Northeast Regional With Kids: Every Stop, Virginia Branches and Fares

Amtrak With KidsTrains and Travel
Written By Kelsey Cecil

13 min read

Yes, the Northeast Regional is the everyday Amtrak train for Northeast families, and kids 2 to 12 ride its coach seats at half the adult fare every day of the week. It stops at about 30 stations between Boston and Washington, then rolls on into Virginia on branches to Richmond, Newport News, Norfolk and Roanoke. All those stops mean plenty of short, cheap trips that fit a toddler's patience. Here's every stop in order, which branch goes where, and where families sit.

The short version

  • Kids 2 to 12 get half-price coach tickets on every Regional, weekday or weekend, which weekday Acela can't say.
  • About 30 stops from Boston to Washington; in Virginia the train splits toward Newport News, Norfolk or Roanoke.
  • Want to pick seats? That's a Business Class perk, with its own car; coach is first come, first served.
  • Most trains have a Quiet Car and a Cafe Car, and changing tables were reported on Regional trains between Boston and New York.
  • Providence to New London takes about an hour and drops you next to the ferry docks.
  • Amtrak is cutting some service south of Washington from October 16 to 26, 2026, for track work, so double-check Virginia trips.
Watercolor page: Rally the corgi with Mom and Dad on the platform, waiting for the train at the station
From Rally Takes the Train, watercolor by Leslie Dunn.

Northeast Regional at a glance

Runs between
Boston and Washington, D.C., then on to Virginia (some trains also branch to Springfield, MA)
States
MA, RI, CT, NY, NJ, PA, DE, MD, D.C. and VA
Distance
about 682 miles on the longest run, Boston to Roanoke
Trip times
about 4 hours Boston to New York; about 3.5 hours New York to Washington; about 4.5 hours Washington to Norfolk or Newport News; about 5 hours Washington to Roanoke
Trains
more than 50 a day, usually at least hourly on the core line
Train cars
Amfleet I coaches from the 1970s; new Airo trains are expected starting in 2027
Upstairs seating
None, all single-level cars
Business Class
On most trains, with seat selection and its own car
Quiet Car
Yes, one coach on most trains
Food
Cafe Car on most trains
Sleeper rooms
None

Look inside the book

Lots of stops ahead? Bring Rally for the ride.

Rally Takes the Train takes about five minutes to read, shorter than the 13-minute hop from Mystic to New London on the Regional. Peek at a few pages here.

Page 1 of 8

Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolor corgi peeking from a red train

Like it so far? See the full book

25 hand-painted pages, paperback, $13.99 with fast shipping from Amazon.

Buy on Amazon (opens in a new tab)

Every page is real watercolor on paper, painted by hand by Leslie Dunn. Nothing in this book was made with AI.

Do kids need a ticket on the Northeast Regional?

Watercolor of a conductor in a blue suit shaking Rally's paw while Rally sits on a red seat holding his ticket in his mouth. Text: Hello Mr. Conductor, are you a new friend? Rally hoped this ride wouldn't end.
Any day of the week, a Regional coach ticket for a 2- to 12-year-old is half the adult price, weekdays included.

Kids 2 to 12 ride Amtrak for 50 percent off the adult fare when an adult 18 or older is on the same reservation, and each paying adult can hold one child under 2 on their lap for free. On the Northeast Regional, that deal works on every train, every day.

That's the big money gap between the Regional and Acela. They share these tracks, but weekday Acela doesn't allow the child discount, so for a Tuesday trip between Boston, New York, Philadelphia or Washington, Regional coach is usually the cheaper family ticket.

