Smallest places Amtrak serves?

[user 1215]

I believe that the Lompoc/Surf stop should be considered. It right along a popular beach, but there is no population within multiple miles. So it's frequented by regular people, unlike the Williams Jct. stop, but yet it has no population.

I wouldn't consider it, because the OP indicated stops with the lowest population. By definition, a population is attributed to a place that is counted. So, like Williams Jct, Surf doesn't actually sit in a town but rather is close to a township with a much higher population than others on this list.

So Lamy, whereas it is a junction point for passengers going to Santa Fe, is its own township. Thurmond, likewise, is also its own township. But between those two, Lamy's pax vol is due to it's proximity to Santa Fe, whereas Thurmond is a tourist destination in itself.

 

[SubwayNut]

Windsor, Vermont has the least ridership out of any station served with one daily train at least 7 days a week and both in 2011 when trackwork and Irene discontinued the Vermonter for a few months (just 687 passengers), ranked 8th lowest overall as well as 2010 (1154), ranked 14th. Every station with less ridership is on the triweekly Sunset or Cardinal, only sees train service on weekdays (North Philly), or seasonally, Port Kent, NY (had fewer riders in 2010)In hurricane and track work effected 2010, the second lowest station with daily train service is just a few miles across the boarder in Claremont Jct, NH (no where near the center of town) with 1240 passengers (rank 15th) but in the full year of service in 2010 Claremont had a nice, large 1967 putting it in 36th.

I'm enough of a geek to have made a spreadsheet for Amtrak ridership.

I have gotten off in Windsor, have family in the area (normally drive), a few times. Going northbound to their getting on in New York City was always an adventure a couple that required arguing with the Northeast Corridor conductor who had never ridden the portion of the Vermonter in Vermont and didn't believe Windsor, VT was actually a stop. One thought I was going to Windsor, CT although the Vermonter bypassed both Windsor and Windsor Locks during that time. The trouble was (could still be now) that Windsor wasn't an option for the punch a destination seat checks, one time the NEC conductor hand wrote me a seat check something he was clearly not used to, the other time they punched another destination. Luckily the Vermont-bound conductors after leaving Springfield came through the train to verify everyones destination (and flip the seat checks over, writing the codes down) so they could find their passengers. It was the kind of stop where I was usually the only one getting off, the one time someone else I still remember it turned out to be my relatives dog breeder (coming back from the dog show in New York). Amtrak doesn't archive the state fact sheets from 2003-2005 when I was going their but I remember looking up ridership and it was down in the 600-700s. I think that the $12 within Vermont special has boosted ridership to all the little Vermont stations.

 

[fairviewroad]

perhaps Thurmond's ridership is 254 compared to its five residents because (a) Amtrak is the only type of intercity transportation nearby and (b) the whole town is essentially a National Historic District and is owned by the National Park Service.

And c) Thurmond is 9 miles away from Oak Hill, WV, pop 7,600

 

[fairviewroad]

To add a further twist, we could take the thread title even more literally and ask "What is the smallest place Amtrak serves, not by train but with a Thruway connection?"

After all, if it has a 3-letter station code and you can buy a ticket to it on the Amtrak website, then Amtrak does indeed "serve" that location. It's probably impossible to

find ridership figures for Thruway-only locations, but I'd imagine there are some Amtrak "stations" for which there are virtually zero Amtrak tickets issued in a given year.

That's not to say people aren't riding there via a ticket purchased directly from the carrier operating the service. But there are some rather obscure Thruway destinations

in the system. For example:

(NCM) Necanicum Junction, Ore. (basically an intersection in the middle of the Oregon coast range)

(LAN) L'Anse, Michigan. --way up in the Upper Peninsula, accessible only via an overnight bus trip (in either direction) from Milwaukee.

(SMR) Smith River, CA -- want to get to this pop. 800 town in far northwest California? Take the Coast Starlight to Klamath Falls, then take a circuitous 9-hour bus ride

on what appears to be a rental car shuttle bus.

(NNI) Nanaimo, BC -- It's actually a fairly large city, but possibly the most hard-to-reach Amtrak destination. The Amtrak website gives you a bus ride from Seattle to

Vancouver, BC, a 7-hour overnight layover in VAC, followed by another bus ride, then a ferry ride across to Vancouver Island. (Meanwhile, you could fly there from SEA on

Air Canada in just 2 hrs, 15 minutes including the connection in YVR.)

(PTL) Potlatch, Idaho. Aside from being a small, relatively remote community, Potlatch is notable since Amtrak will only sell you a ticket in one direction. Who knew that

bus routes utilized directional running? Seriously, how many tickets do you think Amtrak sells to Potlatch, Idaho in a given year? One? Two? Guess it's popular among

people who want to move there and never leave.

