Stations that should be replaced

[adamj023]

The nicest stations are the oldest stations or retrofits of old historical buildings for use as Amtrak stations. Most places do not even need a full station as many of Amtrak’s stops are small rural locations. Some locations like Penn Station in NYC which has the most usage in Amtrak desperately needed a new station and the Moynihan Train Hall was needed which is a retrofit of the old mail sorting facility.

 

[AM_ROAD]

I was going to say Birmingham, AL but looks the old L&N station got replaced. Is that Civil Defense car still there?

 

[bms]

That's certainly a viable proposal IMHO. Most anything would be an improvement over the present facility. Typically, we drive to Atlanta, park in the closest long term MARTA lot, and cab or Uber to the station. Closer parking along with your other suggestions are feasible and needed.

The commuter lines mentioned in sttom's post would be wonderful but I don't see funding being approved for a long time. I have friends and family in the Atlanta-Marietta area and every year their commutes get longer and more stressful. Maybe the influx of new residents from other areas can change traditional thinking about mass transit and commuter lines.

Great ideas expressed in this thread. A true National Network would include the Southeast and trains from Nashville-Atlanta-Jacksonville.

 

[Johnepants]

As much as I love the charm of being in the late night dump, Cleveland Lakefront station will need to be replaced if Amtrak gets the green light to increase capacity from 4 trains to 22. There is just no way it can be done with the current station.

 

[Eric S]

All Aboard Ohio has recently been advocating for a new intercity rail/bus station at or near Tower City in Cleveland. It's my understanding that there has also been some interest at the local level in moving toward a new or expanded station at the Lakefront Station site; I'm not sure whether this would also include intercity bus service.

 

[jiml]

All Aboard Ohio has recently been advocating for a new intercity rail/bus station at or near Tower City in Cleveland. It's my understanding that there has also been some interest at the local level in moving toward a new or expanded station at the Lakefront Station site; I'm not sure whether this would also include intercity bus service.

Expanding at Lakefront would certainly be the lower cost option and it was served by light rail already IIRC. (It's been a couple of years.)

 

[Bob Dylan]

Chances of Amtrak moving back to the Tower are Slim and None!

And with the current crop of Anti-Rail politicians in Ohio, the chances of seeing all these additional Trains is the same!( remember the C-C-C Proposal!

 

[zephyr17]

This is great, the Old Exchange St. Station was a Disgrace!( It does seem like New York is getting lots of New Stations compared to other Routes and States!)

Amtrak itself does not generally build new stations. It pretty much requires local communities/states build new station facilities or improve station facilities if they want them. It may kick in a little funding once the ball is rolling, but vast majority of the funding and all the initiative must come locally.

New York is getting new and refurbished facilities because New York is paying for them.

Amtrak pretty much adopted the "airport" model a long time ago. The community provides the airport (albeit usually with significant federal funding) and the airlines serve it.

 

[Tlcooper44]

I will also nominate Elyria OH. Having gone to school just down the road, Elyria would have been my station had I used LSL to commute to school from Boston. While the departure and arrivals times are abysmal (4:50am), the station itself was a big reason why I never bothered to take the train. Its unmanned, dangerous, and falling into disrepair.

Part of the reason why I think the NEC does so well is because of its station infrastructure. All of the major hubs along the NEC have great connectivity, are visually appealing (now that NYP is fixed), and have transit oriented development around them.

Nearly all other stations outside of the NEC are exactly the opposite. They are in the middle of nowhere, requiring a car to get to and from, and they offer nothing other than a place to de-train.

Chances of Amtrak moving back to the Tower are Slim and None!

And with the current crop of Anti-Rail politicians in Ohio, the chances of seeing all these additional Trains is the same!( remember the C-C-C Proposal!

This is perhaps my biggest dream for rail in this country. I loved Ohio, and I think it would see numbers similar to the NEC if Tower Terminal was revitalized and turned into a massive hub for Brightline-like service around the state. Ohio has the cities and numbers to service Intercity rail like the NEC, they just need to resurrect the once existing infrastructure.

There's a lot of younger, artsy folks in Ohio who need to travel for gigs, but have to rely on rides from friends with cars. Ohio has world class orchestras, and for those who sub in the various musical groups around the state, it would allow for them to utilize that service on one or both ways without having a car.

That said, it won't happen. sigh...

 

[jis]

Whatever happened to the plan to move the Elyria Amtrak Station to the Lorraine County Transportation Center?

 

[me_little_me]

Amtrak itself does not generally build new stations. It pretty much requires local communities/states build new station facilities or improve station facilities if they want them. It may kick in a little funding once the ball is rolling, but vast majority of the funding and all the initiative must come locally.

New York is getting new and refurbished facilities because New York is paying for them.

Amtrak pretty much adopted the "airport" model a long time ago. The community provides the airport (albeit usually with significant federal funding) and the airlines serve it.

If the area is potentially develop-able, then Amtrak should get the city to do a free or cheap transfer to Amtrak of the ownership of the land (even if the city has to buy it), float a bond and contract out to have someone build a station with office/residential/whatever on top of it with the developer handling the leasing (that's not Amtrak's bag). Amtrak uses the income to pay for the development and maintenance of the facility with the potential of making money long term on both the property and the land. Then they will do what Brightline does - make money on the property.

 

[Tlcooper44]

If the area is potentially develop-able, then Amtrak should get the city to do a free or cheap transfer to Amtrak of the ownership of the land (even if the city has to buy it), float a bond and contract out to have someone build a station with office/residential/whatever on top of it with the developer handling the leasing (that's not Amtrak's bag). Amtrak uses the income to pay for the development and maintenance of the facility with the potential of making money long term on both the property and the land. Then they will do what Brightline does - make money on the property.

