Closest Stations

[Ryan]

Originally there was no 400 point limit. That came after some punter managed to do some ridiculous number of very low cost segments on the Keystone as I recall.

If memory serves it even involved (purportedly) handing the conductor multiple tickets to punch to lessen the time needed actually on the train.

 

[Cal]

WIL (Wilmington, DE) and NRK (Newark, DE) are 10 mins apart

BAL (Baltimore, MD) and BWI (airport) are 11 mins apart

I'd say that's too far to be counted on this list. Between Fullerton and San Juan Capistrano, all Surfliner stops are around 10 minutes too.

 

[Cal]

San Diego and San Diego Old Town deserve an honorable mention, being 3.7 miles apart and a 10 minute drive. Takes 6 minutes for the train at a price tag of $3 for coach and $13 for business.

 

[daybeers]

Too bad Amtrak doesn’t let you qualify for elite status based on segments.

View attachment 24006

If you click on the fare, it's actually $0.50 on Amtrak. If you buy the ticket from CTrail, it's free. They usually don't check rickets until after State Street going north and don't check them after it going south.

 

[neroden]

Niagara Falls ON and Niagara Falls NY are a half mile apart and Covide aside you can buy a ticket between.

In the first photo the Maple Leaf is stopped at the Niagara Falls ON station...... and in the second approaching the Niagara Falls NY station on the Whirlpool Bridge.

View attachment 24007View attachment 24008

That's also probably the *slowest* train segment in actual practice, because of immigration & customs delays.

Due to some stupid decisions by US immigration, you can't actually walk the route, though you can get a taxi. So it may actually make *sense* to take it, if you're not in a hurry and it's cheaper than the taxi.

 

[Danib62]

Miles in Transit did a live video of the shortest Amtrak trip:

 

[traildog]

The 1,600% increase in the fare for business class seems somewhat excessive.

You're looking at it all wrong.

Only $15 extra to upgrade to business class!

 

[Exvalley]

You're looking at it all wrong.

Only $15 extra to upgrade to business class!

A bargain at only $25 per mile!

That equates to a $11,425 business class fare from Boston to Washington.

 

[zephyr17]

That's also probably the *slowest* train segment in actual practice, because of immigration & customs delays.

Due to some stupid decisions by US immigration, you can't actually walk the route, though you can get a taxi. So it may actually make *sense* to take it, if you're not in a hurry and it's cheaper than the taxi.

The Whirlpool Bridge is the oldest of the Niagara crossings, built in the 1800s, and space for facilities is limited. US and Canada jointly limited the use of that particular bridge to NEXUS cardholders only. You can't even drive across it without a NEXUS card.

Assuming a taxi driver had a NEXUS card, which is probably somewhat likely as a frequent border crosser, they wouldn't be able to take you across that bridge unless you were also a NEXUS cardholder. It is forbidden to use NEXUS lanes unless all passengers are NEXUS, and they revoke NEXUS privileges if you try it. A taxi driver would not try it, NEXUS privileges are pretty useful and they wouldn't want to risk them. Both Canada and the US are pretty zealous about enforcing NEXUS rules and NEXUS members are expected to know and strictly abide by them.

It isn't like there aren't alternate routes.

There are ample facilities for pedestrians at the Rainbow Bridge a bit further upstream, as well as unrestricted crossing lanes for autos and a bus lane. The Rainbow Bridge has the added advantage of a great view of the Falls. You can't see the Falls at all from the Whirlpool Bridge.

 

[NS VIA Fan]

The Whirlpool Bridge is the oldest of the Niagara crossings, built in the 1800s, and space for facilities is limited. US and Canada jointly limited the use of that particular bridge to NEXUS cardholders only. You can't even drive across it without a NEXUS card.

Below......the Whirlpool Bridge is on the left with trains on the upper deck and NEXUS autos on the lower deck.

Bridge on the right is the old Michigan Central Bridge.....then New York Central, Penn Central, Conrail then finally CP Rail. It's now closed and track removed. You can still read Michigan Central on an overpass on the Canadian side.

 

[jiml]

Below......the Whirlpool Bridge is on the left with trains on the upper deck and NEXUS autos on the lower deck.

Bridge on the right is the old Michigan Central Bridge.....then New York Central, Penn Central, Conrail then finally CP Rail. It's now closed and track removed. You can still read Michigan Central on an overpass on the Canadian side.

View attachment 24022View attachment 24023

A different angle:

 

[Cal]

Below......the Whirlpool Bridge is on the left with trains on the upper deck and NEXUS autos on the lower deck.

Bridge on the right is the old Michigan Central Bridge.....then New York Central, Penn Central, Conrail then finally CP Rail. It's now closed and track removed. You can still read Michigan Central on an overpass on the Canadian side.

View attachment 24022View attachment 24023

Can you see the falls from the bridge?

 

[zephyr17]

Can you see the falls from the bridge?

Not from the Whirlpool Bridge that the Maple Leaf uses. The Falls is around a bend in the river.

The Rainbow Bridge that is the main pedestrian and auto crossing is just downstream of the Falls and has a spectacular view of them.

