Great Intermediate City Stations

You know, I don't why, but I always like the little brick building station in Amsterdam. NY. Its what I think should be replacing AmShacks everywhere.

I would nominate any station in NC now, EXCEPT Raleigh and Charlotte. They have all been rehabed- check out the latest in Durham at www.bytrain.org

matthewsaggie wrote:I would nominate any station in NC now, EXCEPT Raleigh and Charlotte. They have all been rehabed- check out the latest in Durham at http://www.bytrain.org

If/when the CSX "S" line rebuilding/improvement project is completed, Raleigh and Wake Forest should get together and build a new station on Capital Boulevard somewhere between the beltline and Wake Forest. It's close to a lot of residential areas, making it convenient---possibly more convenient than RDU airport is.

FatNoah wrote:Beyond the obvious elimination of an eyesore, the station is in a no-man's land between Worcester's downtown proper (including sports arena/convention center) and an up-and-coming area that has far more classy bars & restaurants than when I lived there 10 years ago. The station and it's surrounding now acts as a nice bridge between the two areas. The city also believe the city recently completed a 500 space parking garage w/direct access to the station.

Nice little bar in the station proper and there's always a cab outside to take you where you want to go if you don't want to walk past Industrial Row to, er, Groton Hill, was it? (I was living up there at one time--EASY walk to station even in 17F weather.) Or through sketchy neighborhood to that abortion of a mall.

Olympia-Lacey was a neat little station. Guess what you might call "Amshak" but you can go inside, wooden benches, vending, volunteer attendants plus malfunctioning Quiktrak (well, it wouldn't be Amtrak without, &cet), and bus connection to Olympia proper running hourly even on weekends. Primo seafood in Olympia and plenty to see. Glad I stopped there, and had a better time there than Seattle.

Btw, <a href="http://www.apta.com/mediacenter/pressre ... ia-Lacey's transit company won the APTA award</a>. EZ to use & happy operators.

(Wish I could have rented a locker, though.)

Now, under Grand Disappointments: Quantico, VA. Is it still boarded up as it was in 1999? Looked a beaut from the outside, too bad I had to freeze my behind for an hour-late train on the asphalt as the sun inexorably went down . . . first stop on my first and last Amtrak Ride From H-E-&-A Hot Place.

Er, bathrooms in Penn/Baltimore are better than Washingon Union? Click "disagree". XD

Tolerable, yes.

Balto has a great bus system. Penn station is well-situated to make bus connections as well to events in Baltimore. I would go light rail for anything near Harbor/Camden area or to go north to Baltimore County. There used to be a Star Trek convention every year held in a mildewy convention hotel by McCormick station. (Sadly, the spice people off-shored and there's no more pepper days ... NECCO moved out of Cambridge so no more popping out of the red line to the smell of NECCO wafers. Send the paper mills away for all I care, but the spice plant was cool! If sneeze-inducing.)

ALEXANDRIA, VA. Nice little station. Besides the fact that you're walking distance to ALL THE FUN STUFF in Old Town to the waterfront plus METRO CONNECTION HOW COOL IS THAT you can also go Full Foamer and watch the NYC-Dixie overnight consists roll through. Ooo, ooo, and CSX freights. TOO MUCH FUN.

I hadnt seen the before pictures of the Worcester station...amazing! They did a great job. Ive waited for a train there many times (and theres ALWAYS a wedding going on).


I havent seen more than one west coast mention!

Fresno has a nice restored station
http://149.136.20.80/rail/amtrak/assets ... fresno.jpg

And Bakersfield a lovely new one
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... tation.jpg

Note: While the TRAIN terminates at Bakersfield, very few amtrak customers ends or begin their trip there -amtrak buses continue on to LA and other cities. So because amtrak service continues past the station, I think it's fair to call it an intermediate city station.

Portland, OR.

Go By Train

I hope they don't mar the place with that money they just got from the Federal govt. Yes, you were stuck in some lines to board Cascades but, oh!, the building was near to heaven.

Contrawise, big disappoint that King St Station in SEA did not get any gubmint cheez. That building needs a reno, baaaaad.

They need to turn it into a shopping plaza with glorious waiting room, à la South Station, Boston, and they need better street connections, too. I tried to spend some money there but I was dodging cars and in danger of getting lost in what looked to be somewhat sketchy environs. FAIL.

@James

My memory of Emoryville, CA from 2004 was "not too shabby". Inside with machine vending waiting on the Zephyr.

Opposite experience: BWI. HORRIBLE. (I'm picturing exposed concrete blocks... correct me if I'm wrong.) Only pleasure at that station ever was the day I had me a reserved ticket and this group of frantic flyers with cancelled flights (bad weather, donchaknow) were cursing and crying in front of the cold, unfeeling Quiktrak machines. I believe that sort of pleasure is known as Schadenfreude and my understanding is that it's not considered very nice. >:D Oh well, shabby me had a seat on that train while business class had to wait.

Seriously, though, being the last resort and dishing up horrible customer service to boot is not the way to attract or retain customers. Doubt any of them wanted to do business with NRPC again.

Flagstaff, Arizona is very nice visually and pretty nice on the inside as well. Clean restrooms ticket agent and quick ticketing machine, benches, and a car rental counter right there in the waiting room. It is also convenient to downtown and the local hostels. It has the advantage of being in an area where many people can walk to the station from their homes if they are getting the train. Basically it, like Flagstaff itself is everything that Phoenix is not.

Waterbury, VT has a nice station, freshly remodeled about two years ago or so. Nice warm waiting area, not something to scoff at 9pm in the middle of January! Plus, during the day, there is the Green Mountain Coffee Roasters visitors shop, with coffee and snacks. And since it is downtown, it is a short walk to several restaurants and a couple bed and breakfasts.