I rode Amtrak up and down the Northeast Corridor during the pandemic and found it surprisingly clean, cheap, and stress-free - here's what it was like

Riding Amtrak during the pandemic.Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

• Amtrak has been muddling through the pandemic with reduced ridership but is still full steam ahead of health and safety protocols.
• Face masks are required and capacity is blocked at 50% on all trains, and Amtrak now tells riders how full their train currently is during booking.
• I rode on Amtrak's Northeast Regional and Acela services to see how the rail company is tackling the pandemic.

Although a life-long flyer, I've always enjoyed the occasional train trip.

Traveling by rail long has been overlooked by the public, including myself, as airlines have been able to provide faster, and often cheaper service. But Amtrak's new health and safety protocols should have travelers giving it a second chance for regional travel, at least during the pandemic.

Face masks are required onboard all trains and Amtrak has kept its loads consistently capped at 50% by blocking all adjacent seats even while some airlines have buckled on their commitments to block middle seats. Travelers can even see how full their trains are by checking Amtrak's website so they know exactly what to expect when stepping aboard.

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And that's even while keeping its fares pretty low on its most popular routes. The 3-hour hop from New York to Washington still starts at $29 on the Northeast Regional while the slightly longer journey from Boston to New York is often the same price, with all the nostalgia of inter-city train travel included.

On a weekday recent trip to Boston, I took Amtrak to and from New York's Pennsylvania Station. I started on the Northeast Regional and returned on the high-speed Acela to get adequately acquainted with the service.

Here's what it's like riding on Amtrak during the pandemic.