Deal Alert: Amtrak’s New Acela Nonstop From $130 One-Way

July 25, 2019

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3 min read

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Thursday morning, Amtrak announced it will launch nonstop service on its high-speed Acela train between New York's Penn Station and Washington DC's Union Station later this year.

Fares for the new service appear to be quite low right now — even cheaper than the Acelas that make stops. You can hop between the two cities for $130 one-way or $260 round-trip in business class (note that the Acela doesn't have coach seating). However, you'll still have to pay a lot more if you want to sit in First Class.

While still not as short as a flight itself, with Amtrak you forgo the hassle of getting out to the airport and going through security — and you're much less likely to be delayed.

The train takes just two hours and 35 minutes to get between the two cities. The weekday-only service will begin on Sep. 23 and low fares are even available for the inaugural service.

The southbound train departs from New York at 6:35am and is scheduled to arrive in Washington around 9:10am. The nonstop return train will depart Union Station at 4:30pm and arrive at Penn Station around 7:05pm.

Start your search for discounted tickets on the Amtrak website. There's no coupon code needed to unlock the cheap fares.

Routes: NYP - WAS
Cost: From $130 one-way in business class
Travel Dates: September 23 and onwards
Pay With: Chase Sapphire Reserve (3x on travel), Citi Premier® Card (3x on travel) or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on travel)

Here are a few examples of what you can book:

Washington, DC to New York for $130 one-way:

New York to Washington, DC for $130 one-way:

New York to Washington, DC for $260 round-trip:

Maximize Your Purchase

Don’t forget to use a credit card that earns additional points on train purchases, such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve (3x on all travel purchases), Citi Premier® Card (3x on travel purchases) or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on all travel purchases).