  • Business Class costs extra for kids too: Amtrak's child discount doesn't cover non-Acela Business Class charges. Your child gets the discount on the base fare, but the Business Class add-on is full price.
  • Connecticut commuter tickets: between New Haven and Springfield, CTrail Hartford Line tickets are accepted on Regional trains (with holiday blackout dates on a few trains). That includes CTrail's $1 kids fare, which is hard to beat. Our Hartford Line and Valley Flyer page has the details.
  • Fall 2026 changes: Amtrak lists reduced weekend service between New York and Boston from September 12 to November 1, 2026, and service adjustments south of Washington from October 16 to 26. During that Virginia pause, Roanoke drops to one daily round trip that runs only between Roanoke and Alexandria, and riders go on to Washington by bus or Metro.

For car seats, strollers and ID, see our Amtrak with kids guide.

Free for train families

Free coloring pages for your Northeast Regional trip

Ten pages of quiet, screen-free fun from the book: a maze, a word search, a ticket to fill in, a window to draw in and coloring pages. Print them the night before.

Get the free coloring pages and activity pack

Every Northeast Regional stop, from Boston to Washington and Virginia

Thirty stations line the core route from Boston to Washington, listed in order below. Cornwells Heights and North Philadelphia see only a few trains, and not every Regional stops at every small station.

South of Washington, every Virginia train stops at Alexandria and then takes one branch. Newport News and Norfolk trains both stop at Richmond Staples Mill Road; Newport News trains go on to Richmond Main Street and Williamsburg, Norfolk trains head to Petersburg, and Roanoke trains turn west through Manassas and Charlottesville. A few Regionals also turn north at New Haven toward Hartford and Springfield, and those stops are on our Hartford Line page.

Massachusetts
  1. Boston (South Station)Look for: Send them hunting for the 4,000-pound sculpture built out of railroad couplers, the heavy hooks that hold train cars together.
  2. Boston (Back Bay Station)
  3. Westwood (Route 128 Station)
Rhode Island
  1. Providence Station
  2. West Kingston (Kingston Station)
  3. Westerly Station
Connecticut
  1. Mystic Station (select trains)
  2. New London Union StationLook for: Walk out of the 1887 brick station on the Thames River and look just north: that's where ferries leave for Block Island, Fishers Island and Long Island.
  3. Old Saybrook Station
  4. New Haven Union StationLook for: Your walk to the platform goes through a shiny stainless-steel tunnel under all nine tracks, with escalators and elevators up to the trains, which is good news if you have a stroller.
  5. Bridgeport Station
  6. Stamford Station
New York
  1. New Rochelle Station
  2. New York, Moynihan Train Hall (Penn Station)
New Jersey
  1. Newark Penn Station
  2. Newark Airport (Newark Liberty International Airport Station)
  3. Iselin (Metropark)
  4. New Brunswick Station
  5. West Windsor (Princeton Junction)
  6. Trenton Transit Center
Pennsylvania
  1. Bensalem, Cornwells Heights (a few trains)
  2. Philadelphia, North Philadelphia (a few trains)
  3. Philadelphia (30th Street Station)
Delaware
  1. Wilmington Station
  2. Newark (Thomas R. Carper Station)
Maryland
  1. Aberdeen Station
  2. Baltimore Penn Station
  3. BWI Airport (BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport Station)
  4. New Carrollton Station
Washington, D.C.
  1. Washington (Union Station)Look for: Have them count the Roman soldier statues around the Main Hall. Sculptor Louis St. Gaudens made 46, one for each state in the Union when the station opened.
Virginia
  1. Alexandria Union Station (all Virginia branches)Look for: The 1905 brick depot sits across the tracks from the King Street to Old Town Metro station, so kids can watch Metro trains come and go while you wait.
  2. Woodbridge (Newport News and Norfolk branches)
  3. Quantico (Newport News and Norfolk branches)
  4. Fredericksburg (Newport News and Norfolk branches)
  5. Ashland (Newport News and Norfolk branches)
  6. Richmond Staples Mill Road (Newport News and Norfolk branches)
  7. Richmond Main Street Station (Newport News branch)Look for: Point out the building locals call “The Clock Tower.” It dates to 1901, and its long train shed is one of the last of its kind left in the country.
  8. Williamsburg (Newport News branch)
  9. Newport News Transportation Center (end of Newport News branch)
  10. Petersburg Station in Ettrick (Norfolk branch)
  11. Norfolk Station (end of Norfolk branch)Look for: Baseball fans, look over: the station sits right next to Harbor Park, the city's stadium, and The Tide light rail stop is a short walk away.
  12. Burke Centre (Roanoke branch)
  13. Manassas (Roanoke branch)
  14. Culpeper (Roanoke branch)
  15. Charlottesville (Roanoke branch)
  16. Lynchburg (Roanoke branch)
  17. Roanoke (end of Roanoke branch)

