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On Tuesday I took the train from New York to Baltimore and return.  I considered booking on the Acela, but I have ridden it before, and I doubt it is really worth the premium fare. So I booked a business class seat on the 8:10 a.m. NEC regional service. The cost of my ticket on the regional train was $102 ($75 for the rail fare and $37 for the business class seat). The cost of a seat on the Acela, which departed NYC at 8:00 a.m. would have been $222.   The 8:00 a.m. Acela requires 2 hours and 18 minutes to get to Baltimore.  My 8:10 a.m. regional train took a bit longer at 2 hours and 33 minutes.   I saved $122 by opting for a business class seat on the regional train.  I wonder how many people would choose to pay a $122 premium to save 15 minutes if they were paying it out of their pocket?  If the answer, as I suspect, is not many, it should raise a question as to the incremental value of high speed rail vs medium speed rail.   It has been a couple of years since I have ridden the Acela, but the coffee on the regional train seemed to be every bit as good as the coffee on the Acela.  The car attendant, as well as the other members of the crew, were pleasant and helpful. My regional train arrived on time into Baltimore and was actually a few minutes early arriving back at Penn Station, New York. Amtrak's e-ticket system, coupled with what is as good an on-line reservation system as any that I have found, works very well.  Moreover, if you lose your ticket, just show the conductor proper identification, and she can look up your reservation on the spot.
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