Mod-town. I guess with the Hudson Yards development there's a few new things to see, but GCT is far more centrally located than Penn Station is.
Hello. I just have a few questions. While you was heading to the stairway, I noticed you said you was about to board train 50. Which is actually the Cardinal eastbound from Chicago to New York. When at first you said train 150. 1) Was it your excitement? 2) Why is there a 3rd rail neat the tracks where Amtrak rides through Penn Station? 3) Do you know what the extensions are for at the station the train bypassed at the 9:30 mark of the video?
I live in Harrisburg PA and the Amatrak trains in use between Harrisburg and Philadelphia and NY are much worse than what you rode in. Philadelphia Penn is a traditional grand station. The existing NY Penn station is one of the worst stations in the universe.
Keystone trains are literally the same Amfleet I’s as the Northeast Regionals. The only difference is they need to use a cab car (which are older but have identical interiors) because Philly 30th Street is really a detour off the route from NY to Harrisburg, so the trains have to change direction to serve it.
The cars on the Harrisburg to Philadelphia and NY run that I took hadn't been seriously cleaned in several years. You could barely see out of the windows since they had never been cleaned. The seats were reasonably comfortable if shabby. One positive, but non Amtrac thing, is us old folks can ride for free on Septa. I believe that there is a rumor that these Amtrac cars are supposed to be replaced. Seeing this happen would be nice.
It’s not cheaper depending on when you book. I booked this ticket about a month in advance, and it cost me $15.00. A ticket on MetroNorth for the same day costs $18.25 departing from grand central. Amtrak also saves me 40 minutes, assuming it’s on time. It’s a shame it wasn’t, but that was the main reason was time.
Most of the right of way is owned by Connecticut Department of Transportation, and most trains on this stretch are the Metro-North New Haven Line. None of this is Amtrak's fault.
As if other railroads don't have issues with infrastructure, such as turnouts and/or signals either. They all do from time to time. And while this route was 75 miles, it was 75 miles in an urban area, not much rural countryside along the coasts around New York City. Very few urban areas allow trains to fly at 200 mph through city's railroad stations...
@@MirzaAhmed89 Yes. Metro North has a lot of service on the line between New Haven and NYC. From Stamford to Grand Central has probably the highest volume depending upon the day. Because direct branch service trains from Waterbury, Danbury, and New Canaan all go to Grand Central in both directions. Add the regular NH line trains and it's very busy. A friend of mine works for Metro North, and communicated to me once that the Milford & Stratford areas of the line do not need the addition 4th track (even though there is some space for it. If you look at where the station buildings are and some of the catenary towers, there was once a 4th line. But according to my friend, the 4th track is not needed. I disagree because at times, 3 tracks becomes 2 tracks. Big bottleneck is what happens. Anyhow. Train travel traffic is a lot. I think it will only increase as young adults like me choose the train over the car.
@@ronclark9724 If you look at the New Haven line from New Haven to NYC in certain areas, you'll see how a lot of homes, businesses, and other pieces of properties are immediately next to it. A lot of curves, twists, and turns too. I mention this because like you said, very few urban trains reach high speeds. But more importantly, trains need long straight tracks to reach these speeds. It's difficult to achieve this with so many turns. As much as I would like to see new long straight sections of track, I don't see this happening. The reason is because there's too many occupied properties along the way for the railroad or government to seize for realignment. Even with the 5th Amendment Eminent Domain and Just Compensation clause helping the railroad, I still see an uphill challenge. The real surge in costs is excavating or digging through earth to make way for new tracks and tunnels. The NYC subway system is a perfect example of underground railroad construction costs in the Billions. Neither the State of CT or Metro North has that type of money up front. It would take another Infrastructure Law or two to make this multi-realignment idea happen. And then there's New Haven to Rhode Island. Same thing. Too many turns. Plus the ocean, swamps, and other bodies of water along the way too.
2:22 While there is no direct connection between the Moynihan train hall and the old Penn Station *upper* concourse, you can travel between the 2 buildings without walking outside. Go down to the old LIRR waiting area and walk down the recently renovated and widened hallway to the other end. Walk through the subway station entrance and just keep walking forward and you'll end up in the lower section of the Moynihan train hall. There's no fare gate you have to pass through in order to walk between the stations.
While you can do this, and it's easier, there's no good signage to indicate it's possible, which is why I mentioned it.
@@LonestarTrips That's true. Penn station is like a maze to anyone who doesn't go there regularly or doesn't have a good sense of direction. Actually to be honest, I stumbled on it completely on accident.
@@CrabMan2539 lol. I’ve always used Moynihan as a starting point so I hardly know where to go in old Penn.
