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  • Amtrak Metropolitan and Acela Lounges Thread

  • Discussion related to Amtrak also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corp.
Discussion related to Amtrak also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corp.

Moderators: GirlOnTheTrain, mtuandrew, Tadman

 #1510373  by amsnag
 
Plate C wrote: If you are one of those travelers who dares to shower or sleep in a public area... these areas are limited in capacity/availability and I felt some uncertainty about cleanliness factors, seemed like places to be avoided if at all possible.
Are you referring to the Chicago metropolitan lounge? I frequently combine a bike ride with a train ride and so make use of the shower before boarding. I've never had to wait and I couldn't ask for a nicer or cleaner shower.

If I believed every internet review, I would never leave home.
 #1510529  by amsnag
 
Another data point.

I just completed my annual Spring bikeTrain trip where I take the Illinois Zephyr 380 to Naperville, bike via Wheaton and the Illinois Prairie Path to Chicago Union Station, and catch the 383 back home.

I am happy to report that there was no wait for a shower (there are two, at least on the men side) and it was clean. The procedure is also quick and efficient. You give your driver's license to the lounge attendant and they give you a towel and wash cloth sealed in plastic and a key card that opens the very large shower compartment. When you return the key card, they return your license.

I'm well aware of the fact that Amtrak is very random, one time you get a great experience and the next a very poor one. But that doesn't seem to be the case with the showers at the metropolitan lounge at CUS. I suspect the OP didn't actually try the shower, but was just guessing based on experiences at other quasi-public showers.
 #1512704  by Eileensmith
 
Metropolitan Lounges offer Amtrak a great opportunity to distinguish itself and give a touch of old-style class to the travel experience. They need to be kept up to date and refurbished where necessary. Perhaps Lounges should be more widely available - at more destinations and with access to non-First Class passengers for a ticket price premium.
 #1514270  by Greg Moore
 
Just experienced the LAUS Metropolitan lounge last week.
Not overly large, but large enough for current purposes, but sort of in an awkward location, upstairs and access is sort of hidden in a corner.

Since we didn't have a redcap, it was faster to go back downstairs and via the subway to our track. But folks with a redcap were lead to the train (in our case the Coast Starlight). Not really clear how they got from the lounge to the track since they're all raised track in between. But they did.