# Seattle to Spokane



## Sis Caudle (Apr 6, 2019)

I have always taken Amtrak from Spokane to Chicago and back but never to or from Seattle. The new Amtrak website is harder for me to use and I can't quite get the direct answers i'm looking for. What is the route from Seattle to Spokane and the timetable? 

I know the Spokane stop is always in the middle of the night. I'm wondering if another stop would be more feasible for a pickup from my location near Pullman?


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## AmtrakBlue (Apr 6, 2019)

Here's the time table.

https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/...timetables/Empire-Builder-Schedule-042918.pdf

On amtrak.com, select Schedules at the top and then click the link to see downloadable schedules.


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## AmtrakBlue (Apr 6, 2019)

According the the website there's a throughway bus between Pullman and Spokane, but it requires almost 12 hours between it's arrival and 7's departure


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## JayPea (Apr 6, 2019)

AmtrakBlue said:


> According the the website there's a throughway bus between Pullman and Spokane, but it requires almost 12 hours between it's arrival and 7's departure



That bus stops right in front of my apartment in the next town north of Pullman, but I've never taken it because its timing is so inconvenient with the train.


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## spinnaker (Apr 6, 2019)

I plan on being in Spokane next year and want to take the EB back east. But that God awful departure time. I wish Amtrak could change the time table to at least one of them departed at a reasonable hour. I even considered taking the train west to come back east but it really doesn't buy me much.


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## JayPea (Apr 6, 2019)

For me the arrival times are just as bad, especially coming from the east. If you are lucky and you are on time, you get home then at 1:30. Then for me it's an hour's drive home, when I'm half awake and when I need to be fully aware as there can be moose, deer, and other assorted crawling creatures out and about then.


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## dogbert617 (Jul 11, 2019)

spinnaker said:


> I plan on being in Spokane next year and want to take the EB back east. But that God awful departure time. I wish Amtrak could change the time table to at least one of them departed at a reasonable hour. I even considered taking the train west to come back east but it really doesn't buy me much.



I hear you, on that awful arrival and departure time into Spokane. The most regular time I see for trains 8/28 and 7/27, would be the eastbound 28(from Portland) into Spokane at I believe 12:13am IF on time. And per checking juckins.net , occasionally that train get's there before that time.

I'd hate to have to try to connect to the bus going south (to Pullman, Moscow, etc), or to take it going north into Spokane, since like you said that involves a LOOOOOOOONG layover in Spokane.

At least the arrival time and departure into Spokane isn't as bad, as Fargo. Where the train doesn't arrive until after 2am going east, and 3am going west. Let's not forget the after 3am time going east on California Zephyr, if you're coming from Salt Lake City. It isn't as bad going west (after 11pm), so I wouldn't be surprised if certain SLC travelers only take the CZ west, then fly to return back?

Honestly, it'd help if there was a daytime train at a different time 10-12 hours apart for paces like Spokane, Fargo, and Salt Lake. A la the Palmetto that runs over the Silver Meteor route, from Savannah to points north. But sadly, am not holding my breath that'll happen anytime soon.


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## JayPea (Jul 11, 2019)

dogbert617 said:


> I hear you, on that awful arrival and departure time into Spokane. The most regular time I see for trains 8/28 and 7/27, would be the eastbound 28(from Portland) into Spokane at I believe 12:13am IF on time. And per checking juckins.net , occasionally that train get's there before that time.
> 
> I'd hate to have to try to connect to the bus going south (to Pullman, Moscow, etc), or to take it going north into Spokane, since like you said that involves a LOOOOOOOONG layover in Spokane.
> 
> ...



I live south of Spokane, and in fact the Thruway bus stops in my town, the first stop south of Spokane. Moreover, northbound buses stop right by my apartment door and southbound buses stop across the street. I'd love to take the bus from my town and forego the hour's drive to and from Spokane, but the layovers are too long. I would have to sit in the station with my luggage for 11 hours waiting to leave Spokane on the EB and 6 or so waiting to catch the bus home. If Spokane had storage for luggage during the wait, that might help a bit.


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## dogbert617 (Jul 11, 2019)

JayPea said:


> I live south of Spokane, and in fact the Thruway bus stops in my town, the first stop south of Spokane. Moreover, northbound buses stop right by my apartment door and southbound buses stop across the street. I'd love to take the bus from my town and forego the hour's drive to and from Spokane, but the layovers are too long. I would have to sit in the station with my luggage for 11 hours waiting to leave Spokane on the EB and 6 or so waiting to catch the bus home. If Spokane had storage for luggage during the wait, that might help a bit.



You would think that service, would be offered in Spokane! A la how the Metropolitan Lounge in Chicago does allow for luggage storage, during the wait before one's outbound train is called for boarding. Of course Amtrak probably only thinks about their very busiest stations, and forgets how to improve their less busy stations like this one that should still offer such a service.

As for the bus, you'd think if the train times aren't going to change anytime soon(my worry about that) or the lack of a 2nd daytime train to arrive during more regular hours, that the bus times could perhaps be changed so that you don't have to layover forever in Spokane. I don't blame you that you prefer to drive into Spokane and catch the train, over taking that thruway bus. I guess the Spokane stop allows for one to park for several days, without being towed? Not sure if there's a fee to park in Spokane if you want to do a train trip for several days, or not.


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## JayPea (Jul 12, 2019)

dogbert617 said:


> You would think that service, would be offered in Spokane! A la how the Metropolitan Lounge in Chicago does allow for luggage storage, during the wait before one's outbound train is called for boarding. Of course Amtrak probably only thinks about their very busiest stations, and forgets how to improve their less busy stations like this one that should still offer such a service.
> 
> As for the bus, you'd think if the train times aren't going to change anytime soon(my worry about that) or the lack of a 2nd daytime train to arrive during more regular hours, that the bus times could perhaps be changed so that you don't have to layover forever in Spokane. I don't blame you that you prefer to drive into Spokane and catch the train, over taking that thruway bus. I guess the Spokane stop allows for one to park for several days, without being towed? Not sure if there's a fee to park in Spokane if you want to do a train trip for several days, or not.


 To put it in plain English, the parking situation at Spokane's station sucks big time. The lot is one of many surface lots owned by the city of Spokane and operated by an outside parking service. For years the cost was $4/day and you paid by putting money in a box with a slit far too small to put your folded dollar bills in without a lot of difficulty. Now they have a third party system where you pay by phone. And it is now $14/day to park there. I parked there last month while on a trip to Seattle and came back to find a ticket for expired parking. The time stamp indicated it was ticketed 13 HOURS before it expired!! Fortunately I had the presence of mind to make a screen shot of my receipt. I emailed these scam artists with my receipt and they did rescind the fine. Upon further research I found that since these lots have gone to that 3rd party pay by phone system this is a common occurrence and that some poor schlepps that work for this outfit claim they are told to ticket every car, expired parking or not, and force the customer to go through the hassle of fighting to get their fine rescinded.


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