Amtrak to add Northeast Corridor train capacity during papal visit

Amtrak will add trains to meet the anticipated increase in demand for capacity in the Northeast Corridor (NEC) during Pope Francis' visit to the United States next month.

With papal visits scheduled in New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., Amtrak's schedule will include additional frequencies and special stops for the Sept. 26-27 weekend, Amtrak officials announced late last week in a press release.

More than a million people are expected to attend an outdoor Mass and other events associated with the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia during the weekend. Philadelphia's 30th Street Station is expected to be a focal point for regional transportation, so passengers should expect large crowds and non-typical station procedures, officials said.

Starting Sept. 25 though Sept. 28, Amtrak will require reservations on all Acela Express, Northeast Regional and Keystone Service trains. Amtrak will operate Philadelphia-centric extra event service Sept. 26-27, they said.

Amtrak will suspend maintenance activities, pre-position rescue equipment to respond to disabled trains and share real-time dispatching information with regional transit agencies.

For more information about Amtrak’s NEC operations during the pope's U.S. visit, click the link to Amtrak's custom webpage for the event.