Amtrak Stations During the Graveyard Shift

[Philly Amtrak Fan]

I don't think I would want to be in any public place during the graveyard shift (I'll say between midnight-6am) but for some passengers it can't be avoided due to the schedules. I'm guessing some stations are more pleasant and/or safer than others while there are some no one would want to be at during those times.

I don't remember if I've been in PGH during the graveyard shift but I have seen the station (just a single building) and I would never want to be there then (do they even have a security officer present?)

I highly doubt I would ever plan to be in an Amtrak station during the graveyard shift but in my last west coast trip I was there two separate times during unplanned visits.

The westbound CZ was late getting into SLC. I remember there's only a trailer there and after being picked up it looked like it was far away from downtown in the middle of nowhere.

I also took the overnight Thruway Bus between SJC and Santa Barbara. I believe it was supposed to get to Santa Barbara after 6am but the bus was early and there was a long wait in the station. I remember an actual building and there was an attendant there because you had to ask him/her for keys to the bathroom.

So what are your horror stories (or pleasant experiences if that's possible)? I'd imagine a larger city/station like NYP or LAX would have more to do and possibly more people, security present, and restaurants open (the Night Owl does serve NYP during the graveyard shift although I would guess almost no one would want to board/depart there with about 20 other daily trains to/from BOS or WAS).

 

[Don Newcomb]

I don't think I would want to be in any public place during the graveyard shift (I'll say between midnight-6am) but for some passengers it can't be avoided due to the schedules. I'm guessing some stations are more pleasant and/or safer than others while there are some no one would want to be at during those times.

Not graveyard shift but have you ever sat at a major hub airport through several cycles. It's interesting. The planes begin to arrive. The place fills up. It starts to empty. Before long it's just you and a few staff. I'm sure not every hub is like this but those dominated by one carrier are. I once sat through several cycles at Memphis, collecting free tickets for each cycle.

 

[the_traveler]

No one wants to board 65/66/67 at NYP at 3 am? :huh:

Have you ever taken it? There is a lot of turnover at NYP. Also many board in PHL at midnight, since it is the only way to get to BOS ~8 am. Also, many people board 190 in WAS at 3:15 am - many going to NYP!

And although SLC is not right downtown, I would not call it "in the sticks" either. It is a few blocks from downtown - and also a few miles from the airport.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I've gotten on 190 before 5:00 am at WIL - with other pax - and had trouble finding a seat. It leaves WAS at 3:15, so, yes, a lot of people are willing to catch a train during the "midnight shift" on the NEC.

 

[greatcats]

Salt Lake City is on the edge of downtown, next to Greyhound and the commuter rail line. It is a prefab building. Not a great station by any description, but more than a trailer and it serves its purpose.

 

[acelafan]

I waited on #6 at SLC but felt pretty safe at the time. This was a few years ago. There were other people around and a few Amtrak employees.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Indianapolis,Cincinnati,Taylor,San Antonio,Sanderson,Houston,South Bend,Cleveland,,Maricopa,Wolf Point,Popular Bluff,Sacramento,Stockton,Greenville,SC,Kansas City,Savannah and Spokane are all Stations I've spent a Year at One Night Waiting on a Train.

 

[Lonestar648]

I have arrived at Pittsburgh on a late CAP in the middle of the night. Quickly everyone was gone, so I walked over to Hotel, explained my situation, they let me sit in the lobby, even offered me so coffee. The Night Manager said he wouldn't want to be at that station either.

 

[Train2104]

I have arrived at Pittsburgh on a late CAP in the middle of the night. Quickly everyone was gone, so I walked over to Hotel, explained my situation, they let me sit in the lobby, even offered me so coffee. The Night Manager said he wouldn't want to be at that station either.

PGH now closes during the overnight hours (between 30 and 29) midweek now...yet it still remains open during the day when nothing's running!

I've waited for a very 66 at NYP from 1:30am to about 6am...because it was cold out there were homeless people sleeping all over the place, but there were cops around too so I didn't feel unsafe. Worst part was lack of a good space to wait;; I ended up sitting on the floor in the main concourse most of the time since the waiting area was so stuffy.

 

[Dakota 400]

It's mean several years ago, but this experience provides a negative memory for me.

The California Zephyr arrived in Emeryville very late. My Amtrak transfer to the San Francisco station went well and I expected to obtain a taxi to take me to my hotel. The station was closed and dark upon arrival with nary a taxi in sight. Luggage and me got put out on the sidewalk. What to do? (I had no cell phone let along any phone numbers at that time.) There was a restaurant nearby. Dragging the luggage there, I explained my situation to a Host at the restaurant. He was kind enough to call a taxi for me and soon as was on my way to my hotel.

Never understood why Amtrak would close that station at that time when the staff ought to have known that there were going to be passengers from the very late train arriving and who might need assistance.

