The long-awaited bicycles aboard the Capitol Limited program began on Monday.
Passengers at any station served by Nos. 29 and 30 between Chicago and Washington, D.C., will be able to roll their bikes along the platform and onto the train. They will need to secure their bikes on a rack in the baggage car.
Passengers with bikes must arrive at a station 30 minutes prior to the train departure to allow time to transport their bike to the baggage car. Only standard bikes will be permitted.
Large seats and/or saddle bags must be removed from the bike and checked or carried on the train. There is a $20 bike service fee.
Reservations are required and passengers must have a travel document (ticket) for their bikes, which can obtained by selecting “add bike” when booking travel on Amtrak.com.
Reservations can also be obtain by calling 800-USA-RAIL or visiting a staffed ticket office.
Amtrak stations with ticketing and baggage service that currently provide boxed bike service will continue to offer this service. Standard bike policy and charges apply on trains where applicable.
Amtrak worked with Adventure Cycling Association and other bicycle and passenger rail groups to form an advisory bicycle task force to oversee this project to establish walk-on bike service on the Capitol Limited.
“We’ve worked with the cycling community to identify solutions and bring new ideas to expand services for passengers who travel with their bikes,” said Deborah Stone-Wulf, Amtrak’s vice president of sales and customer Service in a news release. “We look forward to measuring the success of this service with an eye to expansion to additional routes across our national network.”
Nos. 29 and 30 run parallel with The Great Allegheny Passage and the C&O Canal towpath between Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C.
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