Worst Amtrak Station?

[AmtrakBlue]

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

There's a group that lives in Mexico, I think near the CA border. Some in the US use the trains to go visit family in Mexico. Some to get medical aid in Mexico.

 

[Cal]

There's a group that lives in Mexico, I think near the CA border. Some in the US use the trains to go visit family in Mexico. Some to get medical aid in Mexico.

Pretty sure I've seen some get on to head towards LA as well

 

[Oreius]

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.

Very interesting. I live in Lebanon County, PA. While it’s considered PA Dutch Country, the vast majority of the plain folk are Old Order Mennonite. We also have more liberal Mennonites, like “Black Bumper.” They drive all black cars and big-butt vans that usually have no stainless steel or chrome. The Old Order people still use buggies.

Where I used to live, Warren County, PA (located near Erie), there were a substantial amount of actual Amish in the northwestern part of the county. I’ve seen Mennonites on the Keystones between Lancaster and NYP, however.

I was amazed Amish would go to a hot place like Tampa. Maybe they were taking part in a charity event.

 

[pennyk]

I was amazed Amish would go to a hot place like Tampa. Maybe they were taking part in a charity event.

I believe from Tampa, they generally take a bus to Sarasota where there is some sort of Amish "center" (so I heard).

 

[MikefromCrete]

Very interesting. I live in Lebanon County, PA. While it’s considered PA Dutch Country, the vast majority of the plain folk are Old Order Mennonite. We also have more liberal Mennonites, like “Black Bumper.” They drive all black cars and big-butt vans that usually have no stainless steel or chrome. The Old Order people still use buggies.

Where I used to live, Warren County, PA (located near Erie), there were a substantial amount of actual Amish in the northwestern part of the county. I’ve seen Mennonites on the Keystones between Lancaster and NYP, however.

I was amazed Amish would go to a hot place like Tampa. Maybe they were taking part in a charity event.

Very interesting. I live in Lebanon County, PA. While it’s considered PA Dutch Country, the vast majority of the plain folk are Old Order Mennonite. We also have more liberal Mennonites, like “Black Bumper.” They drive all black cars and big-butt vans that usually have no stainless steel or chrome. The Old Order people still use buggies.

Where I used to live, Warren County, PA (located near Erie), there were a substantial amount of actual Amish in the northwestern part of the county. I’ve seen Mennonites on the Keystones between Lancaster and NYP, however.

I was amazed Amish would go to a hot place like Tampa. Maybe they were taking part in a charity event.

The Amish have compounds in Mexico. Why wouldn't they travel to Florida?

 

[me_little_me]

There's a group that lives in Mexico, I think near the CA border. Some in the US use the trains to go visit family in Mexico. Some to get medical aid in Mexico.

Many get off in El Paso and take buses/vans there to go to Mexico for medical treatment. I've seen and talked with them on the Sunset Limited while traveling to El Paso myself.

Those who were first timers were shocked to see giant fenced areas with only a few cows in West Texas as they are used to small areas with lots of them. I told them that the sparsity of vegetation and water meant you count the number of acres per cow rather than the number of cows per acre. The better off ones were in sleepers but many traveled in coach. Much cheaper to take a train to El Paso and van into Mexico for operations than to pay for an operation in the U.S. when you don't have insurance. One man about my age and his wife were traveling for her cancer operation.

 

[Oreius]

I never knew Amish or other Plain Community members would go to Mexico. Especially since our healthcare it top notch here in the US.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I never knew Amish or other Plain Community members would go to Mexico. Especially since our healthcare it top notch here in the US.

Top notch cost $$$$$$$$$ They do not have health insurance, so they go where they can get care at a price they can pay.

 

[neroden]

I do find myself wondering what Amtrak is going to do about Deming. Deming is a *problem* due to the lack of platform; it probably is the worst station on the system by any reasonable measure.

 

[Cal]

I do find myself wondering what Amtrak is going to do about Deming. Deming is a *problem* due to the lack of platform; it probably is the worst station on the system by any reasonable measure.

Multiple stations on the sunset route are just as developed as Deming.

and what about Thurmond, where there’s not even a town to go to in case of a late train?

 

[neroden]

Multiple stations on the sunset route are just as developed as Deming.

and what about Thurmond, where there’s not even a town to go to in case of a late train?

All the others have platforms, though. "Board from a grade crossing while the train blocks the grade crossing" is currently unique to Deming.

 

[west point]

IMO Stations need to be in some arbitrary categories based on number of passengers. The first would be those under average of 20; Then 40 which is also the break point of staffed stations.; Next have no idea maybe 100 tThen then above that ?

 

[Devil's Advocate]

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.

We've been over this before. Amtrak did not have millions of dollars to rehabilitate Sunset Station and it was deteriorating beyond their ability to maintain it.