@@LonestarTrips I have as well ever since it first opened. I only ever go into penn now whenever I use NJT. Thankfully there's a lot of work being done on penn now but it's still really dirty and gloomy in parts. Never have I been in there and not seen a spilled dunkin coffee cup
@@CrabMan2539 Yup! Had one in the walkthrough just to complete the Penn station vibe 😆
The best part of Amtrak's Northeast Corridor is the Hell Gate, wait until Metro-North Railroad starts sending New Haven Line trains to Penn Station through this section!!!
7:44 they’re replacing most of them in preparation for the Penn Access project
I miss having the sleeper on the overnight regional, glad I got to try it out in November 2021 before it was killed again
I really hope Amtrak brings back the sleeper on the Night Owl trains. I really wanted to try it back when they were in service, but I wasn't able to make it happen.
FYI - the speeds on Metro North’s New Haven line reach speeds of 80 and 75 MPH in some areas. It clearly is not a high speed section for sure. Many Amtrak engineers call this portion of the NY to Boston trip “The Black Hole”. 😂
The catenary structures all date back to between 1907 and 1913. They may look old but are structurally sound and there are no plans to replace them anytime soon.
The Peqonnic River bridge you are showing is actually the Housatonic River bridge some 5 miles east of Bridgeport.
Some of the catenary is new, erected with the weight, cable, and pulley system installed to keep the power cables at a consistent height, rather than sagging in heat. When that system was installed, any old stuff that couldn't be rehabilitated was removed.
In CT we pronounce it “new HAVEN” emphasis on Haven vs. “NEW haven”
All the passenger circulation in Penn Station before 1963 was also below ground. In fact the floor plan, aside from additional concourses built over the past few decades, is basically unchanged. In other words nothing was made worse on that front, and in fact it has gotten much better, in purely practical terms. But there’s no question it looked nicer and probably felt like a more pleasant place to be when the original building was still above those areas, because there were higher ceilings and more (or any) light coming in. It really goes to show how important it is for public spaces to look inviting, because anything practically wrong with Penn Station in 2024 was already true in 1924, but at one time it was able to get by on its good looks and now it isn’t.
(Contrast this btw with Grand Central, which is a little newer and benefits from being a terminal station so it didn’t have to straddle the tracks…not only does it look amazing, but it has also always been functional, too.)
Well if you don't know i heard metro north will be expanding to Penn station. So that means it will follow down the northeast corridor with Amtrak and have 5 or 6 different train stations where you can make a transfer from Amtrak to Metro North or Vice Versa. That will make it's debut in 2027.
Yes, I heard all about it!!
That should make late night travel from EWR to New Haven reasonable. Right now, Amtrak's last train from EWR to New Haven leaves at 1820, too early for those flying west across the pond. Hopefully, teh fourth track across Hell Gate will be replaced to reduce conflicts with Amtrak and CSX. Even worse, the Pelham Bay replacement bridge is slated to remain double track, when the old approaches were built for six.
This was a great video as always. I've always wanted to visit Connecticut, especially around the Stamford, Bridgeport, and New Haven areas. I also have two very good friends from high school who go to college in Fairfield.
Don’t go in winter, late fall is best.
My only Amtrak trip so far was in 2019, Charlotte to NYC, Crescent on the way up and Carolinian on the return. Given my early departure, I entered the Penn station side (since I had exited from there 4 days prior, but before the new station was completed) and couldn’t find anyone to direct me to the Amtrak lounge and tracks under the MSG. I finally made it to the lounge only to be greeted by 2 pigeons! I didn’t know business class had those perks.
Perfect timing, just before I hop aboard train 66 two Saturdays from now, for not only my next shift of work, but my new permanent move from my birthplace of Baltimore to my specific job/company location.
Hello from Baltimore, BWI...😂 haha ! All da best to ya baby 🎉
@@drewdoneit5578 Thanks. Same to you as well from soon central Jersey 🙂
I’m so glad you posted this!
I plan to take a Northeast Region from New Haven to Boston Back Bay next week and have been soooo curious as to what the coach looks like for Amtrak trains leaving New Haven.
It’ll be my first Amtrak ride 👍🏻
Glad my video could help out, and enjoy your first ride on Amtrak! Btw, heading up to Boston you’ll hit 125mph!
I can't help thinking of the RFK bridge as the Triborough Bridge, that was what it was called when I was growing up in the '60's & 70's
It was called that until about 2010.
Most people still call it that. Same with the Tappen Zee Bridge.
I will say, as a New Yorker, this channel makes me feel like I’m a tourist in my own city lol great vid!
Done this many a time to New Haven and Boston. Everybody gets their phones out once the train leaves the tunnel.
It’s such a stunning view. It’s only natural that everyone wants to document it.
