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You can now avoid crowds for train departures with the Amtrak app

June 10, 2020
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3 min read
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You can now avoid crowds for train departures with the Amtrak app
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Have you ever witnessed travelers crowding to board a plane or train the moment the doors open?

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Gate lice behavior may be here to stay, but you don't have to stand around for it — at least when traveling with Amtrak, anyway. Now for select Amtrak stations, you can track real-time gate and departure information directly through the Amtrak app.

The app feature allows travelers to avoid clustering around departure boards and other information signage, like they currently do at Penn Station, before making the mad dash to the right track. This process is annoying during the best of times, and potentially harmful during these times of heightened infection risk.

Amtrak passengers lining up at New York Penn Station. (Photo by Amtrak/Doug Riddell)

Penn Station will be the latest Amtrak destination to display real-time track and departure information within the app — the functionality will be added by July 2020. Existing stations with tracking information include:

  • Sacramento, Calif.
  • Berlin, Conn.
  • Meriden, Conn.
  • Wallingford, Conn.
  • Wilmington, Del.
  • Washington, D.C.
  • Jacksonville, Fla.
  • Carlinville, Ill.
  • Normal-Bloomington, Ill.
  • Aberdeen, Md.
  • Baltimore, Md.
  • BWI/Thurgood Marshall Airport, Md.
  • New Carrollton, Md.
  • Havre, Mont.
  • Omaha, Neb.
  • Rochester, N.Y.
  • Klamath falls, Ore.
  • Salem, Ore.
  • Philadelphia, Penn.
  • Austin, Texas
  • Houston, Texas
  • Richmond (Staples Mill), Va.
  • Tukwila, Wash.
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Tracking your train track and departure information isn't the only feature available within the newly updated Amtrak app. You can stay efficient and germ-free by accomplishing the following tasks, all from your trusty smartphone:

  • Show your scannable eTicket while onboard, including multi-ride and monthly passes, bypassing the need for printed tickets.
  • Purchase one-way, roundtrip, multi-ride and monthly tickets, either by credit card or with Amtrak Guest Rewards points
  • Check the status of your train
  • Find station hours and addresses
  • Get real-time gate and track boarding information at select stations
  • Edit and manage your account profile
  • Save credit cards for quick checkout (these are the best cards to use for train travel)
  • Send your eTicket to Apple Wallet

Related: Amtrak adopts "plane policies" for train tickets

The app is free for both Android and iPhone devices, and can also be used on an iPad. The Amtrak website is also mobile-friendly, so you can pull up any browser window to access the Multi-city tickets are not supported, but can be purchased through the Amtrak website. And you can "favorite" the Amtrak stations you use the most often by selecting them within the app.

Amtrak has made a number of customer-friendly changes in recent months, including extending elite status for travelers impacted by coronavirus lockdowns, as well as extending the expiration date on Amtrak Guest Rewards points.

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  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

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  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
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  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
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  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
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