I arrived at New York Penn station in good time for the 17:00 departure for Washington DC in a torrential downpour.

The page I had printed off confirming my internet ticket purchase told me to scan my ticket in a QuikTrak machine. I found the machines, but it wasn't very obvious where to scan the bar-code! In fact, you don't insert the ticket: you hold the bar-code where you see the cross-lights of the scanner by the hopper at the bottom of the machine. It asks you if you want a print: I hit Yes and out came the ticket.

I went to the Acela Express waiting area. There was a notice saying that the area was reserved for Amtrak ticketed passengers only, although my ticket wasn't checked and I suspect you could have walked in with virtually anything as long as you looked respectable!

The waiting area was reasonably comfortable - the kind of standard you meet at airport gate areas. There were plenty of porters (Redcaps) around. The area was no-where near full, at around 16:30 on a Monday.

There were a few indicators for both arriving and departing trains, although one was blank and one showed the first few trains of the day!

As 17:00 - the scheduled departure time of my train - arrived, the display for my train changed to "5 minutes late": there was no announcement.

I went out into the crowded concourse area, where the departure indicators said STAND BY until the platform number was displayed and there was a rush to the head of the platform.

We boarded at 17:04 and left (imperceptibly) at 17:12: there was a three minute welcome aboard announcement. This said that photo id would be required: I wasn't asked for it.

I was in the Quiet Car: one person started using a mobile phone as we left New York.

The station stop at Newark Penn seemed quite long: I noticed some new New Jersey Transit trains (loco and coaches) in the station.

As we left Newark, the phone user used it again and was nudged to move to the vestibule - and he then moved to another car, thanking the person who had pointed out that he was in a Quiet Car.

The ride was a bit rough in places, especially south of Philadelphia.

We were switched to the slow line in the Metropark area, and back at Trenton.

I was interested to see the LED displays over the vestibule doors being used for commercial advertising. One offered Interflora deliveries at a discount: you also got bonus points on your Amtrak Rewards card. Another - as we left BWI Airport, the final stop - offered a 10% discount at selected restaurants in Washington Union Station on production of an Amtrak Rewards card.

Wilmington station was being upgraded.

While the train was stopped at stations, there was a "Last call for x station" announcement - was this really necessary?

As we arrived at BWI Airport, there was an announcement that the train was "arriving on the adjacent track" and that not all doors would open: in particular, passengers in the last car were asked to move forward. There was a very slow approach to the station, followed by an announcement that doors would open on the left-hand side and not the right-hand side of the train. A delay in opening the doors, coupled with the incomprehensibility of the "adjacent track" announcement, caused mild concern among the passengers!

The train left New York Penn station 12 minutes late, and thanks to a brief stop and the change from fast to slow lines, Philadeplhia 23 minutes late. We left BWI 35 minutes late, and arrived in Washington 32 minutes late.