Amtrak's LEAST POPULAR train! - Where does it GO?!

amtrak released their ridership numbers for 2019 and today we're riding the train at the bottom of the list amtrak's least popular train we're riding this train today because i want to know two things one where does it go and two why isn't it that popular there's only one way to find out we're in new york i'm mike welcome to downey live now let's go ride amtrak's least popular train we're going to leave the chaos that is new york city or headed to the quiet state of vermont now surprisingly the least popular amtrak train starts at the busiest train station in north america penn station well more specifically the moynihan train hall looks like we're headed to rutland vermont it's a beautifully refurbished train station i love the open air feel about it feels like you're outdoors but it's still really modern now the amtrak metropolitan lounge is up there but we didn't get first class tickets today so we're just going to go to the ticketed waiting area i like the screens built right into the post that's awesome here we go track five on the ethan allen and i think that brings up a good question who was ethan allen why does he have a train named after him well he was a farmer businessman philosopher and one of the founders of the state of vermont which as you know is where we're headed well this is it this is our ride for a very scenic ride i love the stainless steel look all right welcome aboard the ethan allen express so this seat cost me 72 but we will have views for five and a half hours on this trip how do i know this is the least popular train well i have the 2019 amtrak ridership numbers right here which is the last full year ridership before the pandemic started and with just 20 000 riders the hoosier state train was the least used in 2019 but it no longer runs which means second place with just 50 000 riders is the ethan allen making this the least popular train in the amtrak network right now here we go leaving penn station on our five hour journey to rutland vermont and that's it we're off in a very long tunnel it's quick am i on the right side if i'm going all the way for the views right or left i'm told the riverside is the other side so we we might switch i don't know how i picked the wrong side it's a 50 50 shot what's your name okay i've just made a new friend this is sabaya and you take this train semi-regularly three four times a year okay where are you coming from uh rutland oh you're you're going all the way to the end oh we're gonna be good friends by the end of this i'm going there too amazing now our first stop is a station that i've heard of i almost didn't think it was real welcome to yonkers new york did you know it's the least used or i didn't know that it was the least used actually it's a great napping spot yeah um you go on for hours and hours the river is the highlight okay yeah a it's a nice train ride considering this is the least used train every single window seat is taken so are you in general a train fan or do you take this because it's the best way to get in and out of town train fan train fans okay trains over buses over planes trains over walking i i knew i liked your survival and they're super social like we've met within the first 10 minutes of the trip yeah so there we go to the end here we go all right we'll come back to saveo we're gonna go check out the cafe car because it's now open hi may i have some pretzels and a coffee please with another four and a half hours ahead of us i figure it's the perfect time for a snack but i can't help but think where are we headed like why is this route the least popular we're riding along the hudson river towards vermont so i mean what's not to like sure maybe it's not the best time of year to see colorful trees but a train ride along a river is always an enjoyable experience except i'm sitting here wondering if maybe i've made a mistake yes the river is nice and this is a cool bridge and i really like the fact that there are tunnels along the way too but the reality is is that this is a moment where i'm starting to question my own life decisions i'm only riding this train because i think it makes for a clickable youtube title i mean i guess it worked you're here but is that what my life has come to chasing more clicks rather than real life experiences literally i'm trying to make this train trip interesting with distractions like measuring how fast the train is going which really doesn't matter that it can go oh wow 80 miles per hour now of course there are always some other pleasant surprises along the way now i have heard of the small city of poughkeepsie i've never seen it written though before and i don't know what i expected on how you spell it but i don't think i expected this i mean i guess i figured this was maybe some incredible train that hasn't been discovered yet but in reality it's just a commuter train to get sabayo to new york city and back i mean i i guess i thought this would be an exciting adventure but honestly i'm bored and lonely and doubting that our destination will be able to make it all worthwhile rheincliff new york this is a cute station right on the water it looks like the boarding area for a disneyland ride that's like old-timey train ride i used to love this the unknown adventure not knowing where you'll end up but i'm starting to worry that vermont will just be as sleepy as this train this can't be my first video with a disappointing ending can it oh look at that here comes our next big city albany the capital of new york state or as i see it the city best described as the one with a single tall tower and four identical medium-high towers i think that's the train we're taking next week it's interesting being on the least popular train on the network and being passed by the most popular we'll see why next week so if you're like me and want to find out why the most and the least popular trains run on the same route well make sure to click the bell icon so you don't miss next saturday's video oh it's some good sun a nice ride so far nice and quiet i like it yeah why why rutland how did you end up there um my grandpa graduated from a school in manchester in 64. and i was like why not go to bba so there you go cool yeah and what do you think of it i i love it honestly love it yeah it was it is the best place for serenity cultivation okay yeah and you still yeah almost didn't make it here we go again and with that brief fresh air stop we're back on our way and for the first time crossing the hudson river at this point there's not much else to do but sit back and look out the window i've shown you everything on board the train except for maybe the most important place it's time for another bathroom tour this one is the wheelchair accessible bathroom light goes on when you've locked it tons of space in here it's very clean i kind of like the purple maroon color on the door otherwise it's very simple very functional towels trash mirror hello sink soap and the toilet and when you flush it amtrak has kept it on brand