Red Cap Service: Amtrak’s Great Station Assistance Service
Amtrak’s Red Cap Service is a complimentary station assistance programme designed to make travel easier for passengers who may need extra support.
If you are a passenger with reduced mobility or have heavy or excess luggage, the Red Cap Service can be an invaluable help when travelling across the United States on an Amtrak train.
About Amtrak’s Red Cap Service
The Red Cap Service – named after the easily recognisable uniformed employees in red shirts and hats – is Amtrak’s baggage assistance service available at major stations across the US.
Red Caps can assist you in navigating railway stations and transporting your baggage onto the Amtrak train you are booked on.
Moreover, Red Caps assist passengers with reduced mobility in boarding trains, as they are trained to operate wheelchair lifts and ramps at American railway stations.
Moynihan Train Hall, New York’s grand central station. ©AndyBTravels
When to get Red Cap Service
The Red Cap Service is clearly most valuable for passengers with reduced mobility, but many other travellers can benefit from it as well.
For instance, senior citizens, large groups, families with young children, or anyone who feels uneasy navigating the station and managing travel stress are also encouraged to seek assistance from the Red Caps.
The same applies to passengers with heavy luggage or multiple bags.
Red Caps use motorised vehicles to move your luggage across the station and onto an Amtrak train, so you don’t have to carry everything yourself down steps or along long platforms.
Typically, with the assistance of Red Caps, you can board your train just before general boarding begins, which can be useful for securing the best available seat when travelling on a train with unreserved seating.
However, priority boarding is only included with certain Amtrak tickets (for example, passengers booked in a sleeper on overnight trains) and is not a guaranteed perk when using the Red Cap Service.
How to get Red Cap Service
The Red Cap Service is free for all passengers booked on an Amtrak train, regardless of travel class, though tips are always appreciated.
Simply approach any uniformed Red Cap at the station, and they will be more than happy to assist you.
However, keep in mind that Amtrak’s Red Caps are there to help all passengers who may need it, so it may take a little time for them to attend to your needs if they are handling other tasks at the same time.
To ensure you receive the full attention of a Red Cap and prompt help, it is best to arrive at the railway station well before departure, before most other passengers arrive.
Northeast Regional train at Newark Penn station. ©AndyBTravels
Conclusion
For passengers with reduced mobility or those travelling with multiple or heavy bags, Amtrak’s free Red Cap Service provides an easy and stress-free way to navigate the station.
The service is also useful for passengers travelling in large groups, first-time rail travellers who may feel unsure about navigating the station and boarding, seniors, or families with young children who could use an extra hand.
Whether you are travelling on Amtrak’s next-generation Acela high-speed train or a transcontinental sleeper across the United States, it’s a perk worth knowing about!
