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    What It’s Like to Travel Business Class on an Amtrak Acela Train

    Press RoomBy No Comments4 Mins Read

    • I booked a business-class ticket on an Amtrak Acela train from Baltimore to New York City in 2022.
    • For $120, I sat in a business-class window seat with a tray table, footrest, and a café car nearby.
    • A ticket for the high-speed train cost me more than a regular Amtrak, but I’d do it again to save time.

    Amtrak’s high-speed Acela train is about to get a big upgrade.

    A new fleet launching on August 28 will be faster and more modern than the current cars. This news has me thinking about the first time I booked an Amtrak Acela ticket.

    Acela is an Amtrak express train on the East Coast with only business and first-class seating. I rode it for the first time in 2022 from Baltimore to NYC. The trip took two hours and 25 minutes — about 30 minutes faster than a regular Amtrak train.

    Two weeks before my trip, I booked a standard, business-class Amtrak Acela ticket for $120. According to a search on the company’s website, a coach ticket on a regular train booked two weeks in advance might cost between $30 and $70.

    I thought booking the Acela option was worth paying extra for a quicker journey.

    I got to Baltimore’s Penn Station at around 3 p.m. for my 4:29 p.m. train on a Tuesday.


    The exterior of Baltimore's Penn Station with taxis parked in front

    Penn Station in Baltimore seen in the afternoon.


    Joey Hadden/Business Insider

    It was my first time leaving from Baltimore’s Penn Station, and I couldn’t find any outlets to charge my phone, so I picked up a puzzle book from the newsstand inside to pass the time.

    At 4:15 p.m., I descended to the platform to wait for my train.


    A platform at Baltimore Penn Station

    The reporter’s train platform.


    Joey Hadden/Business Insider

    The train arrived three minutes late at 4:32 p.m. I boarded immediately, ensuring I was in the business-class car.

    As I boarded the train, I noticed that the seats looked larger than those on other trains I had been on.


    The conductor collects tickets on an Amtrak Acela business class car

    Inside the business-class car.


    Joey Hadden/Business Insider

    A representative for Amtrak told Business Insider that seats in business class are 20 inches wide and 26 feet deep.

    I had plenty of legroom and a few amenities in my window seat.


    An aerial view of the author sitting in her business-class seat

    The reporter’s business-class seat.


    Joey Hadden/Business Insider

    The Amtrak rep said that seat pitches in business class are 42 inches.

    There was a reading light above me, a tray table in front of me, and a footrest beneath me. There were also two power outlets on the wall next to my seat.

    I got a little hungry, but there was no food service in business class, so I made my way to the café car.


    En route to the dining car on an Amtrak Acela

    The reporter ventured to the café car.


    Joey Hadden/Business Insider

    The café had tables and stools, but I decided to take my food back to my seat.

    I spent about $6 on a plate of cheese and crackers.


    Food on an Amtrak Acela train

    The reporter’s snack.


    Joey Hadden/Business Insider

    The café car menu had a wide variety of options, from salads and sandwiches to cheeseburgers and hot dogs, but I wasn’t that hungry, so I got a cheese and cracker plate for $5.75.

    It was decent and filled me up for the price.

    Overall, my business-class experience on an Amtrak Acela was decent and affordable.


    A view of bare trees out the window of an Amtrak

    A view out the reporter’s window.


    Joey Hadden/Business Insider

    I’ll probably take an Amtrak Acela next time I travel around the Northeast because I think it’s worth paying a little extra to save time.

    And I can’t wait to try the next generation of Acela trains.

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