Parking at the ATL or BHM stations?

[badllama]

I hope to set up a trip to DC for later this spring and really want to take the train, it just sounds like a lot of fun! I was going to take the train out of ATL but after looking into it it seems that parking might not be existent! That really surprises me that any sort of long term transportation mode wouldn't have their own parking!

So now the question, does ATL or BHM have or are near to any long term parking lots? They are about the same distance for me to drive so I'm not against going to either one, BHM would of course give me a longer ride

Thanks for the tips!

 

[jackal]

I know absolutely nothing about it, but it appears there is a station in Anniston, AL, about halfway between ATL and BHM. Being a smaller town, it's more likely to have available and free parking than a bigger city. Might also be safer. (You'll want to confirm all of this before doing it, though!)

Only downside is that it's not a staffed station, so you won't be able to check baggage (if you need to) and you'll need to have your tickets mailed to you instead of picking them up at the station.

 

[Grizzly]

I know absolutely nothing about it, but it appears there is a station in Anniston, AL, about halfway between ATL and BHM. Being a smaller town, it's more likely to have available and free parking than a bigger city. Might also be safer. (You'll want to confirm all of this before doing it, though!)
Only downside is that it's not a staffed station, so you won't be able to check baggage (if you need to) and you'll need to have your tickets mailed to you instead of picking them up at the station.

I go out of Anniston to visit family. There is a attendant that unlocks the station for both trains. Also there is a small office or lounge where freight workers do whatever they do there.

 

[Guest]

Search the forum and you will find that this subject has been covered several times within the past year.

 

[badllama]

Thank you for the replies so far. I have searched the forums and the Internet as a whole to no avail! If anyone would be so kind as to help me either find the other tread or give some insight to the situation I would greatly appreciate it.

Thank you!

 

[jackal]

I think the guest poster meant that the subject of parking itself has come up many times. I haven't seen any specific references to the exact question you're asking, so keep asking away and hopefully we'll get someone who is familiar with them to post here! (I'm rather surprised you haven't received more answers, since there are at least four or five regular posters around here that live in that area, IIRC!)

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

I live within walking distance of the station in Atlanta.But for my own purposes I actually do not need to notice the parking lots (which ones offer long term, etc) thus don't. The only parking I do down there is at the Kroger catty cornered from the station.

Did you call Amtrak?

I did it for you.

It is 1-800-usa-rail.

They were very helpful. If you want to talk to them yourself, automated "Julie" will give you several options, then she will say "it's something else",Then you will be transferred to an operator.

They told me that in Birmingham there is a parking lot just half block from the station. It is Alright Parking at $4 a day, phone 205-323-5319.

The options in ATL he gave me seem further away from the station then that and that part of Atlanta has much heavier traffic, turning against traffic,etc than that part of BHM. I recommend boarding in BHM and you will have a more leisurely dinner, before ATL, than after ATL when so many more board.

But if you want more info, just call Amtrak.

People are typically moritified when they see how small the station in Atlanta is. No need. It is that small because it was built who knows how many years ago as a mere suburban stop, not as a major terminal. As passenger traffic declined through the years that is all that was needed and thus the big full service stations were torn down.

It was never constructed for such things as long term parking. That would all have been at the two major downtown stations, long gone.

The Birmingham station is small also, only two trains a day as in Atlanta, same two trains of course. It sort of occupies a small space inside of a larger building which used to be one of their two stations.

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

I live within walking distance of the station in Atlanta.But for my own purposes I actually do not need to notice the parking lots (which ones offer long term, etc) thus don't. The only parking I do down there is at the Kroger catty cornered from the station.
Did you call Amtrak?

I did it for you.

It is 1-800-usa-rail.

They were very helpful. If you want to talk to them yourself, automated "Julie" will give you several options, then she will say "it's something else",Then you will be transferred to an operator.

They told me that in Birmingham there is a parking lot just half block from the station. It is Alright Parking at $4 a day, phone 205-323-5319.

The options in ATL he gave me seem further away from the station then that and that part of Atlanta has much heavier traffic, turning against traffic,etc than that part of BHM. I recommend boarding in BHM and you will have a more leisurely dinner, before ATL, than after ATL when so many more board.

But if you want more info, just call Amtrak.

People are typically moritified when they see how small the station in Atlanta is. No need. It is that small because it was built who knows how many years ago as a mere suburban stop, not as a major terminal. As passenger traffic declined through the years that is all that was needed and thus the big full service stations were torn down.

It was never constructed for such things as long term parking. That would all have been at the two major downtown stations, long gone.

The Birmingham station is small also, only two trains a day as in Atlanta, same two trains of course. It sort of occupies a small space inside of a larger building which used to be one of their two stations.