I think the best views are that of the Sound. But that’s mostly north of New Haven. South of it is pretty too just very, very slow, sometimes painfully so.
10:48 rare green luminator in the destination LED
ive done the short hop a few times from NYC to stamford, hop from new haven and new london a bunch of times even with the ride being really short
I came up to NY on NJT and we exited through the main hall of Penn Station which is cool.
Most comfortable coach seating on Earth!
You can walk down into the Penn Station directly into Moynihan after going down the escalator by walking under the 8th st subway and turning left and then you are one flight up to the train hall. This puts you in the boarding gallery where you would wait for the LIRR
One block east is such a fancy way of saying across the street lol
Till this day I love the legendary famous Penn Station and the newly Moynihan Train Hall new home for Amtrak!
I haven't been to Manhattan in years and when I heard you mentioning Moynihan Train Station I thought, where the heck did they come up with room for a station and then it made sense... Its not a new station, Moynihan Terminal is the old Main Post Office which was absolutely ginormous. It's somewhat sad that it's gone but glad the building was repurposed well.
Currently on the Silver Star to Tampa as I'm watching this video.
Heck yeah! Hope you're enjoying the ride!
The silver star 92 and 91 I've been on several times.. Stamford to New York .I moved to North Carolina . When 92 leaves Southern Pines it goes by my home in Aberdeen. When 91 passes Aberdeen it climbs the highest hill in The Northeast and picks up speed getting into Southern Pines.. love the ride ..
The fact open seating is still done on coach on these crazy busy trains absolutely baffles me....
Yeah i would take metro north from grand central....less expensive and more frequent departurws.
When the Caltrain emu’s go to service train-spot at Hillsdale station on your railfan channel
I’ll see what I can do!
@@LonestarTripsspot the emu’s at the hillsdale station
That might of been the cleanest ALC64 one did seen in a long time
Absolutely. 668 is one of the cleanest out there 😎
You can go on a track that connects to moynihan and the 8th Ave concourse and walk along the track. You don't have to hit street level
Those catenary support towers are going to outlive all of us. The is genuinely nothing wrong with them and they just have a layer of surface rust.
I've never heard a voice that can go so high and then so low! What vocal range.
very nice4 train ride ty
Plan on doing the southwest chief next year from CHI to LA. Can't wait to see your review.
It’s a beautiful journey, and I can’t wait to share it with everyone.
Was there yesterday
I enjoyed your usual excellent staton footage! When the Madison Square station replaced the old Penn Station, the Architectural Historian Vincent Scully wrote, “One entered the city like a god; one scuttles in now like a rat.” As a result of the demolition of this landmark train station, it ended up being one of the defining moments in the history of architectural preservation in the USA. Two years after Penn Station was razed, New York City founded its Landmarks Preservation Commission which is why Grand Central Station was preserved.
Yes! I love that quote! I almost used it in the final script too. To be honest, I don’t know why I cut it, it’s so accurate. While it’s a shame the demolition happened, I’m glad it established the preservation commission to ensure nothing like it ever happens again.
I love the video but I think you made mistake The Housatonic River Railroad Bridge built 1908 10:34 not 1998 I am going to nyc with my family on May 24 see you next week
Right you are! The footage came chronologically after the Bridgeport shot, so I assumed it was the Pequonnock river. The info on the Pequonnock bridge is correct as far as I’m aware, but the bridge in the footage is in fact incorrect.
@@LonestarTrips can you make a playlist of new haven on UA-cam because
Average NY/CT train rider: New Haven Line out of Grand Central 🙂
Lonestar Gigabrain: Amtrak from Penn Station 🤓
Edit: 1:20 Fun fact, the then-WWF in February 1997 put up a ring in the middle of that high roofed area and taped a match between the Undertaker and Triple H.
My power knows no bounds! 🧠🧠
@@LonestarTrips just checked the prices for the trips between NHV and NYP, they should keep them close to Metro North fares with something like a $10 upgrade fee to ride between the two stations, at least for NER trains. Would probably benefit a few commuters until the start direct New Haven Line service to Penn.
@@marcitos_9329 They’re usually pretty close if you book far enough out. I booked about a month in advance and only paid $15.00, which is a couple bucks cheaper than MNR. Even then I’d pay more than MNR for the more comfortable seat and 40 mins saved en route.
Plus, Penn station is way away on the West Side, while GCT in the center of Mod-town. I guess with the Hudson Yards development there's a few new things to see, but GCT is far more centrally located than Penn Station is.
