US Airports and Transit Connections

[rail sale]

Burbank Airport has a connection to Metrolink/Amtrak. SFO connects to BART which you can take to Richmond or Oakland.

Thanks, I've added here Check out the Airports, Baseball and Football venues you can get to by using the #Amtrak national network. You can also see all the tram, light rail and subway connected cities.

 

[jiml]

Burbank Airport has a connection to Metrolink/Amtrak. SFO connects to BART which you can take to Richmond or Oakland.

Kudos on reading through previous posts in this thread and summarizing with your own.

 

[Trollopian]

Thanks, I've added here Check out the Airports, Baseball and Football venues you can get to by using the #Amtrak national network. You can also see all the tram, light rail and subway connected cities.

Thank you, rail sale, from this baseball fan! For other lovers of trains and the great American summer pastime, revisit the thread at Self-guided baseball trip on Amtrak?.

Since you nicely ask us to suggest additions to your map, how about this one: the Harrisburg PA Senators, the Washington Nationals' AA farm team, play at FNB Field on charming City Island, less than a mile from the Amtrak station which has some of the best small-city service anywhere.

 

[MIrailfan]

Kudos on reading through previous posts in this thread and summarizing with your own.

where

 

[Ryan]

Extensive discussion on SFO starting with the 4th post in the thread.

Having grown up in the SF Bay Area, I remember with some fanfare the "Big Deal" that having BART connect directly to SFO was. It was a watershed moment, taking one of the first BART trains that ran in June of 2003, when I was able to step right from a train and into the International Terminal without having to perform a transfer-within-a-transfer to do so (looking at you JFK and EWR).

Burbank was previously covered as well:

Nice map. Obvious omission is Burbank Bob Hope Airport. Exit the airport and cross the street to Amtrak and Metrolink, and I believe there's a station for another Metrolink line on the north side of the airport. One of the best-served airports I know of.

 

[rail sale]

Thank you, rail sale, from this baseball fan! For other lovers of trains and the great American summer pastime, revisit the thread at Self-guided baseball trip on Amtrak?.

Since you nicely ask us to suggest additions to your map, how about this one: the Harrisburg PA Senators, the Washington Nationals' AA farm team, play at FNB Field on charming City Island, less than a mile from the Amtrak station which has some of the best small-city service anywhere.

Oh that looks like an awesome park! I've added it to my map at Check out the Airports, Baseball and Football venues you can get to by using the #Amtrak national network. You can also see all the tram, light rail and subway connected cities.

 

[jiml]

Oh that looks like an awesome park! I've added it to my map at Check out the Airports, Baseball and Football venues you can get to by using the #Amtrak national network. You can also see all the tram, light rail and subway connected cities.

If the border ever re-opens and Amtrak resumes either through or connecting service to Toronto, the station is right next door to the ballpark.

 

[Bob Dylan]

If the border ever re-opens and Amtrak resumes either through or connecting service to Toronto, the station is right next door to the ballpark.

View attachment 22259

Always be Skydome to me!

 

[user 1215]

And then there are airports where a transit line was built nearby, but you still have to take a shuttle bus to get there. I'm looking at you Dallas Love Field. When DART was building the Green/Orange line to the northwest of Dallas, they were mostly using old rail ROW that goes by Love Field, but wanted to tunnel a detour to get to the terminal. The problem was that the Fed didn't think this was worth the cost and wouldn't offer federal funding for that part of the project. DART couldn't afford it on its own, so here we are. If you like planes, its a beautiful view from the train to watch Southwest planes takeoff and land. But if you want to get there, you have to transfer to a bus that runs every 20 minutes. But Southwest HQ gets a nice station too. There are ideas to build a tunnel from the Burbank Station with perhaps a moving sidewalk or people mover.

DFW, of course, was designed as a car airport in the 60's. You drive up to your gate and walk across the concourse with very little effort. That was the idea. Rail service was an afterthought, so ridership on the Orange Line and TexRail is relatively low for a major airport. The Silver Line to DFW is slated to open in 2023 though!

I second this evaluation. The DART and TexRail stations at the airport are inconvenient. You have about a 5-10 minute walk just to get indoors, then another 5-10 minutes getting to security, then another 5-10 minutes getting to the SkyLink. It's not horrible, but for the mobility impaired, it can be quite difficult as no airport mobility services are available outside (to my knowledge). Add inclimate weather or the Texas Heat and it can be miserable.

Is the Silver (Cotton Belt) line going to be any better? I think it just parks with TexRail at Terminal B?

I would really really like to see an underground walk from Burbank with moving sidewalks. But the bus isn't so bad. I have a friend who used to commute via Burbank to Love daily and enjoyed it. He also didn't work at the terminal but rather at another location at the airport that the bus can service, whereas a direct link to the terminal would be an inconvenience.

 

[saxman]

I second this evaluation. The DART and TexRail stations at the airport are inconvenient. You have about a 5-10 minute walk just to get indoors, then another 5-10 minutes getting to security, then another 5-10 minutes getting to the SkyLink. It's not horrible, but for the mobility impaired, it can be quite difficult as no airport mobility services are available outside (to my knowledge). Add inclimate weather or the Texas Heat and it can be miserable.

