Rail stations at Airports

[TheCrescent]

A Norfolk Southern-operated line and rail yard are on the Charlotte airport premises, not far from the main Charlotte station and uptown Charlotte.

Why not build an Amtrak station at the Charlotte airport and extend Piedmont trains to serve it? Flights to GSO, for example, could be replaced with trains.

 

[WWW]

If only N&S would allow entertain permit share this idea - "BUT" I think selfishly NOT !

The idea of a rail stop next to a major airport works well with the Milwaukee (MKE-MKA) and the Baltimore DC (BWI) airports.
One note the frequency of making this work is dependent on the number of flights to a large airport - certainly Charlotte (CLT) qualifies
as it is a hub city for American Airlines - but there is a problem with the number of trains operating/stopping to make the connection.
BWI Baltimore has frequent Amtrak trains making this work - and MKE Milwaukee a smaller number but still workable.

 

[MARC Rider]

Actually, I'm not sure that the BWI Amtrak station is really "at the airport" as it requires waiting for a shuttle bus and a significant ride through traffic to get from the train station and the terminal. Infact, I'm not sure if there are any Amtrak stations where the station is actually located in the Airport terminal. The only airports in the US I know of that have any kind of rail stations at the terminal are Philadelphia (SEPTA regional rail), BWI (light rail), Chicago (MTA), San Fransisco (BART), Miami (Metro), and maybe New York-JFK if you count the Airtrain and Newark if you count the monorail. It would be nice if there were Amtrak stations right in the airport terminals, even better if Amtrak could codeshare with an airline and have their stop inside the security perimeter, maybe even with through-checking of baggage, but that would require a lot of effort.

 

[joelkfla]

Actually, I'm not sure that the BWI Amtrak station is really "at the airport" as it requires waiting for a shuttle bus and a significant ride through traffic to get from the train station and the terminal. Infact, I'm not sure if there are any Amtrak stations where the station is actually located in the Airport terminal. The only airports in the US I know of that have any kind of rail stations at the terminal are Philadelphia (SEPTA regional rail), BWI (light rail), Chicago (MTA), San Fransisco (BART), Miami (Metro), and maybe New York-JFK if you count the Airtrain and Newark if you count the monorail. It would be nice if there were Amtrak stations right in the airport terminals, even better if Amtrak could codeshare with an airline and have their stop inside the security perimeter, maybe even with through-checking of baggage, but that would require a lot of effort.

Add Orlando (Brightline), although service will not start until early next year.

 

[jis]

Miami has TriRail, and maybe eventually Amtrak

 

[Metra Electric Rider]

Actually, I'm not sure that the BWI Amtrak station is really "at the airport" as it requires waiting for a shuttle bus and a significant ride through traffic to get from the train station and the terminal. Infact, I'm not sure if there are any Amtrak stations where the station is actually located in the Airport terminal. The only airports in the US I know of that have any kind of rail stations at the terminal are Philadelphia (SEPTA regional rail), BWI (light rail), Chicago (MTA), San Fransisco (BART), Miami (Metro), and maybe New York-JFK if you count the Airtrain and Newark if you count the monorail. It would be nice if there were Amtrak stations right in the airport terminals, even better if Amtrak could codeshare with an airline and have their stop inside the security perimeter, maybe even with through-checking of baggage, but that would require a lot of effort.

Cleveland too - first airport in the nation with subway service!

 

[Ryan]

Actually, I'm not sure that the BWI Amtrak station is really "at the airport" as it requires waiting for a shuttle bus and a significant ride through traffic to get from the train station and the terminal.

It isn’t that significant. Hell, the rental cars are twice as far. You (potentially) have to wait to turn left at a single traffic light.

 

[MARC Rider]

Miami has TriRail, and maybe eventually Amtrak

Well, you do have to take the people mover from the train station/rental car center to the actual terminal.

Cleveland too - first airport in the nation with subway service!

Right. Also Washington DC Reagan National Airport has metro service right to the terminal. Not sure where the Dulles station is going to be when they finish the Silver Line.

 

[Palmland]

I remember Metro at Burbank being an easy walk into the terminal. And maybe TriRail at Ft Lauderdale.

Every time I’ve taken off from Charlotte I think it would be so easy to add a stop for Piedmonts. Maybe after the new station is built downtown.

 

[west point]

Then we have ATL airport. MARTA station is inside airport terminal (west end). One proposal option for the HrSR has ATL airport as final stop. However, HrSR is a very in the future as a slight possibility to happen.

 

[MARC Rider]

I also forgot the A train at Denver.

 

[WWW]

Well in both cases of Milwaukee and Baltimore - close is a cigar - the rail stop requires a shuttle vehicle to go the airport terminal
but it is no worse than moving within airports with remote satellite gates.
I definitely relish having more options to freely move about the country to get where I plan on going.
Sometimes going to Chicago in lieu of the late EB #8 - I fly to Milwaukee and take the Hiawatha train right into the downtown center
beats the long trek from O'Hara or the short one from Midway.
MSP has light rail from the Mall of America stopping at both airport terminals and thence to downtown Mpls activities and an
awkward connection to downtown St Paul and the Amtrak Union Depot - faster by the bus (ugg) - light rail is a controversial button
issue while not perfect it is a solution to moving the people masses in tight towering residential areas.

