Railroad Forums 

  • Stations that Amtrak should move elsewhere

  • Discussion related to Amtrak also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corp.
Discussion related to Amtrak also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corp.

Moderators: GirlOnTheTrain, mtuandrew, Tadman

 #1522932  by mtuandrew
 
Sometimes Amtrak had to plop down a station in sub-optimal areas after 1971, or took over a station built by a predecessor that was trying to cut costs. Which ones should Amtrak relocate? I’m specifically looking for cities and regions where Amtrak is nowhere near desirable/passenger-heavy parts of cities.

SOB and MIA come to mind. What else do you have?

(FYI, I’m not necessarily saying “move back into union stations or their sites” because those aren’t always the most practical either. Detroit Michigan Central comes to mind, since Detroit New Center is an ok location and Ford hasn’t fully redeveloped the area around MCS.)
 #1522934  by Bob Roberts
 
My criteria for a good station location is that it does not require a cab / uber ride to get around after arrival. GIven that I'll put the following on my 'list':

Charlotte for sure. The current station is beside the NS yard in no-man's land and it is difficult for people to access no matter the mode they use to get there. Fortunately the new downtown Gateway Station is underway and it will have a far superior location from just about everyone's perspective, but we are stuck with what we have for another 4(ish) years at least.

All of the other NCRR station locations are pretty good in terms of pedestrian accessibility to their respective downtowns.

As an out of towner I'll add Richmond Staples Mill to the list as well. I know it offers parking and is convenient for folks in the North burbs but that location has discouraged me from visiting Richmond for the past 20 years -- it was always just too much of a pain to get from the trains (coming from NC) to downtown for me to ever bother stopping. Fixing the Southern approach to RMS will fix this problem and I suspect their new BRT service may get me to visit before then.

Greenville SC and Atlanta also have stations which are in unfortunate locations for non-locals. Lindberg or even Doraville might be better choices in Atlanta than Brookwood, but its really a shame that the city gave away the Gulch site. I am not sure that Greenville can be improved at all with current track layouts.

I totally agree on South Bend (goes for the South Shore as well)

Buffalo DePew, Syracuse, Albany, Portland ME, Charleston and Savannah (not much could be done in either of last two short of terminating trains on arrival)....
 #1522937  by SouthernRailway
 
Charlotte, agreed. I can't figure out why it's taking so long to move the station to uptown Charlotte. A move has been planned for over 10 years. The private sector could have done this a long time ago (see Brightline).

Greenville, agreed. The station is at the end of the earth. Surprisingly, it's just about 3 blocks from a high-income street (Hampton Avenue) and about 1/2 mile from a high-end, booming downtown, but the area around it is totally derelict and invisible to people.

Norfolk Southern runs a rail line through a nice, booming area (the West End), and a platform there would certainly help ridership and make the train more visible, but that would require the Crescent to back up off the main line, go to the platform, and then return to the main line, which would take maybe 15 minutes, even though the West End is less than a mile from the NS main line that Amtrak currently uses.
Last edited by SouthernRailway on Sun Oct 20, 2019 4:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
 #1522939  by mtuandrew
 
Re: Buffalo Depew and Richmond Staples Mill, I think there’s plenty of value in having a suburban station at both. I just wish they weren’t the only option for through service (that is, I’d like if LD trains could feasibly serve Buffalo Exchange Street and Richmond Main Street.)

Along those lines, in the Twin Cities there should also be an Amtrak stop (a platform and small shelter) in Minneapolis proper as well as St. Paul. In particular, if placed here it would be two blocks from the Green Line LRT and the University of Minnesota football stadium. Not really in a neighborhood, but close to a major traffic generator (the U of M.) Less about moving a station, more about better serving a metropolitan area with two major population centers.
 #1522955  by andegold
 
SouthernRailway wrote: Sun Oct 20, 2019 5:27 pm NY Penn Station

(Dumpy station in a semi-dodgy area)
If there is anything dodgy about the neighborhood around Penn Station it is due to Penn Station. The halls and elevators may need renovation but the location itself is absolutely prime. On site access to two out of five north south subway lines and one block from two of the remaining three. Bus service to Hudson Yards. Walking distance to the theater district. Other than the mythical connection to Grand Central there really isn't anything you could do to make the physical location better. Just clean it up the way it was ten years ago before the idiot in Gracie Mansion came to town.
 #1522957  by Roadgeek Adam
 