I never knew Amish or other Plain Community members would go to Mexico. Especially since our healthcare it top notch here in the US.

Being top notch doesn't mean much when tens of millions cannot afford it and must wait until a medical condition reaches a critical state to receive care.

 

[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.

I disagree about Dallas. The "Real" Waiting Room is Upstairs occupied by Wolfgang Puck Catering.

Amtrak is located in the Dark Basement (just like. PIttsburgh's dungeon,), with a few hard wooden benches and Vending Machines, and guarded by Security Guards and only Open to Amtrak Ticket Holders, since Union Staion is also an Internodel Station shared with DART and TRE.

 

[Cal]

All the others have platforms, though. "Board from a grade crossing while the train blocks the grade crossing" is currently unique to Deming.

I am almost positive it’s the same situation in Thurmond and I know for sure it’s the same in lordsburg. Benson isn’t much better with a tiny slab of concrete smaller than the grade crossing.

 

[frequentflyer]

We've been over this before. Amtrak did not have millions of dollars to rehabilitate Sunset Station and it was deteriorating beyond their ability to maintain it.


Being top notch doesn't mean much when tens of millions cannot afford it and must wait until a medical condition reaches a critical state to receive care.

Seeing how many historic restored stations around the nation that Amtrak leases space out of. Its a shame Amtrak could find a partner to develop ESPEE and stay. Seeing Amtrak other moves here in Texas, must not have been a big priority to stay.

 

[jis]

Amtrak's priorities inevitably depend opn the level of enthusiasm or lack thereof, of the local politicians.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

While I have not been through it in several years and am in no hurry to do so again, San Antonio (SAS) has been an absolute dumpster fire. It is in a very bad part of town, has hard molded plastic chairs in a harshly lit room with an overpriced vending machine and informercial TV roaring away. And since SAS's train action is all late night, so much the worse.

 

[Bob Dylan]

While I have not been through it in several years and am in no hurry to do so again, San Antonio (SAS) has been an absolute dumpster fire. It is in a very bad part of town, has hard molded plastic chairs in a harshly lit room with an overpriced vending machine and informercial TV roaring away. And since SAS's train action is all late night, so much the worse.

The worst of the Big City Stations with Houston in Second Place!

 

[frequentflyer]

While I have not been through it in several years and am in no hurry to do so again, San Antonio (SAS) has been an absolute dumpster fire. It is in a very bad part of town, has hard molded plastic chairs in a harshly lit room with an overpriced vending machine and informercial TV roaring away. And since SAS's train action is all late night, so much the worse.

The neighborhood is not that bad, the area around ESPEE is getting redeveloped so the atmosphere will improve. The old Amshack design panned for it being generic felt more cozy than SAT's station. Because all of Amtrak's action is at night may be the problem.

https://www.google.com/maps/@29.419...4!1sS3Cq0ERFrGpm29AmfhdkEw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

 

[TrackWalker]

IMO Stations need to be in some arbitrary categories based on number of passengers. The first would be those under average of 20; Then 40 which is also the break point of staffed stations.; Next have no idea maybe 100 tThen then above that ?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amtrak_Standard_Stations_Program

 

[neroden]

I am almost positive it’s the same situation in Thurmond and I know for sure it’s the same in lordsburg. Benson isn’t much better with a tiny slab of concrete smaller than the grade crossing.

There's a platform in Thurmond, though it's just asphalt at track level. It's not the grade crossing itself. There are active plans and designs for building a better concrete platform, last I heard being negotiated with the National Park Service over historic preservation questions.

https://www.nps.gov/neri/planyourvisit/thurmond.htm
You're right, Lordsburg is in the same state as Deming. I will add it to my list of not-finished-with-ADA-compliance stations.

 

[frequentflyer]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amtrak_Standard_Stations_Program

Thanks for the walk down memory lane for some of those "standard" stations.

 

[me_little_me]

You're right, Lordsburg is in the same state as Deming. I will add it to my list of not-finished-with-ADA-compliance stations.

But neither of them are in the country. If you don't believe me, ask the Deming/Lordsburg locals to tell their stories about "one of Our 50 is Missing" or read the last page of any issue of New Mexico Magazine.

I even have one. After Officer Training School, I returned home on leave and to arrange having my baggage sent to my first duty station. My parents had a party and invited all the relatives. When asked where I was going, I told them Albuquerque, New Mexico. At least one of the relatives said "I didn't know the United States had bases in that country". Yes, folks, American Geography and History were apparently not taught in those days either. And it hasn't changed since.

 

[Cal]

There's a platform in Thurmond, though it's just asphalt at track level. It's not the grade crossing itself. There are active plans and designs for building a better concrete platform, last I heard being negotiated with the National Park Service over historic preservation questions.

I don't think they use it, according to this video.