Amtrak debuts new self-check-in option on Acela trains

"Tickets, please," may become a thing of the past if Amtrak's newest initiative takes off.

Over the past few weeks, Amtrak has quietly rolled out a new self-check-in feature that allows you to quickly validate your train ticket once you step on board the train.

As part of the trial, a button in the Amtrak app will display "Check In" if your trip is eligible for this new self-service option. After tapping the button, you'll be asked to scan a barcode above your seat.

Assuming that you're sitting in your assigned seat, the app will successfully check you in. Then, once the conductor comes through the car, their scanner will automatically show that your ticket has been validated, meaning that you'll no longer need to raise your phone brightness and display your digital ticket to the conductor.

This new service first rolled out in December on a handful of Acela trains in the Northeast, but the feature has since expanded to additional trainsets in the Acela fleet.

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Right now, it's available on "more — but not all — of our Acela trains," an Amtrak spokesperson told TPG. Note that this feature is exclusively available in Acela first class, but it may expand to the business-class cabin in the coming months.

"Amtrak debuted a pilot voluntary self-check-in feature on select Acela First Class trains in December to evaluate if it could improve the onboard experience for our customers and employees. We look forward to evaluating its results to determine potential next steps," Amtrak's statement reads.

Last week, I took the Acela from New York to Philadelphia in the first-class cabin. I noticed this new feature in the app when I boarded the train, and I decided to try it out for myself.

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The hardest part was finding the QR code above my seat. Turns out, it was placed next to the personal air nozzle. (If Amtrak rolls this out more broadly, hopefully, it'll use a brighter color for the QR code to make it easier to find.)

My ticket was successfully validated in just a few seconds — the service requires a cellular or Wi-Fi connection — and I then waited for the conductor to come through the cabin a few minutes later.

When he approached my seat, he thanked me for using the new feature and said my ticket had already been marked as checked in.

The service couldn't have been more seamless, and it certainly saved me from the hassle of interrupting my work to find my ticket when he passed by my seat. I, for one, hope that Amtrak expands this beyond just the Acela first-class car.

In fact, this is just the latest in a series of improvements that Amtrak is trialing in the Northeast Corridor.

Late last year, Amtrak debuted a new in-seat delivery and online ordering functionality for select Acela trains. The service was pricey — it costs $2.50 for the delivery and transaction fee — but it certainly saved me time on a busy train on a Thursday afternoon.

Just like self-check-in, the online ordering program was designed as a pilot, and it ended early this year. Amtrak plans to collect feedback from the program to evaluate whether it'll pursue a full rollout across the entire Acela (and perhaps Northeast Regional) fleet.