Let’s pick up from where we left off
Lizi’s 2024 Christmas Trip: Part One LAX-DCA
Lizi’s 2024 Christmas Trip: Part Two DC Museum
Redemption
As before, it’s the same: Amtrak points redemption, directly redeeming into the highest-tier First Class.
The price is $318 per person, and 11,925 points are required per person.
2024.12.25 Itinerary
Even though Acela Express First Class includes three meals, our train departed at 8:50 AM, so it probably wouldn’t include breakfast...well, that was the assumption, so we had breakfast at Hyatt first and left.
Only after getting on the train did I realize...I was so dumb...
Take the metro to Union Station.
It was still early, so we waited in the lounge for a while.
Looking at the big screen, the Acela 2250 is already first on the departure list, so the platform boarding doors should open soon.
At 8:32 AM, boarding started about 20 minutes early; our train was on Platform 19.
After all, this is a train from 2000, so speed and comfort can’t compare to the latest high-speed units used domestically.
But as an old train enthusiast, what you want isn’t speed—it’s to experience a piece of history...
When heading north, First Class is at the rear, so we didn’t have to walk far. That was nice.
The only downside is that Lizi’s seat is on the left, so we couldn’t pre-clean the window from outside. That important task would be done at the next stop, Baltimore Penn Station!
A MARC commuter train on the adjacent platform.
At 8:50 AM, Train No. 2250 (WAS Union Sta) departed on time; as it left, we caught a single Siemens ACS-64 unit.
Last time Lizi went to New York, the Northeast Corridor locomotives were still all AEM-7 "toasters." Now the AEM-7s have long since been retired—hardly any trace left...
Not long after departure, breakfast was served... I really regret eating so much at Hyatt. What an idiot I was...
Fine, then we'll just order a fruit plate. Croissants won’t spoil, so we can save them for lunch.
9:12 AM, first stop: BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport, MD.
9:27 AM, the train stopped at Baltimore Penn Station, MD. It was the first station with a left-side platform stop, so Lizi quickly got off to do the window cleaning.
A fellow train enthusiast saw me doing that and joked, "If I were a conductor, I’d scare you by saying the doors are closing—you’d be done for." Haha.
10:06 AM, Wilmington, DE. A famous tax-free state.
10:27 AM, Philadelphia 30 St., PA.
This is a major station, and a fresh group boarded, so the staff started serving breakfast again.
10:30 AM, the train departed after passing the Amtrak Philadelphia coach yard.
We saw a new Acela set here, but I’m not sure when it will be put into service. As a long-time rail fan, I’ve always had mixed feelings about this.
Putting new trains into service means older trains retire quickly, and an era ends—years of memories get a final full stop. So, as a Chinese train junkie, I’ll enjoy each day while I still can...
A southbound Northeast Regional came by, and the shot I took wasn’t bad!
11:11 AM, Trenton, NJ.
PATH coach yard. Seeing this means Newark is no longer far away.
11:25 AM, Newark Penn Station (New Jersey).
NJ Transit commuter trains were already visible here.
The train left and immediately crossed Dock Bridge over the Passaic River.
Harrison (New Jersey). Only PATH trains stop here; we passed right through.
11:37 AM, crossing the Hackensack River rail bridge.
You can see the new bridge is still under construction, while we are still on the old one.
The train is stopped here waiting for a signal, likely because there is some congestion near Penn Station. We can already see buildings in Manhattan from here.
After waiting half a minute, we restarted, entered a very long tunnel, and went under Manhattan; NY Penn Station was ahead.
At 11:52, the train arrived at NY Penn Station (New York State). We had a fairly long dwell there, and lots of passengers got on and off.
A family in the double-seat row across the aisle got off at NY Penn Station, and that seat has been empty ever since.
The train came out of the tunnel on the west side of Long Island and came back into daylight.
Then the train took a connecting line and made about a 100-degree left turn, heading northwest toward the Bronx, so we could finally get Manhattan in view.
Robert F. Kennedy Bridge.
RFK Bridge: crossing the Bronx.
It was lunch time, and Chestnut ordered a lamb dish.
The portion was... a bit small, so adding the croissants we saved from the morning was just right.
At 12:43, first stop in Connecticut: Stamford, CT. 
After getting off, we saw Connecticut commuter trains.
Because the Connecticut section has many curves and the track quality is extremely poor, this part can hardly go faster than 130 km/h.
At 13:27 PM, the train passed New Haven, CT.
Two minutes later, the train passed New Haven State St, CT.
It is worth noting that some Amtrak trains stop at both of these stations, making it the shortest segment on the Northeast Corridor. If anyone is interested, you can give it a try.
Unfortunately, our train did not stop at either, and went straight through.
At 14:52, the train stopped at Providence, RI. After leaving Stamford, it finally stopped here after two hours.
After departure, we hit a fairly large curve, and at last we could get a photo of the lead locomotive.
Rhode Island State House.
At 15:12, Route 128, MA. This was the last stop before entering Boston city proper.
This station is simply called Route 128—straightforward and no-frills.
The sign across the aisle showed that southbound Northeast Regional 165 was about to arrive.
At 15:23, the train stopped at Back Bay Station, MA. Our trip ended here.
PS: Even though the ticket was purchased to Boston South, first, Back Bay and Boston South consume the same number of points for a ticket (getting off early does not waste points), and second, getting off early at Back Bay is much more convenient for transfers (you can take the subway straight to the hotel), so we chose to get off early.
Summary
Our train ultimately arrived on time at Boston Back Bay. As soon as we stepped off, I quickly opened the mobile app and saw that the Northeast Regional 164 behind us, due to "some reason," had been delayed by more than an hour and was stuck behind.
Alternative take: Chestnut seems to have taken quite a hit—no way to maximize the ticket value.