with blue water nice touch honestly it's really clean and really spacious so i'm really impressed although i don't know what i expected because it's probably the least used amtrak bathroom right it's in good shape schenectady new york there are a couple of tables for eating back here if you don't want to eat at your seat the hebrew national all beef hot dog please feels like the safe option oh and i just noticed business class is uh snuck back there uh all the way to rutland going to ski into some no just going to see rutland there we go that's a sweaty hot dog all right so i've eaten my five dollar sweaty hot dog and well before you know it our next stop is i like the way she says that saratoga saratoga a lot more people are getting off so it's not going to be very many people left on board in fact there's only myself sabayo and four other people left in our car heading north and i'm starting to see why it's the least used amtrak train before that we're getting an exit board coming ah up said four dead i didn't know what she meant fort edward cute station again it kind of looked like a disneyland waiting area five minutes castleton next castleton is that even a real place now this last hour of the ride has us passing through cute towns past farms and into what i can only describe as rural america i have to admit this at sunset is beautiful these towns are full of character considering we were in the most dense city in north america just a few hours ago this is a stark contrast and now has me excited about where we'll end up i feel like i'm starting to remember why i enjoy these travels in the first place like this is taking me to new parts of america this video has forced me to take a train i would have never taken before and seeing places i never would have seen this is whitehall new york it's our last stop in new york next stop vermont okay i think we both understand now that this is the least used train and it's mostly for commuters like cebayo that take the train into new york city every now and then but i've just read something that could change all of that passenger a couple seats behind me just gave me the newspaper it says all aboard amtrak is on track to be burlington bound so they'll be extending the service beyond rutland to the city of burlington now look at that this whole time i'm saying this could be the next one to go and they're expanding it i gotta tell somebody hey smile i i think i've been wrong this whole time you're not going to be at the last stop anymore it's going to go to burlington it's going to add three stops is it still going to be the least taken train or like that i don't know yeah i guess you'll find out there we go and i guess i'll watch it let's get to vermont 20 minutes folks 20 minutes to rutland that's us trips coming to an end i have to say my mood on board i don't know if you can tell but it has totally changed i might be one of the last passengers on board but the quaint countryside has me excited to see what vermont is all about and i haven't told you yet but i think i've booked us to stay at one of the most vermont homes you can find in vermont you'll see what i mean in a second this might be it that was a goodness i'm not gonna lie i wish we arrived while it was still light but it's about eight pm really not a lot of us on here there's only five in this car i think it's time that we have to say bye yo i actually haven't heard that one before it's really nice meeting you thanks for riding along with me five and a half hours we made it on time it's six of us welcome to rutland vermont beautiful life i will you too i hope you get to see this video one day i will i'm subscribed i love it now let me show you where we're staying tonight headed to the marble mansion inn oh that's vermont all right and tonight we're the only guest wow this is amazing hi i'm michael checking in thank you so much it certainly is oh wow this is perfect how cool is this all right let's get some sleep and we'll see it tomorrow now i know why they call it sleepy vermont because i slept really well what's really wild is that we rode here on the ethan allen express and booked to stay here at the marvel mansion inn which was built in 1867 by the honorable ira sea allen ethan's cousin's grandson what a small world the house is a 22 room 6400 square foot french second empire mansion but what they're currently known best for is their breakfast now that i'm here i suddenly remember why i love this kind of travel i prefer staying at these unique and incredible homes more than any five-star resort i mean look at this breakfast company eggs with french fruit baked goods makes for a perfect start of the oh day maple bacon of course we're in vermont oh yes and a belgian waffle can't believe i'm the only person staying here and of course it comes with the world's second best maple syrup vermont maple syrup just after quebec's i'm canadian i guess this is a reminder for both of us that you don't need to follow what others are doing finding your own path in life or business can feel lonely tedious or straight up boring at times but if it gets you to where you want to be then i think you're doing it right how did you get here buy a taxi most people have a hard time getting a taxi that's great yeah how did you get here and so if riding amtrak's least popular train means i get to stay in the most incredible bed and breakfast in america well then sign me up for another next week the crazy part is that this is available to you this wonderful mansion isn't that expensive but it is at the end of the ethan allen line just waiting for you to visit i stayed in the jane austen room here which is decorated with a four-post bed and many many peacock decor items that i thought was kind of just perfect for my stay here in vermont tall but skinny doors and you are in the town square look at this it's one of the best examples of marble architecture in america allen built it to showcase how marble could be used in home construction oh my gosh the fencing all the way around the park marble fence post another house that looks like was built by the same person a church funeral home a cannon the library free haven grade school a war memorial a church a fire department another church and we're back around to the marvel mansion and very friendly too well i probably wouldn't have picked rutland or fair haven vermont to be the end destination of today's video but i'm glad that amtrak's least popular train brought us here and stick around and subscribe because next week we are riding on amtrak's most popular train and i can't wait to show you where that takes us i'm mike thanks for watching danny live and as always i don't know where i'm going next but i know i went there with me see ya

Channel: DownieLive

Views: 708,054

Keywords: downielive, downie live, amtrak, downielive amtrak, downielive train, downielive trains, least popular train, New York, amtrak New York, amtrak train, amtrak trains, amtrak Vermont

Id: 0OjcInb-hpA

Length: 14min 46sec (886 seconds)

Published: Sat Jun 11 2022