Badllama, I am deliberately kicking this back to the front page. I am not sure if you ever saw it. I think I gave you pretty good advice once I finally got around to it (my apologies),

Anyway, it seems to me you should begin your trip in BHM. It should be a much easier more pleasant parking experience, your train trip will begin sooner and perhaps be more relaxed. And you definatley need to eat dinner before arriving ATL as the train typically becomes more noisy and crowded there.

 

[badllama]

Yes, thank you for the effort, I never thought about the 1-800 number having the info. I guess past experience with other companies left me with customer service distaste! They were very helpful and I did get the trip planned out of BHM. Looking forward to it and thank you for the effort!

 

[Crescent ATN & TCL]

I know absolutely nothing about it, but it appears there is a station in Anniston, AL, about halfway between ATL and BHM. Being a smaller town, it's more likely to have available and free parking than a bigger city. Might also be safer. (You'll want to confirm all of this before doing it, though!)
Only downside is that it's not a staffed station, so you won't be able to check baggage (if you need to) and you'll need to have your tickets mailed to you instead of picking them up at the station.

Anniston just went through a remodel and there is now a care taker that comes an hour before each train and stays until all passengers board or leave. You can certainly leave a car here.

 

[NativeSon5859]

I hope to set up a trip to DC for later this spring and really want to take the train, it just sounds like a lot of fun! I was going to take the train out of ATL but after looking into it it seems that parking might not be existent! That really surprises me that any sort of long term transportation mode wouldn't have their own parking!
So now the question, does ATL or BHM have or are near to any long term parking lots? They are about the same distance for me to drive so I'm not against going to either one, BHM would of course give me a longer ride

Thanks for the tips!

I park at the ATL station all the time usually for a few days at a time....I've never had a problem. There's a free lot just down the street from the station (literally maybe 50 yards), and up a small hill, in what looks to be a very large lot for a medical building of some kind. It's in a pretty good area of town, as well.

 

[Guest]

Sorry that I can't lay my hands on it quickly but a search on "Atlanta parking" AFTER you click on the "Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum" button (top left) will yield a number of results. The parking across from the station that one poster (?) refers always concerns me as the "no parking" or towing signs loom large on the fence.

I have, instead, parked at the Lenox Station MARTA long term parking and taken MARTA back to Amtrak via Lenox Station. The instructions for doing this (unless MARTA has changed the route/time) are also available on this forum via a search.

 

[Guest]

..In the search look around early March 2008.

 

[the_traveler]

During my 3 hour layover in BHM between #19 and #20, I walked around.(What else is there to do in downtown BHM on a Sunday morning? ) The garage that Bill mentioned is very close. If I remember, there are also some spots in the (very) small lot in front of the building, but I think those are short term spots.

IIRC, they plan to rebuild and redesign that station to also include buses and trains, but I don't think they started yet. Right now, I consider it the worst station on Amtrak!

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

During my 3 hour layover in BHM between #19 and #20, I walked around.(What else is there to do in downtown BHM on a Sunday morning? ) The garage that Bill mentioned is very close. If I remember, there are also some spots in the (very) small lot in front of the building, but I think those are short term spots.
IIRC, they plan to rebuild and redesign that station to also include buses and trains, but I don't think they started yet. Right now, I consider it the worst station on Amtrak!

Traveler, you are correct about the present state of the building. Ironically, the BHM station is relatively new as American stations go. It was built brand new by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad about 1955 or so,close to the same time today's New Orleans station was built. The NOL facility has fared better, obviously, perhaps because it has more trains (and now, buses). I think I am correct in saying the entire building in which the BHM station now exists like a broom closet was the complete L&N station when built new. Thus it was a much larger facility when built. Through the years most of now unneeded that space has gone to other companies,if not torn down and/or abandoned.

I believe George Harris was an L&N ticket agent during those times.

There was another station back then, Terminal Station, which served lines other than L&N. It was big and impressive in an old fashioned way.

The train that took the route taken by today's Crescent was then called the Southerner, and it was operated by the Southern Railroad and used the older Terminal Station. The train which way back then (before Amtrak,etc)called the Crescent did not go to BHM at all. Instead, from ATl it went to Montgomery and Mobile to New Orleans.

The trains which did use the old L&N station when it was larger and nicer than today's Amtrak station were as follows. The Humming Bird, the Pan American, the Azalean and others went Cincinnati, Louisville, Nashville, BHM, Montgomery, Mobile, New Orleans. In addition, the Humming Bird had a section from Chicago and St. Louis, which merged at Nashville with the section from Cincinnati. Also, there was the South Wind (later called Floridian by Amtrak.). It went Chicago, Indianapolis, Louisvlle,Nashville, BHM, Montgomery,Jacksonville,other Florida points.

I gusss my point is, today's station is not the product of design (i.e., let us make it as ugly and crowded as possible) but evolution-- just a sad reflection on how many fewer passenger trains there are than there used to be, and how much less space they need.