Is the Silver (Cotton Belt) line going to be any better? I think it just parks with TexRail at Terminal B?

Yeah, its about 5 minutes or less to get indoors from DART at Terminal A. Same from TexRail into Terminal B. There are ADA shuttle buses that serve each terminal on the upper level, or the SkyLink, of course.

Yes, the Silver Line will share the platform with TexRail at Terminal B.

 

[NEPATrainTraveler]

My local airport, AVP, as with the rest of northeast PA, has no passenger train service, unfortunately. AVP is served by a local bus though, which is operated by LCTA (Wilkes-Barre's public transit system) that connects the airport with downtown Scranton (outbound from Wilkes-Barre) and downtown Wilkes-Barre (inbound to Wilkes-Barre). The bus drops off and picks up right at the entrance to the terminal building. The bus only runs during the day though, no night service and no Sunday service either. There are only a handful of runs a day in each direction, so the frequency is not great. Better than nothing though.

 

[user 1215]

Yeah, its about 5 minutes or less to get indoors from DART at Terminal A. Same from TexRail into Terminal B. There are ADA shuttle buses that serve each terminal on the upper level, or the SkyLink, of course.

Yes, the Silver Line will share the platform with TexRail at Terminal B.

I know it doesn't seem like much, but why couldn't they just dig under for the last 1/4 mile and provide weather proof indoor transfers? I know, I know... Cost.

 

[Willbridge]

I know it doesn't seem like much, but why couldn't they just dig under for the last 1/4 mile and provide weather proof indoor transfers? I know, I know... Cost.

There are also the security issues. As Denver's new airport assumed a future rail access the basement could have been designed for a station shell directly beneath. Even before the 9/11 concerns there was thought given to the dangers of rail transportation. Of course, autos and trucks were okay beneath the structure.

 

[boratwanksta]

South Bend's airport, has the South Shore Line(South Bend-Chicago) directly serving that airport. And while it isn't a direct train connection, Transpo bus route #4 does put you(after you board it at South Bend Airport) within 21/2 blocks(if you get off/on at Orange St and Olive St), of the South Bend Amtrak station. http://sbtranspo.com/images/uploads/pdfs/4_Schedule.pdf

I remember back when 'Mayor Pete' was still South Bend mayor, that a few people(including Pete) did float the idea of restoring South Shore Line service(and/or Amtrak service) back into the former South Bend Union Station building. Which when I've visited South Bend in the past, appears to sometimes be used for events, such as(at least according to signage I saw inside, through one of the windows) for a job fair for Four Winds Casino South Bend. Which is across the street from the South Bend Cubs stadium. Hopefully that does occur one day where train service does use South Bend Union Station one day, again. There also is a bus transit center, within a few blocks of the SB Cubs stadium, and the former(still standing, btw) South Bend Union Station station building.

 

[jebr]

There are also the security issues. As Denver's new airport assumed a future rail access the basement could have been designed for a station shell directly beneath. Even before the 9/11 concerns there was thought given to the dangers of rail transportation. Of course, autos and trucks were okay beneath the structure.

I find it even more surprising, then, that the Blue Line in MSP goes right under the airport and basically into the (enclosed) parking ramp lobby. The tracks run underground under two active runways, along with parts of the C and G concources. It's mightily convenient, and I'm not sure it would've happened had planning been done 10 years later - planning was done in the late 90s and groundbreaking was in January 2001, with opening in 2004.

 

[Willbridge]

I find it even more surprising, then, that the Blue Line in MSP goes right under the airport and basically into the (enclosed) parking ramp lobby. The tracks run underground under two active runways, along with parts of the C and G concources. It's mightily convenient, and I'm not sure it would've happened had planning been done 10 years later - planning was done in the late 90s and groundbreaking was in January 2001, with opening in 2004.

I'm familiar with that. The security concern in Denver was locally manufactured. In Minneapolis a similar concern was developed at Mall of America. In Lakewood, Colorado the police did not want a transit bus transfer center at the civic center near the police station "...because of the kind of people it would bring." They were over-ruled and it's been working fine for over two decades.

 

[user 1215]

There are also the security issues. As Denver's new airport assumed a future rail access the basement could have been designed for a station shell directly beneath. Even before the 9/11 concerns there was thought given to the dangers of rail transportation. Of course, autos and trucks were okay beneath the structure.

Every train that travels south of Washington Union Station goes right under the United States Capitol Building, so I don't think that was the main concern.

 

[Ryan]

You are incorrect. They don't even run under the grounds, let alone the building.

 

[jis]

You are incorrect. They don't even run under the grounds, let alone the building.

Indeed. There really is a very good reason that the tunnel in question is called the First Street Tunnel. That is as close as it gets to the Capitol Building.

In terms of surface features, it runs between the Russell and Dirksen Senate Office Buildings, then by the front of the Supreme Court and the Library of Congress, and then curves under the Cannon House Office Building to emerges near the crossing of D St. SE and New Jersey Ave, SE.

 

[Trollopian]

Dulles Airport (IAD), serving mostly longer-haul (including international) flights to/from the DC area, is another airport served by a "better-than-nothing," rail-to-bus connection: Airport and Rail Access | WMATA.