 

[Nathanael]

I believe this is a complete list of all stations with fewer than 1000 passengers in 2011. Interesting that the least-used stations (with the exception of Sanderson and Lordsburg) are all in the east, with the Cardinal getting the most.

Three-a-week will give you low ridership!

So will being closed half the year!

Port Kent, NY 692

PRK - Adirondack (seasonal)

The other two are:

Philadelphia North, PA 389

PHN - Keystone, Northeast Regional

Windsor-Mount Ascutney, VT 867

WNM - Vermonter

Except that the Vermonter was shuttered for a large part of 2011 due to construction.

So Philly North really isn't popular, is it? Well, it gets OK SEPTA ridership, and I can see why anyone taking Amtrak *from* Philadelphia would prefer to wait at 30th St -- and it really isn't much of a destination. So, kind of an oddity.

 

[JayPea]

To add a further twist, we could take the thread title even more literally and ask "What is the smallest place Amtrak serves, not by train but with a Thruway connection?"

After all, if it has a 3-letter station code and you can buy a ticket to it on the Amtrak website, then Amtrak does indeed "serve" that location. It's probably impossible to

find ridership figures for Thruway-only locations, but I'd imagine there are some Amtrak "stations" for which there are virtually zero Amtrak tickets issued in a given year.

That's not to say people aren't riding there via a ticket purchased directly from the carrier operating the service. But there are some rather obscure Thruway destinations

in the system. For example:

(PTL) Potlatch, Idaho. Aside from being a small, relatively remote community, Potlatch is notable since Amtrak will only sell you a ticket in one direction. Who knew that

bus routes utilized directional running? Seriously, how many tickets do you think Amtrak sells to Potlatch, Idaho in a given year? One? Two? Guess it's popular among

people who want to move there and never leave.

Hey now! Potlatch (pop. 804) is in a pretty setting. I live about half an hour from Potlatch, so won't be needing to buy a bus ticket to get there . But it is in a picturesque setting. Incidentally, Plummer, ID (PLU), pop. 1,044, north of Potlatch on the same bus route, is also in the same boat--er, bus. :lol: You can only buy a ticket one way to Plummer, which is southbound from Spokane. I'd doubt there are few if any that buy a ticket to either place through Amtrak. That's also probably true of my hometown, Colfax (CFX), pop. 2805. I doubt Amtrak sells any tickets to/from (at least you can go both directions here! :lol: ) Colfax either. As the Thruway stop here is right outside my front door, from my observations over the years, there aren't many passengers who buy tickets to and from Colfax under any circumstance, and I highly doubt that those who do buy them from Amtrak.

Incidentally,I know everyone is waiting with baited breath for an explanation as to why Potlatch and Plummer have bus service in only one direction, so here goes: :lol: The bus routes have Spokane as their focal point, and there are two routes that originate south of Spokane, and two that leave south from Spokane. Both northbound routes to Spokane orginiate in Idaho, one from Boise and the other from Lewiston. Both follow US Highway 95 northward to Moscow, ID, where they then head west to Pullman, WA, and continue northbound into Spokane via US Highway 195. Southbound from Spokane, however, only the Lewiston-bound bus follows the same route in reverse. The Boise-bound bus, on the other hand, first heads east on I-90 to Coeur d'Alene, ID, and from there follows US 95 south to Moscow, serving Plummer and Potlatch along the way. From Moscow, this bus also cuts over to Pullman, where it then follows US 195 southward, and eventually rejoins US 95 north of Lewiston. From there the bus serves Lewiston and a couple of stops south before reaching Boise.

There!!! Aren't you glad I went to all that trouble to explain everything in great detail??? :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[fairviewroad]

There!!! Aren't you glad I went to all that trouble to explain everything in great detail??? :lol: :lol: :lol:

Yeah, I saw that Plummer was in the same boat, but I chose to mention Potlatch since it's an inherently more amusing name. :giggle:

Still, while you've explained why Amtrak only sells tickets in one direction, that doesn't really answer the question of why the bus

company operates the routes in that way. I realize that's not Amtrak's decision to make, but it doesn't seem all that logical to me.

Why not run one of the northbound buses up to Spokane via Couer d'Alene?

(For anyone interested, the relevant schedule is on page 104 of the national timetable.)

 

[NY Penn]

FWIW, it is possible to buy a ticket on amtrak.com from Potlatch to Spokane, and even connecting to the eastbound EB. It's therefore possible in both directions.