 

[Guest]

During my 3 hour layover in BHM between #19 and #20, I walked around.(What else is there to do in downtown BHM on a Sunday morning? ) The garage that Bill mentioned is very close. If I remember, there are also some spots in the (very) small lot in front of the building, but I think those are short term spots.
IIRC, they plan to rebuild and redesign that station to also include buses and trains, but I don't think they started yet. Right now, I consider it the worst station on Amtrak!

Traveler, you are correct about the present state of the building. Ironically, the BHM station is relatively new as American stations go. It was built brand new by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad about 1955 or so,close to the same time today's New Orleans station was built. The NOL facility has fared better, obviously, perhaps because it has more trains (and now, buses). I think I am correct in saying the entire building in which the BHM station now exists like a broom closet was the complete L&N station when built new. Thus it was a much larger facility when built. Through the years most of now unneeded that space has gone to other companies,if not torn down and/or abandoned.

I believe George Harris was an L&N ticket agent during those times.

There was another station back then, Terminal Station, which served lines other than L&N. It was big and impressive in an old fashioned way.

The train that took the route taken by today's Crescent was then called the Southerner, and it was operated by the Southern Railroad and used the older Terminal Station. The train which way back then (before Amtrak,etc)called the Crescent did not go to BHM at all. Instead, from ATl it went to Montgomery and Mobile to New Orleans.

The trains which did use the old L&N station when it was larger and nicer than today's Amtrak station were as follows. The Humming Bird, the Pan American, the Azalean and others went Cincinnati, Louisville, Nashville, BHM, Montgomery, Mobile, New Orleans. In addition, the Humming Bird had a section from Chicago and St. Louis, which merged at Nashville with the section from Cincinnati. Also, there was the South Wind (later called Floridian by Amtrak.). It went Chicago, Indianapolis, Louisvlle,Nashville, BHM, Montgomery,Jacksonville,other Florida points.

I gusss my point is, today's station is not the product of design (i.e., let us make it as ugly and crowded as possible) but evolution-- just a sad reflection on how many fewer passenger trains there are than there used to be, and how much less space they need.

At Christmas we took #20 out of ATL but after stopping at the station to unload baggage, I drove 0.4 mile up Peachtree St. and parked at the Piedmont Hospital guarded parking deck (for $6/day), and then hoofed it 10 min. back to the station. When we returned, I hiked up there, paid the parking, picked up the wife and bags, and we were off. I'll do that again, and again, and again. Easy, safe and (relatively) cheap.

 

[supergrandmother]

Sorry for the late post but just for information for the next questioner, there is virtually no parking at the Atlanta station....fewer than 8-10 spots, mostly used by taxi's and people dropping off passengers. The better options are the Piedmont parking garage or the Marta station mentioned in other replies.

 

[George Harris]

I believe George Harris was an L&N ticket agent during those times.

Nope. I was titled Junior Engineer, which meant of the surveying and track layout variety, not the train driving variety. Birmingham was base. In many ways a fun job for someone who was a lifetime rail nut and preferred being outdoors to being indoors. (standing on the north side of the Tennessee river just across from Decatur AL in a freezing drizzle and about a 20 mph wind on one occasion was not one of my favorite fun in the sun days. You also learn that plants that grow thorns seem to have an affinity for railroad right of ways.) By spending my time mostly with my eyes and ears open and my mouth shut, I learned a lot in a very short time. Alas, it ended with one of these wonderful "we want you" letters from Uncle Sam. When my time in uniform ended , I did not go back to them for several reasons I will not go into here. Got into construction on WMATA, then went to work for the designer. Several moves since.

 

[Guest]

I believe George Harris was an L&N ticket agent during those times.

Nope. I was titled Junior Engineer, which meant of the surveying and track layout variety, not the train driving variety. Birmingham was base. In many ways a fun job for someone who was a lifetime rail nut and preferred being outdoors to being indoors. (standing on the north side of the Tennessee river just across from Decatur AL in a freezing drizzle and about a 20 mph wind on one occasion was not one of my favorite fun in the sun days. You also learn that plants that grow thorns seem to have an affinity for railroad right of ways.) By spending my time mostly with my eyes and ears open and my mouth shut, I learned a lot in a very short time. Alas, it ended with one of these wonderful "we want you" letters from Uncle Sam. When my time in uniform ended , I did not go back to them for several reasons I will not go into here. Got into construction on WMATA, then went to work for the designer. Several moves since.

Mr. Harris, You would enjoy the benches on the south side of the river at the little park. It's a beautiful site to see long freights on the north side (of the TN River), probably where you were standing, as they approach the railroad bridge and cross over. Not far from there is the little town of Greenbriar, Alabama, probably appropriately named from what you say.

Jody