 

[Ryan]

Not sure where the Dulles station is going to be when they finish the Silver Line.

Across the parking lot, accessed by underground walkway (platform is where it says "authorized vehicle crossover" at the top-center) - closer than any of the outlying gates:

 

[jis]

Well, you do have to take the people mover from the train station/rental car center to the actual terminal.

The Metro station is right next to the TriRail station. So your claim is that the Metro is at the airport but TriRail is not? OK.

 

[MARC Rider]

The Metro station is right next to the TriRail station. So your claim is that the Metro is at the airport but TriRail is not? OK.

Oh, OK, then I take back that Miami Metro directly serves the airport terminal. Sorry. My only experience involves returning a rental car to the site (The train stations and the rental car center are at the same place) and then riding the people mover to the terminal so we could get shuttle bus back to our hotel. I knew that Tri-Rail served the rental car center, but didn't notice the metro station.

 

[joelkfla]

Oh, OK, then I take back that Miami Metro directly serves the airport terminal. Sorry. My only experience involves returning a rental car to the site (The train stations and the rental car center are at the same place) and then riding the people mover to the terminal so we could get shuttle bus back to our hotel. I knew that Tri-Rail served the rental car center, but didn't notice the metro station.

Same for Newark. The train station is off property. The monorail you mentioned is the airport's APM.

And what about DFW? The TEXrail and DART stations aren't in a terminal, but each is adjacent to and a short walk from one of the terminals.

I don't see the distinction between a station being in a terminal building and being at a stop a few minutes away on the airport's APM. Even if the station is in a terminal building, it's likely that passengers will have to use the APM (or walk a long ways) to get to other terminal buildings.

 

[neroden]

OK, I just reviewed the maps. This is a *very good idea*. Have you talked to the Charlotte City government, the NC State government, the Mecklenburg County government?

It took me a while to track the routes, but the Crescent appears to run right along the line through the airport. A siding and platform could be built adjacent to "Parking Long Term 3". The shuttle bus already operates. If there isn't room for a long enough platform there (~800 feet if you can't extend under the bridges), then next to "Parking Long Term 4" (east of Josh Birmingham Parkway) there is definitely enough room (3000+ feet). Again, the shuttle bus already operates.

The Carolinian or Piedmont would have to extend to here and then backtrack to their maintenance base in downtown Charlotte; the Crescent could run through.

The City owns the airport, so they are probably the ones to talk to first.

 

[west point]

Before any discussion of CLT airport station let CLT get the new downtown station built. Maybe by time CLT station built it may be light rail be planned to go to the airport.

 

[Willbridge]

Salt Lake City and Portland have LRT for their respective airports and Amtrak stations, but both systems chose to set the routes up with a transfer. It's not hard to do in either city, but the typical air traveler goes blank when they hear it.

 

[CaptPete 43]

If one wants to include subways, Boston Logan has dual access, Blue Line and Silver Line. The Silver Line goes directly to each terminal and originates at South Station with AMTRAK, MBTA commuter rail, and the total Boston subway system.

We live 1 mile from a MBTA commuter rail station and have used this to access AMTRAK and the Silver Line for flights out of Logan International Airport (BOS).

Using rail to South Station and the Silver Line to Logan, one is never outside until they exit the Silver Line at their terminal. Also, there are elevators to access, no stairs or escalators are required.

 

[dwebarts]

I remember Metro at Burbank being an easy walk into the terminal. And maybe TriRail at Ft Lauderdale.

Every time I’ve taken off from Charlotte I think it would be so easy to add a stop for Piedmonts. Maybe after the new station is built downtown.

I love flying into Burbank. It's convenient on so many levels. The problem is that it's not feasible, cost-wise, for passengers in most of the country.

 

[neroden]

It's the location of the rail line which makes putting a Charlotte Airport station on the rail line so plausible in the fairly short term. It's *right there*. NS would probably demand a siding and a platform, possibly two sidings and platforms, but we're talking maybe $5-10 million here. NS probably won't throw a fit over the added train movements for the Piedmont and Carolinian (from one platform siding to another, then back), either. Any light rail line to the airport would take far longer to construct.

 

[TheCrescent]

OK, I just reviewed the maps. This is a *very good idea*. Have you talked to the Charlotte City government, the NC State government, the Mecklenburg County government?

It took me a while to track the routes, but the Crescent appears to run right along the line through the airport. A siding and platform could be built adjacent to "Parking Long Term 3". The shuttle bus already operates. If there isn't room for a long enough platform there (~800 feet if you can't extend under the bridges), then next to "Parking Long Term 4" (east of Josh Birmingham Parkway) there is definitely enough room (3000+ feet). Again, the shuttle bus already operates.

The Carolinian or Piedmont would have to extend to here and then backtrack to their maintenance base in downtown Charlotte; the Crescent could run through.

The City owns the airport, so they are probably the ones to talk to first.

Thanks. I was involved in planning for CATS, the local transit authority. Planning included a light rail or express bus service to the airport. A station for heavy rail was never mentioned.

 

[Old MM]

What.A.Great.Idea!

 

[Deni]

What I love about traveling to Europe is that there are so many airports with trains station right there, so many of them are part of the national network. (Rather than only a commuter line to the city center). It's such a shame we don't have more of that here.