 

[JayPea]

My "home" station is Spokane, and have never had any sort of problem in all my years of waiting there. Unless you count vending machines that don't dispense product or automatic sprinklers around the grassy area of the self-pay kiosk in the parking lot that like to turn on and spray your legs when you are trying to stuff money into slots that are too small a problem. There are some homeless folk who hang around but they never cause a problem. The fact that the station building, along with housing Amtrak and Greyhound along with other inter-city bus service, also houses a police precinct certainly doesn't hurt. Nor does the fact that there are security guards on hand as well. It's fully staffed so Amtrak personnel are there too.

 

[Austruck]

I live in the Pittsburgh area, and I have no choice but to be in the PGH small station at night because my train leaves at 11:59 PM headed for Chicago. I've talked to a friend who's taken the same train many times and she didn't feel unsafe there. Sure, it's in an ugly area of downtown (I've picked up arriving passengers there and dropped some off), but I don't think I'm going to feel particularly unsafe. (I'm taking a cab to get there.)

Just not going to get all upset about it. Part of the bucket list adventure, right?

 

[MARC Rider]

Don't forget Toledo. You arrive on 29 at 5 am or so and then have to hang around for the Thru way bus to Detroit, dearborn, AA, etc. There are actually a lot of people hanging around, and I've never felt uncomfortable, even if it's in a lousy part of town.

Eastbound, 30 is supposed to roll in at about 1130 pm, sometimes it's come in for me well after midnight. Again, plenty of people waiting for the train, bright and fully staffed, including security.

 

[BCL]

NYP should have Amtrak PD 24/7.

Those staffed stations with service only in the wee hours are probably operated by a couple of employees who do everything. I'd think the budget for adding regular security isn't there. That being said, I'd hope they would have a good relationship with local law enforcement.

 

[chakk]

In pre-Amtrak days, I rode the Chicago & North Western's Peninsula 400 from Negaunee, Michigan to the end of the line at Ishpeming, MI (distance of 3 miles), arriving at 2:15 AM. The return journey to Negaunee was scheduled to depart at 3:30 AM. The conductor decided that he preferred to not have me wait in the station for the return trip, so asked me to ride with him in the locomotive out to the turntable with the engineer, where the engine was turned and then trundled back to the station. Once re-coupled to the other end of the two passenger cars, the conductor opened the coach doors and permitted me to wait inside the coach for departure from Ishpeming.

The conductor decided not to charge me anything for the roundtrip fare from Negaunee; nor for the free tour of the locomotive and turnable.

 

[Dakota 400]

In pre-Amtrak days, I rode the Chicago & North Western's Peninsula 400 from Negaunee, Michigan to the end of the line at Ishpeming, MI (distance of 3 miles), arriving at 2:15 AM. The return journey to Negaunee was scheduled to depart at 3:30 AM. The conductor decided that he preferred to not have me wait in the station for the return trip, so asked me to ride with him in the locomotive out to the turntable with the engineer, where the engine was turned and then trundled back to the station. Once re-coupled to the other end of the two passenger cars, the conductor opened the coach doors and permitted me to wait inside the coach for departure from Ishpeming.

The conductor decided not to charge me anything for the roundtrip fare from Negaunee; nor for the free tour of the locomotive and turnable.

The attitude and conduct of the employees of Chicago and North Western Railway whom I encountered are memorable for their guest oriented service. This covers my experiences in their stations in Chicago, Rochester, Minnesota, Rapid City, South Dakota, and on Dakota 400, Rochester 400, Twin Cities 400, and the Rochester-Black Hills Special. They were a special passenger oriented railway that has been lost.

 

[MARC Rider]

About 6 or 7 years ago, I was on 67, which conked out somewhere between Rt 128 and Providence. After waiting a couple of hours for the guy with the "million dollar laptop" to come and reboot the engine, they abandoned the effort, and put us on the last northbound train of the night where we went back to South Station. This was about midnight or 1 AM or something like that. They then locked us in the station where we waited until they were able to drag the crippled train back to Boston and get a new locomotive. I think we left at 3 or 4 in the morning. Of course, we had no problem with sketchy "characters," but the seats in the waiting area of South Station sure are hard. They could have at least opened the Club Acela for us and let us rest on padded chairs. Well, at least the wifi in the station was working, so I was able to send an email to my boss saying I'd be late. I believe I got a $100 travel voucher out of that episode.

 

[neroden]

The westbound CZ was late getting into SLC. I remember there's only a trailer there and after being picked up it looked like it was far away from downtown in the middle of nowhere.

SLC station is a lot less middle-of-nowhere than it might it first appear. Walk north a little, you find the bus station and the FrontRunner station and the TRAX station. The city is basically to the northeast. On my "Wyoming detour" trip, I got there on time, managed to joyride TRAX a little before it shut down, and then waited to head back east.