 

[fairviewroad]

FWIW, it is possible to buy a ticket on amtrak.com from Potlatch to Spokane, and even connecting to the eastbound EB. It's therefore possible in both directions.

I stand corrected. I was checking tickets to and from Seattle, which I thought was a logical destination for Potlatchians.

Amtrak will ticket you from Seattle to Potlatch, but not from Potlatch to SEA.

Though of course since you can buy PTL to SPK, you can then simply construct a multi-city ticket and make the journey that way.

That afternoon departure from Potlatch to Spokane doesn't seem to show up on the printed timetable.

Wonder if this thread sets a record for the number of mentions of Potlatch in a single thread on Amtrak Unlimited? :giggle:

 

[JayPea]

FWIW, it is possible to buy a ticket on amtrak.com from Potlatch to Spokane, and even connecting to the eastbound EB. It's therefore possible in both directions.

I stand corrected. I was checking tickets to and from Seattle, which I thought was a logical destination for Potlatchians.

Amtrak will ticket you from Seattle to Potlatch, but not from Potlatch to SEA.

Though of course since you can buy PTL to SPK, you can then simply construct a multi-city ticket and make the journey that way.

That afternoon departure from Potlatch to Spokane doesn't seem to show up on the printed timetable.

Wonder if this thread sets a record for the number of mentions of Potlatch in a single thread on Amtrak Unlimited? :giggle:

Funny the afternoon northbound bus doesn't show up in the Amtrak timetable, but it does of course show up on the online National Trailways website.

And why not mention Potlatch a few more times?? As I say, it's really a picturesque town. :lol:

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

To add a further twist, we could take the thread title even more literally and ask "What is the smallest place Amtrak serves, not by train but with a Thruway connection?"

After all, if it has a 3-letter station code and you can buy a ticket to it on the Amtrak website, then Amtrak does indeed "serve" that location. It's probably impossible to

find ridership figures for Thruway-only locations, but I'd imagine there are some Amtrak "stations" for which there are virtually zero Amtrak tickets issued in a given year.

That's not to say people aren't riding there via a ticket purchased directly from the carrier operating the service. But there are some rather obscure Thruway destinations

in the system. For example:

(PTL) Potlatch, Idaho. Aside from being a small, relatively remote community, Potlatch is notable since Amtrak will only sell you a ticket in one direction. Who knew that

bus routes utilized directional running? Seriously, how many tickets do you think Amtrak sells to Potlatch, Idaho in a given year? One? Two? Guess it's popular among

people who want to move there and never leave.

Hey now! Potlatch (pop. 804) is in a pretty setting. I live about half an hour from Potlatch, so won't be needing to buy a bus ticket to get there . But it is in a picturesque setting. Incidentally, Plummer, ID (PLU), pop. 1,044, north of Potlatch on the same bus route, is also in the same boat--er, bus. :lol: You can only buy a ticket one way to Plummer, which is southbound from Spokane. I'd doubt there are few if any that buy a ticket to either place through Amtrak. That's also probably true of my hometown, Colfax (CFX), pop. 2805. I doubt Amtrak sells any tickets to/from (at least you can go both directions here! :lol: ) Colfax either. As the Thruway stop here is right outside my front door, from my observations over the years, there aren't many passengers who buy tickets to and from Colfax under any circumstance, and I highly doubt that those who do buy them from Amtrak.

Incidentally,I know everyone is waiting with baited breath for an explanation as to why Potlatch and Plummer have bus service in only one direction, so here goes: :lol: The bus routes have Spokane as their focal point, and there are two routes that originate south of Spokane, and two that leave south from Spokane. Both northbound routes to Spokane orginiate in Idaho, one from Boise and the other from Lewiston. Both follow US Highway 95 northward to Moscow, ID, where they then head west to Pullman, WA, and continue northbound into Spokane via US Highway 195. Southbound from Spokane, however, only the Lewiston-bound bus follows the same route in reverse. The Boise-bound bus, on the other hand, first heads east on I-90 to Coeur d'Alene, ID, and from there follows US 95 south to Moscow, serving Plummer and Potlatch along the way. From Moscow, this bus also cuts over to Pullman, where it then follows US 195 southward, and eventually rejoins US 95 north of Lewiston. From there the bus serves Lewiston and a couple of stops south before reaching Boise.

There!!! Aren't you glad I went to all that trouble to explain everything in great detail??? :lol: :lol: :lol:

Isn't that Northwestern Trailways?

 

[JayPea]

To add a further twist, we could take the thread title even more literally and ask "What is the smallest place Amtrak serves, not by train but with a Thruway connection?"

