BOSTON/ROUTE 128 TO NYC/PENN STATION

At the Station: I was a bit worried when I arrived at the station and realized I had misplaced my reservation number. There was no line at the ticket counter for this earlymorning train. The ticket agent quickly retrieved my reservation using my last name for reference. Tickets in hand, I headed for a seat in the station’s cavernous waiting room. Larger stations, like Boston South Station and New York Penn Station, have designated first-class lounges. Having never traveled Acela first class, I wondered how I’d determine where to board when the train pulled into the station. Not to worry. As the train approached, an agent instructed first-class passengers to proceed to location A on the platform. 18/20

Onboard: As we pulled out of the station en route the next stop in Providence, R.I., conductors collected tickets while attendants offered coffee, juice and newspapers, then took breakfast orders. I opted for the quiche, which was served with fresh fruit, home fries and Canadian bacon. Other choices were French toast or Continental breakfast. Following breakfast, I plugged my laptop into the seatside power outlet and proceeded to record notes for this review while occasionally stealing glances out the window to catch the early-morning view as we passed through rural Rhode Island and along the Connecticut coastline before arriving in New York. We arrived on time. I hopped in a cab and made it to my 10 a.m. meeting with time to spare. 38/40

The Experience: Amtrak Acela is my favorite mode of transportation between Boston and New York. Traffic is not a concern-as it would be if I were driving-and there’s no worry about where to park once I get to New York. I discovered meal service-which is quite good-is the major difference between Acela business and Acela first class. 38/40

The Last Word: As we pulled out of the station, I overheard a fellow passenger on his cellphone. “Did I tell you I’m on the train?” he said. “Oh yeah, this is the way to go.” I couldn’t agree more.

Total Score: 94/100