A few years ago, I moved from New York City to Philadelphia for more space and a slower lifestyle. My job still required me to be in NYC a couple of days each week, and at the time, commuting via Amtrak seemed manageable since ticket prices were reasonable.
Over the past year and a half, however, fares have increased significantly, even when booking one to two months in advance. To save money, I started taking earlier trains, but that created another issue since SEPTA is unreliable at those hours, forcing me to rely on Uber or Lyft to reach the station.
With higher train costs and added transportation expenses, the financial advantage of living in Philadelphia has essentially disappeared. On top of that, delays on both the Northeast Regional and Keystone lines have become more frequent, making the commute increasingly difficult to sustain.
As a result, I’ve decided to move back to New York City.
While Amtrak wasn’t the only reason behind this decision, it definitely played a role in accelerating it. It’s frustrating that train travel in the US, especially for relatively short distances, is both expensive and less reliable compared to many European systems.
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