What kids can see from the Northeast Regional

The Regional is a train of many small stations. If your kid loves the stop itself, the doors opening and the conductor calling out a new town, they'll get a lot of that here, especially in Connecticut and New Jersey.

Three ways through Virginia

  • Newport News branch: south through Fredericksburg and Ashland to Richmond Staples Mill Road and Main Street Station, then east to Williamsburg and Newport News.
  • Norfolk branch: the same path to Richmond Staples Mill Road, then Petersburg and Norfolk. A Regional first reached Norfolk in December 2012, bringing intercity trains back to the city for the first time since 1977.
  • Roanoke branch: west through Manassas, Culpeper, Charlottesville and Lynchburg to Roanoke. At 682 miles from Boston, it's the longest Regional run. A new station at Christiansburg in the New River Valley is being built, with service expected in 2027.

For the kid who wants numbers

  • Under the overhead electric wires, Regional trains can reach 125 mph. With a diesel engine pulling, the top speed is 110 mph.
  • Most of the coaches were built in the 1970s, so the car you ride in may be about 50 years old. Amtrak's new Airo trains, expected from 2027, will have a power car that can switch between diesel and overhead electric wires.
  • Richmond Staples Mill Road is Virginia's busiest Amtrak station, with about 506,000 riders in 2025.

Where to sit with kids on the Northeast Regional

The Regional has two classes, and for families the real difference is whether you get to choose your seats.

  • Business Class has its own car, extra legroom with footrests, a free non-alcoholic drink and seat selection when you book. If sitting together on a packed holiday train is a must, this is the sure way to do it.
  • Coach gives you at least 39 inches of legroom, outlets and free Wi-Fi, but Amtrak lists seat selection only as a Business Class perk. At big stations, get in line early so your family boards together and can grab two pairs of seats.
  • The Quiet Car is one coach on most trains where phones go silent and voices stay low. Unless you have a sleeping baby, walk on by and pick a regular coach.

Amtrak notes that amenities vary by train, so a short Virginia or Springfield run may not carry every car type. Check the train details when you book.

Split up on a crowded Regional? Here’s the plan

Book the whole family on one reservation. In coach that guarantees each of you a seat, not seats side by side, because coach is first come, first served. Worried about a holiday train? Business Class is the one car where you pick seats at booking. Otherwise, line up early at New York or Washington, stay near the gate in case families are called first, and skip the Quiet Car.

Packed car? Check the coach behind you before giving up, and look for pairs where a backpack or coat is holding a seat. Each ticket gets one seat, and bags don’t get their own. For a stop or two, one parent can take the seat just behind the kids. Never leave a preschooler alone at the far end of a car, not even for the 13 minutes from Mystic to New London.

To ask a stranger, do it before they unpack: “Would you mind trading? I’ve got a 2-year-old here, and my seat is a window too.” Only offer a seat that’s at least as nice as theirs, and take a no gracefully. A conductor you catch at the door or at ticket check can show you empty seats and get bags moved off them, but won’t shift anyone already sitting down.

Watercolor of Rally's dad lifting Rally up the steps into a red train car. Text: Little legs and some very big stairs, meant he needed a boost from his Dad who cares.
On a Regional, coach seats are first come, first served, so get in line early at big stations and board together, stroller and all.