This is essentially how many transit systems around the world operate, notably Hong Kong's MTR, which makes a massive profit, paying for itself twice over by ticket/land revenue alone

 

[bms]

Whatever happened to the plan to move the Elyria Amtrak Station to the Lorraine County Transportation Center?

Taxpayers paid to buy and renovate the old New York Central station. Amtrak, Norfolk Southern, the City, and the County couldn't reach an agreement on actually moving into the station, and all involved parties appear to have given up. Massive failure of leadership. The renovation was beautifully done, too.

The idea appears totally dead, based on what was said at the recent City Council meeting: Elyria Council gives support to proposed Amtrak expansion

 

[railiner]

Chances of Amtrak moving back to the Tower are Slim and None!

Never say never...
When Amtrak moved out of Cincinnati Union Terminal to the new River Road station in 1972, who would have dreamed that 19 years later, it would return?

 

[Tlcooper44]

Never say never...
When Amtrak moved out of Cincinnati Union Terminal to the new River Road station in 1972, who would have dreamed that 19 years later, it would return?

While this is true, the underground tracks and platforms at Tower T are ripped up and replaced with a parking lot (nauseatingly typical). Were Cincinnati’s tracks ripped up?

I’m a big fan of it, don’t get me wrong, but this idea is 6 feet under with the nail in the coffin.

 

[bms]

While this is true, the underground tracks and platforms at Tower T are ripped up and replaced with a parking lot (nauseatingly typical). Were Cincinnati’s tracks ripped up?

I’m a big fan of it, don’t get me wrong, but this idea is 6 feet under with the nail in the coffin.

Tower City has unfortunately gone way downhill, and wouldn't be a nice place to get on and off the train or wait for a train at this point. There were barely any stores still open before Covid, and the pandemic took out most of what was left. Inside the building is secure, but I way too commonly encounter crazy/hostile/threatening guys in the few blocks immediately around the station.

 

[LookingGlassTie]

The station in Newport News (NPN). As far as I know, plans are already in the works to make that happen. The new station is planned to be part of a larger intermodal transportation center. It will be located further up the CSX line closer to the Denbigh Blvd/Ft. Eustis area.

 

[jfrupp]

I would not remove or replace the station in Needles, Calif, We come and go from Needles when we go by Amtrak. We live in Arizona. But please get security in there. We are seniors and the trains both ways stop after midnight. It gets a little scary two seniors waiting there.

 

[fdaley]

Taxpayers paid to buy and renovate the old New York Central station. Amtrak, Norfolk Southern, the City, and the County couldn't reach an agreement on actually moving into the station, and all involved parties appear to have given up. Massive failure of leadership. The renovation was beautifully done, too.

The idea appears totally dead, based on what was said at the recent City Council meeting: Elyria Council gives support to proposed Amtrak expansion

It does sound like Norfolk Southern was the big obstacle in Elyria. I can't really see why the station location would matter that much to them operationally. Maybe Pete Buttigieg should have a talk with them.

 

[Seaboard92]

It does sound like Norfolk Southern was the big obstacle in Elyria. I can't really see why the station location would matter that much to them operationally. Maybe Pete Buttigieg should have a talk with them.

Looking at the map I don't see where the problem is other than the platform is only on the southern most main track. You can't put it on the northern most either to have it on both sides to make it easier operationally. It appears the northern most track is a yard lead. Nearest cross overs is about a mile west, and two miles east of that location. So the only issue I see is crossing the LSL over going westbound.

 

[jis]

Looking at the map I don't see where the problem is other than the platform is only on the southern most main track. You can't put it on the northern most either to have it on both sides to make it easier operationally. It appears the northern most track is a yard lead. Nearest cross overs is about a mile west, and two miles east of that location. So the only issue I see is crossing the LSL over going westbound.

If the station was moved to the Lorraine County Transprtation Center there would be ample space for platforms. That is why I never understood NS's objections. They could even provide access to the far platform through the underpass thus avoiding the need for passengers to cross a main line track at grade to get to the far platform. It really was a pointless clusterflub as far as I could gather.

 

[Seaboard92]

I don't see why they don't either. There is even space between the industrial lead and the main track to add a platform. That makes no sense.

 

[bms]

If the station was moved to the Lorraine County Transprtation Center there would be ample space for platforms. That is why I never understood NS's objections. They could even provide access to the far platform through the underpass thus avoiding the need for passengers to cross a main line track at grade to get to the far platform. It really was a pointless clusterflub as far as I could gather.

Norfolk Southern claimed the underpass is unsafe to use and a $10 million bridge and platform needs to be built to access the north tracks. Seems like a lame objection to me, since the current station only has access to the south track and every train already has to switch over. At other times they had disputes about liability and indemnification that I didn't really understand.

I think the other parties involved should have driven a harder bargain and resorted to litigation if necessary to protect the taxpayers' investment, as County residents really deserve to have access to the train station that they paid for. It's unacceptable to have a 300,000 person county in northern Ohio served by an unheated bus shelter.

 

[neroden]

Taxpayers paid to buy and renovate the old New York Central station. Amtrak, Norfolk Southern, the City, and the County couldn't reach an agreement on actually moving into the station, and all involved parties appear to have given up. Massive failure of leadership. The renovation was beautifully done, too.

The idea appears totally dead, based on what was said at the recent City Council meeting: Elyria Council gives support to proposed Amtrak expansion

Interesting article. The criminals at Norfolk Southern appear to have been the problem. Government needs to nationalize the tracks.

 

[bms]

Interesting article. The criminals at Norfolk Southern appear to have been the problem. Government needs to nationalize the tracks.

It's easy to blame Norfolk Southern, but Amtrak should have pushed WAY harder to open the new station.