Amtrak For Kids: 15-Year-Old Travels as an “Unaccompanied Minor” on a train journey

By Joseph Petriello

My aunt lives in Boston, I live outside of Philadelphia. I needed to travel as an unaccompanied minor on Amtrak.

Last year, my aunt brought my sister and me to Boston on an Amtrak train. Over this year’s winter break, I wanted to visit my aunt in Boston.

My sister was unable to go, and my aunt couldn’t come and get me, so I hoped to be able to take the train by myself.

There was one problem: I’m only 15 years old. Amtrak’s rules for unaccompanied minors traveling on their trains recently changed. Children under the age of 13 could not travel unaccompanied at all. Minors aged 13, 14, 15 (16 years old could travel unrestricted) needed to comply with a new set of rules.

My mother went on the Amtrak website and then called Amtrak to find out the rules. I was told I would need to arrive at least an hour before departure to undergo an “interview.”

As a 15-year-old, my only fears were making the train and passing this extensive, hour-long interview. I had no idea what questions I would be asked, and I couldn’t find any information online that would tell me.

Staffed Amtrak Stations

The first issue we had was that a minor traveling alone could only travel between staffed stations. This presented a problem because my aunt and I wanted to stay at a hotel in Boston, and the logical station for me to disembark would be Back Bay Station, so we could walk to our hotel. However, Back Bay Station is no longer staffed by Amtrak personnel, so I needed to travel to South Station to meet my aunt, and we then had to backtrack back up to Back Bay.

On the day of my trip, my mother and I arrived at the station at 8:45 a.m.; my train was scheduled to leave at 10:35 a.m. We found the Customer Service office, and I was relieved to discover that the “interview” was simply filling out some paperwork.

The paperwork was basically a release which stated that I was capable of traveling alone, that I had money and food for the trip, that I had necessary medications, and that I would cooperate with the instructions of Amtrak personnel.

I was given a wristband, which I needed to keep on for the duration of the trip. By the time I make this trip again in July, I’ll be 16, and I’ll have to do the trip entirely on my own, so it will help to be prepared.

The Amtrak customer service representative behind the counter said I would have to come back to customer services ten minutes before the train’s departure to meet the conductor and be seated. Because my aunt had sprung for a First Class ticket for me, I was able to spend the time waiting for my train in the beautiful Philadelphia Club Acela. Here I was able to get free sodas and Danish, while I looked out over all of 30th Street Station.

At the designated time, I was taken onto my train, and seated in First Class. The conductors and Amtrak personnel were so nice to me. I had a delicious breakfast and lunch on the train, and then settled in for the five-hour ride.

Meeting the Customer Service Rep

When I arrived at South Station, my aunt met me on the platform, and we hurried to my uncle’s car, which was double-parked. Apparently, we were supposed to wait for a customer service representative to meet us, so my aunt received a phone call from Amtrak making sure I was with her.

After having an amazing six days in Boston with my aunt, I had to make my journey home. I figured the process would be the same, and, for the most part, it was.

We filled out the paperwork, I was given a wristband, and the Customer Service representative ushered me to my seat on the train (Business Class on the Acela this time).

I was asleep before the train left the station, and I slept for most of the five-hour ride. At 30th Street, a customer service representative reunited me with my mother.

Here are some tips for unaccompanied minors traveling on Amtrak:

1. Get there at least 30 minutes to an hour early. You never know what might go wrong. It is always better to be relaxed and to know you’ll make
your train, rather than rushing and stressing yourself out.

2. Check your route ahead and have a game plan. Know the station stops along the route of your trip, and your stop. It was helpful for me to know that there were actually three stops in the greater Boston area: Route 128, Back Bay, and South Station.

By the time I make this trip again in July, I’ll be 16, and I’ll have to do the trip entirely on my own, so it will help to be prepared.

3. Travel light. Try to pack two or fewer bags. This way it is easier to keep track of all of your belongings.

4. Be polite. It is very important to be respectful so that you are almost seen as an adult. Amtrak personnel treated me wonderfully, and I wanted to be sure to do the same.

Traveling Amtrak as an unaccompanied minor was a great experience and one that I would highly recommend. Now that you have all the facts, I hope that you, too, will have a wonderful trip!

To find out more about traveling on Amtrak, visit Amtrak.com. Find out about more about cross country travel on Amtrak.

Joseph Petriello is a 15-year-old sophomore in a high school near Philadelphia. He enjoys sports, music, writing, and traveling. Upon graduation, Joseph plans to pursue a career in the military.