The best first Northeast Regional ride with kids

Watercolor of a red train car on a cliffside track heading into a dark tunnel, with Rally peeking out a window. Text: But then he saw some darkness ahead. Suddenly he wished he was back in his bed!
A first ride can be tiny: Mystic to New London takes 13 minutes, and you step off right by the ferry docks.

The Regional stops so often that almost any short hop works. These three use times from Amtrak's current Regional timetable.

  1. Providence to New London, about 1 hour. Weekday Train 95 leaves Providence at 6:50 a.m. and reaches New London at 7:45 a.m. Prefer a later start? Weekday Train 99 leaves at 8:59 a.m., stops at Mystic at 9:44 and gets to New London at 9:57. Either way, step outside and go see the ferries.
  2. New York to Philadelphia, about 1.5 hours. Weekday Train 95 leaves New York at 10:35 a.m. and arrives at 30th Street at 12:01 p.m. Once you add the kids fare, it's a cheap weekday swap for Acela.
  3. Lynchburg to Charlottesville, about 1.5 hours. Daily Train 1078 leaves Roanoke at 9:48 a.m., stops in Lynchburg at 11:10 a.m. and reaches Charlottesville at 12:38 p.m. It's a relaxed morning ride through central Virginia.

Food, bathrooms and naps on the Northeast Regional

Most Regional trains carry a Cafe Car with sandwiches, salads, snacks and hot and cold drinks, and Business Class riders get a free non-alcoholic drink. Still, bring food from home that your kids will happily eat, above all on early Virginia trains, and print a few pages of our free Rally coloring pages to go with them.

  • Changing tables: a January 2025 GBH News story says Regional trains between Boston and New York have them. It didn't cover the Virginia branches, so throw a changing pad in the bag for those.
  • Bathrooms: every Amfleet coach is one level, with the restroom on the same floor as your seat. No stairs in the middle of a potty emergency.
  • Naps: there are no sleeper rooms, but a reclining coach seat and the steady rhythm of a long Virginia leg give a tired toddler a real shot at a nap.
Watercolor of Rally's big ears as he dreams about a toy turtle, a green bone and a ball. Text: A suitcase must mean they are going away! So he packed his favorite things to make sure they could play.
If you're catching an early Virginia train, pack your own snacks beside the favorite toys, even though most Regionals carry a Cafe Car.

A train book for the ride

Watercolor of Rally standing on a red train seat, looking out an arched window at the ocean and a white bird. Text: Choo choo! The train starting could be heard. Hello cute white bird!
Give the window seat to whoever is watching for the next town, because through Connecticut and New Jersey the stops keep coming.

Rally's story starts at the station, with Mom and Dad and a train pulling in. The Northeast Regional has plenty of stations worth a second look, from New London's 1887 brick depot by the ferry docks to Richmond's Main Street Station and its clock tower. Read the station page together on the platform while you wait.

Once you're rolling, play station bingo: kids tick off each town the conductor calls. Download our free Rally activity pack before you go and write your list of stops on the back.

Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolor corgi peeking from a red train

Pack Rally for the Northeast RegionalRally Takes the Train is a five-minute rhyming picture book about a corgi’s first train ride, hand-painted in watercolor. $13.99 on Amazon, ages 0 to 8.

Buy on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
Watercolor view from inside a dark tunnel looking out at a sunny beach, cliffs and the train track. Text: And with his big ears, Rally heard the sound of happy cheers. Goodbye tunnel! You caused us no trouble.
With a Cafe Car on most trains, a restroom on your own level and frequent stops, a Regional ride gives you plenty of easy outs.

More for train families

Sources

Checked against Amtrak and partner railroad pages in October 2026. Schedules and policies change, so confirm on amtrak.com before you ride.

Northeast Regional with kids: questions parents ask

Do kids ride half price on the Northeast Regional?

Yes, every day. Regional coach fares for kids 2 to 12 are cut in half whenever an adult traveler, 18 or up, shares the reservation, weekdays included. Babies under 2 ride on a paying adult's lap free, one per grown-up. Just know the discount covers only the base fare, not the Business Class add-on.

