My experience was similar to yours. It's been a few years but I used to commute weekly from DC to NY. Sometimes I'd take the Acela and sometimes the regional, d

My experience was similar to yours. It's been a few years but I used to commute weekly from DC to NY. Sometimes I'd take the Acela and sometimes the regional, depending on price. I never had an issue either way. My biggest inconvenience was the shitty waiting area and mob of people at Penn Station, but even that was better than the TSA lines at the airport (or the dreaded Dulles people mover shudder).