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Reasons not to use Amtrak

2022-08-05

Amtrak makes passengers agree to accept arbitration for all disputes. Public Citizen has filed a lawsuit to make Amtrak stop

2019-01-10

Reportedly Amtrak stopped demanding ID to buy a ticket in December 2017. However, some trains (especially on the Northeast Corridor) require a reservation — a ticket alone is not sufficient. To sell a reservation, Amtrak still requires ID, and won't even accept cash.

Therefore, I urge you not to travel on Amtrak trains that require a reservation. Take a bus instead. Most buses in the US do not require passengers to show ID, and if they ask for data such as a name, you can give any name.

Don't spoil your anonymity by paying with something other than cash.

Meanwhile, some Amtrak stations have no human agents and the only way to buy a ticket is with a kiosk that does not accept any anonymous payments. Check before you travel!

Can someone confirm for me that it is possible to buy a ticket anonymously with cash for a non-reserved Amtrak train?


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