Do babies ride free on the Northeast Regional?

Yes. Each Regional rider paying the adult price may hold one under-2 for free, on any Regional, any day. Need a seat for the baby, or traveling with two babies and one grown-up? That seat is the half-price child fare. In coach your lap baby can stretch out on an empty seat next to you, but it goes to any paying passenger who needs it, so on a packed train plan on holding them.

Can I use a car seat on the Northeast Regional?

Not strapped in. The Regional's Amfleet coaches, like every Amtrak seat, have no way to secure one. A car seat may occupy a spare Regional seat until a ticketed rider needs it, and an infant may end up on your lap while the car seat waits in a baggage area. Pack it just for a drive at the far end, say from Norfolk or Roanoke.

Are there changing tables on the Northeast Regional?

GBH News reported in January 2025 that Regional trains running between Boston and New York have changing tables. The story didn't say how many, or whether trains on the Virginia branches have them, and Amtrak has no official policy on it. A portable changing pad covers you on any part of the route, and the larger accessible restroom gives you more elbow room.

Are there bathrooms on every Northeast Regional car?

Yes. You'll find at least one restroom in each Regional car, and an occupied sign lights up when someone's inside. The Amfleet coaches have just one level, so you never climb stairs to reach it. Take young kids in with you, since the flush is loud and can startle them. On a long Virginia leg, plan a potty trip before each snack so you aren't racing the next station.

Can I bring a stroller on the Northeast Regional?

Yes. On the Regional, a folded stroller can be one of your regular bags, free up to 50 pounds, and anyone traveling with a baby gets one bonus infant item (the stroller, or else the diaper bag) beyond two carry-ons plus a personal item. Amtrak may ask you to check big jogging or multi-child strollers. At New Haven, elevators run up to the trains from the tunnel under the tracks.

Can I breastfeed on the Northeast Regional?

Yes. Nursing in your Regional coach seat is fine, because every one of the 50 states protects breastfeeding in public. Amtrak's bottle-prep help is a dining car thing, and the Regional carries a Cafe Car instead, so pack bottles ready to go or premeasured formula. Want a calmer spot for a feed? The Quiet Car is one place where a sleepy baby fits right in.

Is there a cafe car on the Northeast Regional?

Yes, on most trains. The Cafe Car sells sandwiches, salads, snacks and hot and cold drinks, and Business Class riders get a free non-alcoholic drink. Amenities vary by train, Amtrak says, so a short Virginia or Springfield run may not have every car. Pack the snacks your crew will reliably eat either way, especially for early trains south of Washington.

How do I keep kids entertained on the Northeast Regional?

Play station bingo. With about 30 stops between Boston and Washington, kids can tick off every town the conductor calls, and through Connecticut and New Jersey the stops come quickly. Waiting in Washington? Have them tally the Roman soldiers around Union Station's Main Hall; there are 46. A Cafe Car stroll splits up a long leg, and our printable train activity pack has room for your stop list.

Can we pick our seats on the Northeast Regional?

Only in Business Class. Amtrak lists seat selection as a Business Class perk, along with extra legroom and a free non-alcoholic drink. In coach, you find seats when you board, so if your crew needs to sit together, line up early at busy stations like New York and Washington and grab two pairs side by side.

What if we can't find seats together on a crowded Northeast Regional?

Keep walking. Regional coach seats aren't assigned, so check the next coach for open pairs, especially ones where a coat or backpack is sitting, because a ticket buys one seat, not two. Until something opens, split into the row in front and the row behind, close enough to reach your kids. With about 30 stops between Boston and Washington, people get off often, so a pair may free up a station or two later.

How do I ask someone to switch seats on the Regional so I can sit with my children?