Salt Lake City is not very walkable and the city doesn't have much nightlife but the station location is as good as anywhere.

Now Cleveland station is interesting because it's ONLY open at night. It's kind of desolate during the daytime, but at night it's hopping. Because all four trains arrive and depart at night.

 

[Skyline]

I live in the Pittsburgh area, and I have no choice but to be in the PGH small station at night because my train leaves at 11:59 PM headed for Chicago. I've talked to a friend who's taken the same train many times and she didn't feel unsafe there. Sure, it's in an ugly area of downtown (I've picked up arriving passengers there and dropped some off), but I don't think I'm going to feel particularly unsafe. (I'm taking a cab to get there.)

Just not going to get all upset about it. Part of the bucket list adventure, right?

Pittsburgh's station is an add-on to the existing grand old Pennsy station, which was converted to condos and an event venue decades ago. The Amtrak area isn't bad, just not fancy. The location is on the outer perimeter of downtown, close to the convention center, several high-end hotels, Greyhound, the Federal Bldg., etc. I wouldn't call it a blighted neighborhood or anything tho.

 

[Austruck]

I live in the Pittsburgh area, and I have no choice but to be in the PGH small station at night because my train leaves at 11:59 PM headed for Chicago. I've talked to a friend who's taken the same train many times and she didn't feel unsafe there. Sure, it's in an ugly area of downtown (I've picked up arriving passengers there and dropped some off), but I don't think I'm going to feel particularly unsafe. (I'm taking a cab to get there.)

Just not going to get all upset about it. Part of the bucket list adventure, right?

Pittsburgh's station is an add-on to the existing grand old Pennsy station, which was converted to condos and an event venue decades ago. The Amtrak area isn't bad, just not fancy. The location is on the outer perimeter of downtown, close to the convention center, several high-end hotels, Greyhound, the Federal Bldg., etc. I wouldn't call it a blighted neighborhood or anything tho.

Nor would I... but as a woman traveling alone, I'm sure I'll see it a bit differently at midnight on a weeknight. But yes, right near a swanky hotel and convention venue. The old Pennsylvania station is gorgeous and is now a popular wedding venue. But yikes, where you go to drop off and pick up passengers isn't anything to write home about.

 

[Railroad Bill]

Cleveland is our home station and we have never had any issues with our trains which arrive between 1am and 5am each day. Always at least 2 staff members on duty, plenty of people waiting to board trains, free parking and locked up gate when station is closed. Line of cabs waiting outside. Police drop by occasionally to check on events, but have never had any problems other than loud passengers who don't let people nod off waiting for late trains.

 

[jphjaxfl]

Through the last 68+ years, I have arrived and departed many passenger train stations at all hours of the day or night. Sometimes with my wife or other family members and sometimes alone. I realize that trains of any lengthy route have to be somewhere during the late night or early morning hours. I have never felt insecure or threatened at any train station. There have usually been other passengers around. If you imagine that someone is going to bother you, it can be stressful. Railroad lines which were built in the 19th or early 20th century can run through the older part of towns and cities, but often there is a lot of history in the area. We just need more trains serving more cities at anytime!

 

[me_little_me]

Indianapolis,Cincinnati,Taylor,San Antonio,Sanderson,Houston,South Bend,Cleveland,,Maricopa,Wolf Point,Popular Bluff,Sacramento,Stockton,Greenville,SC,Kansas City,Savannah and Spokane are all Stations I've spent a Year at One Night Waiting on a Train.

Greenville, while while its two trains arrive at about 5AM and 11PM, has a manned station even if it is not in the best area. Moreover, freight crews arrive and depart at all hours as this is a changeover point for them. I have never felt uncomfortable there and have left my car for weeks at a time.

 

[choochoodood]

Don't forget Toledo. You arrive on 29 at 5 am or so and then have to hang around for the Thru way bus to Detroit, dearborn, AA, etc. There are actually a lot of people hanging around, and I've never felt uncomfortable, even if it's in a lousy part of town.

Eastbound, 30 is supposed to roll in at about 1130 pm, sometimes it's come in for me well after midnight. Again, plenty of people waiting for the train, bright and fully staffed, including security.

Toledo's station is VERY nice as well as being staffed. No, not the greatest part of town, but how many train stations can be classified in a "good" part of town? Anyway, you should never have a problem there.

 

[BCL]

Toledo's station is VERY nice as well as being staffed. No, not the greatest part of town, but how many train stations can be classified in a "good" part of town? Anyway, you should never have a problem there.

What's a "good" part of town is rarely a static situation. The major stations around here are often in active downtowns. Two of the stations near me were built in the 90s - Emeryville and Oakland-Jack London. Back when they were built these were industrial neighborhoods. They still are to some extent, but now the areas have been rebuilt with expensive industrial-chic apartments.