Bob Roberts wrote: Sun Oct 20, 2019 3:30 pm My criteria for a good station location is that it does not require a cab / uber ride to get around after arrival. GIven that I'll put the following on my 'list':

Charlotte for sure. The current station is beside the NS yard in no-man's land and it is difficult for people to access no matter the mode they use to get there. Fortunately the new downtown Gateway Station is underway and it will have a far superior location from just about everyone's perspective, but we are stuck with what we have for another 4(ish) years at least.

All of the other NCRR station locations are pretty good in terms of pedestrian accessibility to their respective downtowns.

As an out of towner I'll add Richmond Staples Mill to the list as well. I know it offers parking and is convenient for folks in the North burbs but that location has discouraged me from visiting Richmond for the past 20 years -- it was always just too much of a pain to get from the trains (coming from NC) to downtown for me to ever bother stopping. Fixing the Southern approach to RMS will fix this problem and I suspect their new BRT service may get me to visit before then.

Greenville SC and Atlanta also have stations which are in unfortunate locations for non-locals. Lindberg or even Doraville might be better choices in Atlanta than Brookwood, but its really a shame that the city gave away the Gulch site. I am not sure that Greenville can be improved at all with current track layouts.

I totally agree on South Bend (goes for the South Shore as well)

Buffalo DePew, Syracuse, Albany, Portland ME, Charleston and Savannah (not much could be done in either of last two short of terminating trains on arrival)....

Charlotte - Charlotte Gateway Station will take care of that.

Richmond Staples Mill serves as a park and ride suburban station. It works.

South Bend - Yeah the old Bendix stop needs to end, but I doubt it happens any time soon.

Atlanta - Needs a new station period. Peachtree station is a pretty poor station for a big urban area.

Buffalo Depew - We'll see what happens once the new Buffalo Exchange Street opens, but Depew, the station I use, serves good purpose with the LSL.

Syracuse - It's already downtown. No need for change.

Albany-Rensselaer - Where are you building a new stop and it wouldn't close Rensselaer period.
 #1522962  by hi55us
 
Providence, Rhode Island. They need to have all the trains stop down by the airport and have easy car rental options and more parking. The current station does a poor job of servicing these two needs.
 #1522963  by mtuandrew
 
hi55us wrote: Sun Oct 20, 2019 8:26 pm Providence, Rhode Island. They need to have all the trains stop down by the airport and have easy car rental options and more parking. The current station does a poor job of servicing these two needs.
Are you saying move all PVD service away from downtown to the TF Green Airport station, or expand the station at TF Green so Amtrak can also use it? Seems foolhardy to take away a station at the doorstep of the State Capitol.
 #1522964  by TomNelligan
 
Regarding Providence, it wouldn't bother me if Amtrak added some stops at suburban T. F Green Airport, but the current downtown station is quite convenient to the city's business and entertainment district and a five-minute walk from the transit center at JFK Plaza. Of course the old Providence Union Station was a couple blocks closer. It was closed in the 1980s when the tracks were relocated to the current alignment to allow real estate and park development along the original right-of-way. The classic 1898 building now accommodates offices and an excellent brewpub.
 #1522966  by njtmnrrbuff
 
The current Providence Station is fine. It's in a great location, extremely close to the downtown area with lots of shops and restaurants. I was just there and used Amtrak Acela to get there. I have gotten off and picked up trains there many times. It's location is very convenient if you live in a lot of the northern part of Rhode Island and just over the MA/RI State Line.

It would be nice if TF Green Station was used to accommodate Amtrak trains. That station is great if you live in the southern suburbs of Providence.

In conclusion-even if TF Green Station was built to handle Amtrak trains, that doesn't mean close the current Providence Station.
 #1522985  by rcthompson04
 
Ardmore PA is not the best location for the “eastern” Keystone Service stop. It is not so much a problem with Ardmore as much as Villanova/ Radnor would serve a broader area. Hopefully the station is moved when the Villa and Nova interlockings replace Bryn Mawr over the next decade.
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 7