Been across both on the Maple Leaf over the Whirlpool and a Maple Leaf bustitution over the Rainbow.

 

[Cal]

Not from the Whirlpool Bridge that the Maple Leaf uses. The Falls is around a bend in the river.

Darn (I've never been to Niagara Falls). Would automatically put it as one of the best trains in terms of scenery if it did.

 

[zephyr17]

The

Darn (I've never been to Niagara Falls). Would automatically put it as one of the best trains in terms of scenery if it did.

The Niagara Gorge is still really pretty, and the train crosses that bridge VERY slowly.

 

[NS VIA Fan]

Not from the Whirlpool Bridge that the Maple Leaf uses. The Falls is around a bend in the river.

The Rainbow Bridge that is the main pedestrian and auto crossing is just downstream of the Falls and has a spectacular view of them.

Darn (I've never been to Niagara Falls). Would automatically put it as one of the best trains in terms of scenery if it did.

The Falls are about 3km south.....but you'll see the mist!

 

[neroden]

The Whirlpool Bridge is the oldest of the Niagara crossings, built in the 1800s, and space for facilities is limited. US and Canada jointly limited the use of that particular bridge to NEXUS cardholders only. You can't even drive across it without a NEXUS card.

Assuming a taxi driver had a NEXUS card, which is probably somewhat likely as a frequent border crosser, they wouldn't be able to take you across that bridge unless you were also a NEXUS cardholder. It is forbidden to use NEXUS lanes unless all passengers are NEXUS, and they revoke NEXUS privileges if you try it. A taxi driver would not try it, NEXUS privileges are pretty useful and they wouldn't want to risk them. Both Canada and the US are pretty zealous about enforcing NEXUS rules and NEXUS members are expected to know and strictly abide by them.

It isn't like there aren't alternate routes.

Well... there *aren't* reasonable alternate *walking* routes. It's miles to the Rainbow Bridge. By car, it is a reasonable distance; by foot, certainly not.

You have correctly described the stupid decisions by US immigration to which I alluded.

 

[zephyr17]

Well... there *aren't* reasonable alternate *walking* routes. It's miles to the Rainbow Bridge. By car, it is a reasonable distance; by foot, certainly not.

You have correctly described the stupid decisions by US immigration to which I alluded.

It was not unilateral. Canada's CBSA was in on it, too.

 

[neroden]

It was not unilateral. Canada's CBSA was in on it, too.

OK, fair enough, blame for everyone!

 

[City of Miami]

L'Enfant Plaza and Union Station. Just a few blocks.

 

[Cal]

L'Enfant Plaza and Union Station. Just a few blocks.

I think this is just for Amtrak stations, not commuter rail. There would be a lot more on this list in that case

 

[jis]

I think this is just for Amtrak stations, not commuter rail. There would be a lot more on this list in that case

L'Enfant Plaza is a weird one:

Most Amtrak intercity trains do not stop at L'Enfant, though several Northeast Regional trains stop for VRE passengers only as part of a ticket cross-honoring agreement.

In any case it is about 1.5 rail miles from Union Station.

 

[BCL]

I think this is just for Amtrak stations, not commuter rail. There would be a lot more on this list in that case

There's been all sorts of weirdness going on when there used to be some stations that could be booked on Amtrak, or where Amtrak tickets were honored. Might have been where they weren't eTickets though.

I remember once someone mentioning that two stations in Stockton were about a half mile from each other. But that's really odd because that's right where the San Joaquins routes split. One station is used for the trains beginning/ending in Oakland, and another is for the trains beginning/ending in Sacramento.

As for commuter rail, I'm thinking maybe Caltrain with some temporary stops. The Stanford station is about 0.8 miles from the Palo Alto station. It only operates on game days and has no ticket machines nor any Clipper Card readers. I haven't been there in years, but I remember the primary means was to just buy a ticket from a conductor back then. It might require buying a round trip ticket.

 

[Bob Dylan]

There's been all sorts of weirdness going on when there used to be some stations that could be booked on Amtrak, or where Amtrak tickets were honored. Might have been where they weren't eTickets though.

I remember once someone mentioning that two stations in Stockton were about a half mile from each other. But that's really odd because that's right where the San Joaquins routes split. One station is used for the trains beginning/ending in Oakland, and another is for the trains beginning/ending in Sacramento.

As for commuter rail, I'm thinking maybe Caltrain with some temporary stops. The Stanford station is about 0.8 miles from the Palo Alto station. It only operates on game days and has no ticket machines nor any Clipper Card readers. I haven't been there in years, but I remember the primary means was to just buy a ticket from a conductor back then. It might require buying a round trip ticket.

Correction on the 2 Stockton Stations:

They are actually about a Mile and a Half apart, with a Bus connecting the two Sations for some Trains.( lots of Thruway Busses operate @ the Santa Fe Station)

The old SP Station South of Downtown only serves ACE Trains to/from San Jose.


The Ex- Santa Fe Station on the West side serves the San Joaquin Trains.

 

[hlcteacher]

What is NEXUS?