Ask early, before people get comfortable, and keep it to one sentence, like 'Could we trade seats? My 4-year-old is right next to you.' Offer a swap that leaves them no worse off: the same window or aisle, pointed the way the train is going. A window-for-aisle trade is too much to ask, and a no is fine. A conductor can also help find empty seats or get bags moved, but won't move someone who's sitting.

Is there a Quiet Car on the Northeast Regional?

Yes. Most Regional trains have one coach set aside as the Quiet Car, where phones stay silent and conversation stays low. It can be a nice spot for a sleeping baby, but with chatty kids you'll all be happier in a regular coach. Look for the sign on the car door before you settle in.

What should I pack for a baby or toddler on the Northeast Regional?

Pack for your longest stretch. Boston to New York is about 4 hours, and Washington to Norfolk or Newport News about 4.5, so bring two rounds of snacks, a change of clothes, plenty of diapers, a changing pad headphones for any device with sound and some free printable coloring pages. Coach seats have outlets and free Wi-Fi, so add a charger. Headed to Roanoke? That's about 5 hours from Washington.

Will my toddler nap on the Northeast Regional?

Maybe, and the long Virginia legs give you the best shot. There are no sleeper rooms, but coach seats recline, and a 4.5-hour run to Norfolk has a steady rhythm that can help. On the busy core between New York and Washington, stops come often, so for short hops it's easier to ride between naps than to count on one.

What's a good first Northeast Regional ride with kids?

Providence to New London, about an hour. Weekday Train 99 leaves Providence at 8:59 a.m., stops at Mystic at 9:44 and reaches New London at 9:57, steps from the ferry docks. For an even shorter first ride, Mystic to New London takes only 13 minutes. In Virginia, daily Train 1078 runs Lynchburg to Charlottesville in about 1.5 hours.

Can my child ride the Northeast Regional alone?

No one 12 or younger may ride Amtrak solo. For 13- to 15-year-olds there's an unaccompanied minor option, which a parent books through 1-800-USA-RAIL, limited to daytime trains and staffed stations, with no transfers and an adult fare. Because transfers aren't allowed, a teen's trip has to stay on one Regional from start to finish. At 16 and 17, teens may travel on their own.

How early should we get to the station for the Northeast Regional?

Plan on about 30 minutes, a bit more at New York or Washington. Regional coach seats aren't assigned, so lining up early helps your family board together and grab two pairs. At busy stations, parents with babies and toddlers are often called to board early, so hover near the gate. Check your train number too, since not every Regional stops at every small station.

What if my kid is scared on the Northeast Regional?

Prepare them for the loud bits: the horn, doors opening at every stop and crowds at the big stations. At New Haven, the walk to the train goes through a shiny stainless-steel tunnel under all nine tracks, which can feel huge to a preschooler, so hold hands and call it an adventure. Reading Rally's tunnel page beforehand shows them the dark part ends in sunshine.

Is the Northeast Regional safe for kids?

Like any train, the Regional is safest with a few house rules. Hands held on the platform, toes back from the edge line until the train has fully stopped, and shoes on for the whole ride. Under the wires the Regional can hit 125 mph, so kids sit or hang onto a seatback when they're up. Walk with them between cars, especially on Cafe Car runs.

What if the Northeast Regional is delayed or cut back?

Pull up the Amtrak app's live train map and its travel advisories the morning you ride. This fall has known changes: reduced weekend service between New York and Boston from September 12 to November 1, 2026, and Virginia track work from October 16 to 26, when Roanoke keeps one daily round trip that runs only to Alexandria. Pack extra snacks and diapers for any surprise wait, and print a free Rally maze before you leave home.

Which Northeast Regional trains go to Virginia?

Lots of trains keep going south of Washington. Newport News trains run through Richmond Staples Mill Road, Richmond Main Street and Williamsburg. Norfolk trains go through Staples Mill Road and Petersburg. Roanoke trains turn west at Alexandria toward Manassas, Charlottesville and Lynchburg. Each train follows only one branch, so check your train number before you book.

Kelsey Cecil
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