Hello. I just have a few questions. While you was heading to the stairway, I noticed you said you was about to board train 50. Which is actually the Cardinal eastbound from Chicago to New York. When at first you said train 150. 1) Was it your excitement? 2) Why is there a 3rd rail neat the tracks where Amtrak rides through Penn Station? 3) Do you know what the extensions are for at the station the train bypassed at the 9:30 mark of the video?
I feel like New Haven Union Station resembles Los Angeles Union Station.
I like your music.
Thank you! 😊
Have you ever been to worcester mass
I do service work on Northeast Regional #150 and was wondering what coach and seat u were in, I work for Amtrak
Would you recommend the food instead of the train or bring our own food onto the train?
Looks real busy for spending all that money
Ticket was $15, and there was almost no one on the train…
Nice video, but it's New HAven not NEW Haven. Pronounced the same as New York or New Rochelle. Looking forward to next week's video!
connecticut mentioned
7:44 HE PREDICTED IT
Lol
why is ny penn station say pennsyvania?
Because Penn is short for Pennsylvania, as it was a station built by the Pennsylvania Railroad.
He's using the 'royal we.' You don't have to be a monarch to do that, I guess.
1:57 why does the background look like the twin towers?
I live in Harrisburg PA and the Amatrak trains in use between Harrisburg and Philadelphia and NY are much worse than what you rode in. Philadelphia Penn is a traditional grand station. The existing NY Penn station is one of the worst stations in the universe.
Keystone trains are literally the same Amfleet I’s as the Northeast Regionals. The only difference is they need to use a cab car (which are older but have identical interiors) because Philly 30th Street is really a detour off the route from NY to Harrisburg, so the trains have to change direction to serve it.
The cars on the Harrisburg to Philadelphia and NY run that I took hadn't been seriously cleaned in several years. You could barely see out of the windows since they had never been cleaned. The seats were reasonably comfortable if shabby. One positive, but non Amtrac thing, is us old folks can ride for free on Septa. I believe that there is a rumor that these Amtrac cars are supposed to be replaced. Seeing this happen would be nice.
Penn station bruh
It do be like that.
Just take the Metro North its cheaper and its out of Grand Central
It’s not cheaper depending on when you book. I booked this ticket about a month in advance, and it cost me $15.00. A ticket on MetroNorth for the same day costs $18.25 departing from grand central. Amtrak also saves me 40 minutes, assuming it’s on time. It’s a shame it wasn’t, but that was the main reason was time.
75 miles in 2 and a half hours; and people wonder why Amtrak is so often seen as a joke
Train was an hour late, but sure.
Most of the right of way is owned by Connecticut Department of Transportation, and most trains on this stretch are the Metro-North New Haven Line. None of this is Amtrak's fault.
As if other railroads don't have issues with infrastructure, such as turnouts and/or signals either. They all do from time to time. And while this route was 75 miles, it was 75 miles in an urban area, not much rural countryside along the coasts around New York City. Very few urban areas allow trains to fly at 200 mph through city's railroad stations...
@@MirzaAhmed89 Yes. Metro North has a lot of service on the line between New Haven and NYC. From Stamford to Grand Central has probably the highest volume depending upon the day. Because direct branch service trains from Waterbury, Danbury, and New Canaan all go to Grand Central in both directions. Add the regular NH line trains and it's very busy.
A friend of mine works for Metro North, and communicated to me once that the Milford & Stratford areas of the line do not need the addition 4th track (even though there is some space for it. If you look at where the station buildings are and some of the catenary towers, there was once a 4th line. But according to my friend, the 4th track is not needed. I disagree because at times, 3 tracks becomes 2 tracks. Big bottleneck is what happens.
Anyhow. Train travel traffic is a lot. I think it will only increase as young adults like me choose the train over the car.
@@ronclark9724 If you look at the New Haven line from New Haven to NYC in certain areas, you'll see how a lot of homes, businesses, and other pieces of properties are immediately next to it. A lot of curves, twists, and turns too.
I mention this because like you said, very few urban trains reach high speeds. But more importantly, trains need long straight tracks to reach these speeds. It's difficult to achieve this with so many turns.
As much as I would like to see new long straight sections of track, I don't see this happening. The reason is because there's too many occupied properties along the way for the railroad or government to seize for realignment. Even with the 5th Amendment Eminent Domain and Just Compensation clause helping the railroad, I still see an uphill challenge. The real surge in costs is excavating or digging through earth to make way for new tracks and tunnels. The NYC subway system is a perfect example of underground railroad construction costs in the Billions. Neither the State of CT or Metro North has that type of money up front. It would take another Infrastructure Law or two to make this multi-realignment idea happen.
And then there's New Haven to Rhode Island. Same thing. Too many turns. Plus the ocean, swamps, and other bodies of water along the way too.
such an unattractive section of amtrak at least until you get past New Haven, filthy