Current scuttlebutt is that the Silver Line extension to Dulles will open in early 2022. Station will be above-ground, opposite the terminal, so not a weather- and barrier-free schlep. See https://www.dullesmetro.com/silver-line-stations/dulles-airport1/. But at least it'll provide passengers and their wheeled luggage a nonstop ride to the inner VA suburbs and central DC. I've returned to Dulles on many international flights, and just cringed with embarrassment when fellow passengers from, y'know, civilized countries expected that there'd be a smooth way to take public transit into the nation's capital. Nah. They had to wait for a pokey and infrequent bus or rent a car.

 

[Trollopian]

In my other town (I'm "bi-urban"), don't hold your breath waiting for rail service at the airport. But assuming you arrive by air rather than chug in on Amtrak's Capitol Limited or Pennsylvanian, the 28X Airport Flyer is one of Pittsburgh's great bargains. $2.75 by cash ($2.50 with a ConnectCard) from the airport to downtown and the university district. Respectably frequent service, every half-hour during peak weekday times and less frequent (but still available) on weekends and holidays. See PortAuthority.org - Airport Service.

Wondering whether to invest in a ConnectCard, the transit system's tap-and-ride "smart card?" Well, you can also use it to ride Pittsburgh's iconic inclines. Yinz welcome.

 

[John from RI]

You mean NJT Route 62, right? It will continue to be the cheapest way even after PATH is extended to EWR, unless of course NJT chooses to discontinue it

It is unlikely that New Jersey Transit will discontinue bus route 62 which connects Newark Airport with Newark Penn Station. The reason is that the bus makes a number of other stops too. Frugal travelers will find the NJT 62 Bus the cheapest connection between the Airport and Newark Penn Station by far. And the bus also stops at NJT's Elizabeth Station which is convenient for people who want to take an NJT train toward Trenton. There is a bus stop at each NJ Liberty Airport Terminal.

The Monorail and the EWR train station are convenient if a lot more expensive. And the trains run directly to New York Penn Station. And it is possible to change at Secaucus for Morris and Essex, Boonton and Bergen County or Main Line trains.

 

[John from RI]

Has that platform track, which is an MBTA and RIDOT funded project mostly, been electrified yet? If not that would be a significant reason for Amtrak to not stop there.

The other issue is that there is a single platform there on the southbound side, which is literally impossible to access from the northbound main. Even if it was, accessing it would cause all sorts of conflicting moves across the southbound main in the middle of a high speed section. So until another platform is built with an electrified siding on the northbound side, you can rest completely assured that Amtrak is not going to stop at TF Green Warwick. It will just be served by MBTA.

There are MBTA trains between Providence and Wakefield RI (a commuter station) which stop at Warwick and are accessible to the TF Green Airport. They are not frequent; if you plan to use one I suggest you be sure to look at the MBTA schedule for its Providence line.
If you are at the T F Green Airport in Warwick and want to change to an Amtrak train the most direct way is to go to Providence either by train or by bus. Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) offers frequent bus service between the Airport and its Providence Bus Station at Kennedy Plaza. That is a 10-minute walk from the Amtrak Station. There are also frequent busses to the Gaspee Street entrance.
From the Airport there is also a RIPTA bus no. 66 to Kingston Amtrak Station stopping at University of Rhode Island and other places.

 

[BCL]

San Jose was mentioned. They used to have the free VTA Route 10 that looped from the Santa Clara Caltrain/ACE/Amtrak station and 1st Street in San Jose. It looks like it was merged with VTA Route 60, but no longer free. However, it does connect with the Santa Clara station, the VTA Light Rail Green/Blue lines, and Milpitas BART station.

 

[Trollopian]

Dulles Airport (IAD), serving mostly longer-haul (including international) flights to/from the DC area, is another airport served by a "better-than-nothing," rail-to-bus connection: Airport and Rail Access | WMATA.

Current scuttlebutt is that the Silver Line extension to Dulles will open in early 2022. Station will be above-ground, opposite the terminal, so not a weather- and barrier-free schlep. See https://www.dullesmetro.com/silver-line-stations/dulles-airport1/. But at least it'll provide passengers and their wheeled luggage a nonstop ride to the inner VA suburbs and central DC. I've returned to Dulles on many international flights, and just cringed with embarrassment when fellow passengers from, y'know, civilized countries expected that there'd be a smooth way to take public transit into the nation's capital. Nah. They had to wait for a pokey and infrequent bus or rent a car.

Newest scuttlebutt is that Dulles extension will open in "late fall or winter" (i.e., late 2022 or early 2023). From a Washington Post story about Metro's new general manager, hired from Austin, TX and scheduled to start in July, "On Thursday, [Andy] Off [senior vice president for capital projects and interim general manager] said Metro was several weeks away from starting final tests and preparations to open the 11.4-mile Silver Line extension from Reston to Loudoun County. The extension, delayed by nearly four years because of construction issues, could open in late fall or winter, providing the first rail stop to Washington Dulles International Airport."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2022/06/10/metro-wmata-general-manager/