My train from New York City was scheduled for 7:15 a.m. on a Thursday. Amtrak advises customers to arrive 30 minutes before their train is set to depart, so I hopped on the subway from my Brooklyn apartment just before 6 a.m. to be at Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station by 6:40.
Once I entered the hall, I saw that a small screen noted the tracks for coming trains, but the Maple Leaf I was scheduled to take wasn’t listed yet. Around 7:10, the track still wasn’t listed, and eventually, I got a five-minute delay notice. Five minutes later, another delay notice came through. The cycle repeated after another five minutes.
The train ended up being delayed nearly an hour for maintenance, and even when our track was set, the board didn’t update for several minutes. I found it by following a crowd of people and asking someone in line if they were waiting for the Maple Leaf train. Because of the confusion, I was toward the back of the line of passengers, even though I arrived so early.
My experience in Rochester was much simpler. The signage was clear at Louise M. Slaughter Station, and a conductor came to speak to everyone waiting, guiding us to the right track a few minutes before our departure.
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