(The following story by Katharine Q. Seelye appeared on the New York Times website on December 22.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Amtrak is adding extra trains to go in and out of Washington on Inauguration Day.
The trains will be added on the Northeast Corridor between Washington and Boston, making it easier for people who do not have hotel reservations or a place to stay to get to Washington, see Barack Obama be sworn in, and go home that same day.
“The extra trains and cars will be added to Northeast Corridor Amtrak trains on Jan. 20, with a majority of the extra capacity available southbound toward Washington in the morning and northbound from Washington in the afternoon and evening,” Amtrak said in a statement, noting that all trains require reservations and that tickets be bought before boarding.
The rail service did not announce the new schedule or say how many trains it would add but warned that traffic in Union Station in Washington could be a nightmare.
Amtrak advised passengers to “expect extremely large crowds” and not to show up any earlier than one hour before their trains leave.
Because of the high volume of traffic, Amtrak said that some trains’ passengers may be asked to remain on board “for a short period of time prior to detraining to ensure the safe and orderly movement of passengers through Union Station.”
“With numerous trains arriving within short timeframes,” it said, “trains will take turns unloading passengers to prevent unsafe overcrowding conditions in the station. Passengers with disabilities and special needs should specifically request assistance when making reservations.”