Worst Amtrak Station?

[bms]

There's also a big difference between having a section of the original station and being relegated to the basement or a nearby building. In Kansas City, the Amtrak area is still in the original station and is accessed by walking through the main hall. Meanwhile, there are other stations such as Pittsburgh and Indianapolis where the original main station building is now used entirely for other purposes.

Pittsburgh and Cleveland stations both feel like passengers are being punished. For being close to the downtowns, they are both pretty well hidden too.

Pittsburgh's Greyhound station across the street isn't half bad, they should have made it into an intermodal station for Amtrak and Greyhound when they renovated it a decade or so ago.

 

[zephyr17]

A lot of stations aren't even owned by Amtrak. "Leasing" space and putting up signage.

Outside the Northeast Corridor, I would say they own few of them.

I know for a fact that they don't own King Street in Seattle, that is owned by the City of Seattle. Portland is owned by the City of Portland. LA Union is owned by Metro. Many local stations are still owned by the railroads or the local communities with the tracks owned by the railroad. San Diego is owned by some local real estate company with the tracks owned by NCTD.

 

[Oreius]

I believe the worst Amtrak station I’ve been to or seen is NY-Penn. Now, I have not seen the new Train Hall so I can’t say it is STILL the worst. Penn was very filthy for many years; disgusting restrooms filled with homeless people, homeless wandering around the concourse, the Amtrak waiting room had curtains that had not been replaced or vacuumed seemingly since the 70s—among other things. The boarding process is simply too chaotic; I ALWAYS procure a RedCap.

 

[Oreius]

My parents don’t like Kissimmee or Tampa, though. They claim both stations are in “seedy” areas. However, these two stations are originals and provide an insight to the Golden Age of Rail Travel. Both stations are staffed and have security when open, so I did not feel unsafe.

 

[jis]

I believe the worst Amtrak station I’ve been to or seen is NY-Penn. Now, I have not seen the new Train Hall so I can’t say it is STILL the worst. Penn was very filthy for many years; disgusting restrooms filled with homeless people, homeless wandering around the concourse, the Amtrak waiting room had curtains that had not been replaced or vacuumed seemingly since the 70s—among other things. The boarding process is simply too chaotic; I ALWAYS procure a RedCap.

Admittedly the Amslab at Borie was quite clean while it lasted and it had no toilets other than to walk out into the field and choose a suitable spot.

 

[frequentflyer]

What do you expect? This is TEXAS!!!!

I don't know about that, Temple, FTW, Dallas are nice to name a few. Though, I still do not know why Amtrak had to leave Sunset station. What a shame.

 

[Bob Dylan]

I don't know about that, Temple, FTW, Dallas are nice to name a few. Though, I still do not know why Amtrak had to leave Sunset station. What a shame.

Does Dallas have another Station besides Union Station, which has Amtrak stuck in the Basement like Pittsburgh, while Wolfgang Puck Catering uses the Grand Waiting Room upstairs??

 

[MARC Rider]

Pittsburgh and Cleveland stations both feel like passengers are being punished. For being close to the downtowns, they are both pretty well hidden too.

Pittsburgh's Greyhound station across the street isn't half bad, they should have made it into an intermodal station for Amtrak and Greyhound when they renovated it a decade or so ago.

Pittsburgh Station


Whoops, this is no longer used as the station. Here's the station:


Note the classy lighting effects.


A view of the inside. At least it's clean, lighted, and staffed. There is an escalator to the platform, but it's being rebuilt. There's also an elevator.

 

[lizpackslight]

Speaking of stations, we passed by McComb, MS a day or so after the fire last week. I understand they were able to save some of the railroad memorabilia, but the building is likely a total loss. Sad.

 

[railiner]

Admittedly the Amslab at Borie was quite clean while it lasted and it had no toilets other than to walk out into the field and choose a suitable spot.

The chartered Greyhound did have a restroom...and you were only on it for maybe 20 minutes, at most. If the SFZ was delayed, the bus stayed at the Cheyenne station, until the train got close...

 

[jis]

The chartered Greyhound did have a restroom...and you were only on it for maybe 20 minutes, at most. If the SFZ was delayed, the bus stayed at the Cheyenne station, until the train got close...