After all, if it has a 3-letter station code and you can buy a ticket to it on the Amtrak website, then Amtrak does indeed "serve" that location. It's probably impossible to

find ridership figures for Thruway-only locations, but I'd imagine there are some Amtrak "stations" for which there are virtually zero Amtrak tickets issued in a given year.

That's not to say people aren't riding there via a ticket purchased directly from the carrier operating the service. But there are some rather obscure Thruway destinations

in the system. For example:

(PTL) Potlatch, Idaho. Aside from being a small, relatively remote community, Potlatch is notable since Amtrak will only sell you a ticket in one direction. Who knew that

bus routes utilized directional running? Seriously, how many tickets do you think Amtrak sells to Potlatch, Idaho in a given year? One? Two? Guess it's popular among

people who want to move there and never leave.

Hey now! Potlatch (pop. 804) is in a pretty setting. I live about half an hour from Potlatch, so won't be needing to buy a bus ticket to get there . But it is in a picturesque setting. Incidentally, Plummer, ID (PLU), pop. 1,044, north of Potlatch on the same bus route, is also in the same boat--er, bus. :lol: You can only buy a ticket one way to Plummer, which is southbound from Spokane. I'd doubt there are few if any that buy a ticket to either place through Amtrak. That's also probably true of my hometown, Colfax (CFX), pop. 2805. I doubt Amtrak sells any tickets to/from (at least you can go both directions here! :lol: ) Colfax either. As the Thruway stop here is right outside my front door, from my observations over the years, there aren't many passengers who buy tickets to and from Colfax under any circumstance, and I highly doubt that those who do buy them from Amtrak.

Incidentally,I know everyone is waiting with baited breath for an explanation as to why Potlatch and Plummer have bus service in only one direction, so here goes: :lol: The bus routes have Spokane as their focal point, and there are two routes that originate south of Spokane, and two that leave south from Spokane. Both northbound routes to Spokane orginiate in Idaho, one from Boise and the other from Lewiston. Both follow US Highway 95 northward to Moscow, ID, where they then head west to Pullman, WA, and continue northbound into Spokane via US Highway 195. Southbound from Spokane, however, only the Lewiston-bound bus follows the same route in reverse. The Boise-bound bus, on the other hand, first heads east on I-90 to Coeur d'Alene, ID, and from there follows US 95 south to Moscow, serving Plummer and Potlatch along the way. From Moscow, this bus also cuts over to Pullman, where it then follows US 195 southward, and eventually rejoins US 95 north of Lewiston. From there the bus serves Lewiston and a couple of stops south before reaching Boise.

There!!! Aren't you glad I went to all that trouble to explain everything in great detail??? :lol: :lol: :lol:

Isn't that Northwestern Trailways?

It is indeed Northwestern Trailways that serve these bus routes.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

I am too lazy to try to quote only part of Swadian's post, but perhaps Thurmond's ridership is 254 compared to its five residents because (a) Amtrak is the only type of intercity transportation nearby and (b) the whole town is essentially a National Historic District and is owned by the National Park Service.

Yeah, that's probably why.

Isn't that Northwestern Trailways?

It is indeed Northwestern Trailways that serve these bus routes.

So that may explain why you can book tickets just for the bus.

 

[railiner]

How about former Amtrak stations....can they be included here?

If so, I nominate Borie, Wyoming. A stop for the SFZ and later the Pioneer, with a connecting bus to Cheyenne, about 9 miles East.

The population had to be close to zero. For a view of the locale see this...

http://www.trainweb.org/usarail/borie.htm

 

[xyzzy]

Thalmann, Georgia is another. Formerly served by the Silver Meteor, it was an isolated stop for nearby Brunswick and the vacation islands. After 1979 the Silvers ran exclusively on the ex-ACL between Savannah and Jacksonville, except for an occasional detour via Thalmann. The ex-SAL main line through Thalmann was pulled up in 1988, and the depot (which had also served the AB&C's line to Brunswick that was abandoned in 1953) was razed.

Resources on the Internet say that Thalmann has several thousand people, but that's a quirk of how the 31525 zip code is defined. If you look at it from an aerial map, the population is 200 at most.

 

[xyzzy]

That should have said the Champion, not the Silver Meteor which was already running via Jesup on the ex-ACL by then. (Things were really confused by then -- the Silvers had an SAL heritage, but in Georgia they were running on the ex-ACL; the Champion had ACL heritage, but in Georgia it was running on the ex-SAL.) The Champion was dropped in 1979.

 

[railgeekteen]

Not the smallest, but on the smaller size of Amtrak communities, but Westwood, MA only has 14000 people.

 

[neroden]

That's huge by the standards of this thread.