The photos are very helpful. For biking the Erie Canal in June, I looked at using Amtrak for doing a one way trip before deciding to do a round trip. NJ Transit has been welcoming cyclists too. Thank you, John!
Paul and I almost got thrown off Amtrak with our folders last year by a rude conductor because the Redcap put our bikes in the wrong disabled passenger place. Do you know which Keystone trains offer this? Im doing a Century in Sept on a Sat ending in Lancaster. We are planning a trip on the GAP trail and were hoping to use Amtrak to return from the end of the trail but we have 2. Your email address will not be published.
I Took My Bike on Amtrak. Matt Ludwig on October 6, at pm. John Boyle on October 8, at am. Mark Hennessy on October 8, at am. Very informative thanks for sharing. Steve Spindler on October 9, at am. Bikes on trains make so many more adventures possible within the region. How do bike services work?
Will my bike be accepted? Do I need to reserve a bike space and how does that work? Fear not! While Amtrak bike services are far from perfect, they are fairly straightforward once you learn the basics. These tips will help you get on track to take the bike-train trip you've been dreaming of. Before planning your Amtrak trip with your bike, know that there are two types of bike services and they work differently.
If you have any bike other than a folding bike or a standard two-wheel bike with a maximum tire width of 2 inches e-bikes under 50 lbs are also good to go , then we're sorry to say you can stop reading this post. Amtrak doesn't take recumbents, tandems, trikes, or other non-standard bikes, but Adventure Cycling is actively advocating for this and we have some hope it will change soon.
Check out these tips from the Path Less Pedaled on how to use trainside checked service. They call it carry-on or roll-up, but it's actually checked bike service. For many years, boxing a bike as baggage was the only way to travel with a non-folding bike. Good news — you don't need to box your bike anymore since the routes that offer bike service now provide bike racks. You can still box it if you want on routes with trainside checked service, and some stations still sell bike boxes but don't count on it.
The one exception is that if you are going to or from Portland, Oregon on the Empire Builder you have to box your bike. The route splits in Spokane, and the baggage car with bike racks goes to Seattle.
Note: Folding bikes are treated as carry-on luggage on all Amtrak lines. Passengers can put them on the regular luggage rack on the train. Next, you'll need to find out which type of bike service if any the route and stations you want to use provide. If you don't yet know which route s will get you to where you need to go, just plug your trip into Amtrak's ticket booking system and it will tell you which routes connect those destinations.
You can also see which stations with bike service align with Adventure Cycling and U. Bicycle Routes by using this interactive map. The map is best used for determining which bike routes align with stations, not which type of bike service is offered.
Make sure to use the spreadsheet to determine the type of service. Once you're sure about what bike services to expect and which stations you'll be able to use with your bike, you can book your ticket. There should be a little bike icon that shows up on your ticket options see above , with a number indicating how many bike spaces are still available.
When you choose your ticket, it will prompt you to add bike s to your reservation and will display the reservation fee. If you don't purchase a bike reservation with your ticket, then you won't be able to get your bike on the train, unless you're taking the Capitol Corridor or San Joaquin services in California.
If the bike icon does not show up, or there is a zero shown, it could be for a few reasons. If the bike spaces are sold out or there aren't enough spaces for your group, you can still box your bike, and Amtrak will treat it like other checked baggage. If you're checking your bike, Amtrak requires all checked luggage to be checked 45 minutes before the train leaves.
The station staff will give you a ticket for your bike when you check it. You'll want to get there early to make sure you know where to go and can deal with any last minute issues if they come up. There is a federal law that prioritizes passenger rail over freight if there are conflicting uses; however, it is often ignored by the host railroad companies.
Amtrak produces a report card grading these host railroad companies for on-time performance each year. You can check out the report card to see what percentage of the time the route you are planning to take is on time defined as within 15 minutes. Amtrak would provide carry-on bike service system-wide tomorrow if it could; however, there are a number of reasons why it will take time to reach that goal.
Amtrak decision-makers : Prioritizing the direction of Amtrak starts with its leadership, and unfortunately, with the arrival of Amtrak's CEO Richard Anderson in , bike services were downgraded as a priority. Also, Amtrak doesn't have decision-making authority over state-funded routes, so whether or not to offer bike service is determined by those state transportation agencies. Train equipment : Much of Amtrak's equipment is 40 years old and needs to be replaced.
Until that can happen dependent on government funding , the old equipment needs to be retrofitted to add bike space. This space can be limited, especially for non-standard bikes. Train cars are also shared between routes for efficiency, so they need to ensure that all of the cars on a particular route provide consistent bike service.
Our best articles, twice a month, in your inbox. Illinois Services Lincoln Service - St. You may be asked to loosen your handlebars and turn them sideways, so bring a multi-tool.
Space is limited and advance reservations are required. Amtrak Illinois information. This long distance train allows boxed bicycles as checked baggage. Bikes can only be loaded or unloaded at stations that offer checked baggage service.
Amtrak Southwest Chief information. This includes St. Louis Gateway Station, but not Popular Bluff. Amtrak Texas Eagle information. True folding bikes are allowed on most trains and are counted as part of your carry-on luggage allowance. Make sure to secure your bike with ties or bungee cords so it stays folded. Consider a long cable lock to keep your bike safe in the luggage rack.
Many Amtrak employees are unfamiliar with folding bikes, so print and carry these two Amtrak polices , just in case:. MoDOT has beenworking with a coalition of states ordering new Amtrak rail cars. Because of the Katy Trail connection, Missouri's Amtrak routes have higher bicycle use than many around the country. For that reason, MoDOT, supported by Amtrak staff who work the trains, have been working to increase capacity and ease of use for bicycle roll-ons in the new rail cars. We understand from talking with MoDOT staff that the new Amtrak rail cars will allow as many as 12 roll-on bicycles per car , which will be a major improvement over the four bicycles per train allowed by the Missouri River Runner currently.
Note: As we understand it, the 12 bicycles per rail car is a maximum design number for this type of rail car design. The cars can be configured in different ways and some of those trade other features for bicycle storage spaces. So it is unclear exactly how many bicycle storage spaces each car will have in the Missouri configuration. Probably the number will be less than One consideration is that the Missouri River Runner rail cars are likely to be used in common with several other routes.
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