You missed the laughing smiley apparently The whole thing was a joke in response to someone complaining about NYP being the worst station

 

[Barb Stout]

View attachment 22849
Speaking of stations, we passed by McComb, MS a day or so after the fire last week. I understand they were able to save some of the railroad memorabilia, but the building is likely a total loss. Sad.

Is the cause of the fire known?

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Is the cause of the fire known?

Arson

https://www.wapt.com/article/mccomb-man-charged-with-arson-in-train-depot-fire/36611040#

 

[Willbridge]

Speaking of buses, who remembers when the chartered Greyhound that shuttled passenger's between the Cheyenne station and the train stop at Borie, Wy. was the station? For quite a while. The station agent even rode the bus to handle the checked baggage.

One advantage...they did not have to make double stops on a long train...the bus took passengers to their assigned cars once the train was stopped.

Courtesy of my colleague, Jeff Dunning...

 

[Chucks]

My parents don’t like Kissimmee or Tampa, though. They claim both stations are in “seedy” areas. However, these two stations are originals and provide an insight to the Golden Age of Rail Travel. Both stations are staffed and have security when open, so I did not feel unsafe.

Tampa, yes, very “seedy.” Kissimmee? No! It’s right in the middle of “downtown” and it’s completely safe.

[Edited to add a “fun fact” …]
I live in view of the Kissimmee Amtrak station and get to see the four daily Silvers pass through. Two of them (97/98) are scheduled over a 25-minute period. It’s fun when 91 runs late and 97/98 are closer together (and sometimes throw in a SunRail or two) and there is a “traffic jam” at this small station. Somebody has to wait for it the “mess” to clear.

 

[Oreius]

Tampa, yes, very “seedy.” Kissimmee? No! It’s right in the middle of “downtown” and it’s completely safe.

They were scared while waiting with me in Tampa. They told me don’t you dare leave this station! And I was 38 at the time! But they had armed security present.

 

[Oreius]

What was interesting was a group of 15-20 Amish people and kids boarded with me at Tampa. They went all the way home with me as far as Elizabethtown, PA—but stayed on until Harrisburg. They traveled in Coach.

 

[Oreius]

I live in Amish Country, but I never knew they didn’t shun trains…

 

[jis]

Tampa, yes, very “seedy.” Kissimmee? No! It’s right in the middle of “downtown” and it’s completely safe.

Yeah. It does stretch credulity to breaking point to think of Kissimmee station area as seedy. How long back were they there? Maybe that has something to do with the strange characterization?

 

[pennyk]

They were scared while waiting with me in Tampa. They told me don’t you dare leave this station! And I was 38 at the time! But they had armed security present.

WOW! I go to Tampa sometimes twice a year and either walk from the Station to downtown, to Ybor City or to the Trolley. I have never felt scared or uncomfortable in the area around the station. (I am a "senior citizen" small woman). I have seen security but I do not recall security being "armed."

 

[jis]

WOW! I go to Tampa sometimes twice a year and either walk from the Station to downtown, to Ybor City or to the Trolley. I have never felt scared or uncomfortable in the area around the station. (I am a "senior citizen" small woman). I have seen security but I do not recall security being "armed."

I have not noticed anything scary between Tampa Union Station and either Ybor City or towards the aquarium, and yes I travel there by train several times a year, specially when COVID was yet to arrive. A bit jumpy imagination I suspect.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I live in Amish Country, but I never knew they didn’t shun trains…

They are big users of trains.

 

[zephyr17]

Almost every long distance Amtrak trip I have ever taken has had at least some Amish passengers on it. My trips have been mostly (like 85%) west of Chicago.

 

[danasgoodstuff]

Ths once Grand Buffalo Central Terminal is the one that comes to mind when discussing decaying, poorly maintained Stations.

Buffalo Central Terminal hasn't been used by Amtrak in decades (since the '70s IIRC) and has had some restoration work done, enough to do events there. Part of the issue is that besides being far bigger than they could conceivably use now, it's not very central being well east of downtown (where most Amtrak services, other than the LSL, stop) in the neighborhood that inspired "Funky Broadway". It is a striking edifice still and I have fond memories of it from pre-Amtrak when it was still fairly busy.

 

[Cal]

They are big users of trains.

Yep. I've seen them a lot on Amtrak, even out here in SoCal they will ride the train.