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  • 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

 #1522996  by Kilo Echo
 
andegold wrote: Sun Oct 20, 2019 6:57 pm
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.
When Penn Station was completed in 1910, it was situated in what was then known as "the Tenderloin" (a notorious red-light district), and had no subway access. It seems ironic that Penn Station has made "dodgy" the same area that it had helped to "prime."
 #1522999  by Greg Moore
 
In regards to Atlanta, until they run more trains, I'm not sure a better station really matters.
What the current one needs is better parking (though the deal with the Mason Lodge does help) and honestly, a 2nd set of stairs/elevator to the platform.

That said, if they do move, they absolutely need to put it next to a MARTA stop.

As for Albany-Rensselaer, this is a strange one. I think moving it to downtown Albany would NOT help. It needs the parking (in fact I'd argue it needs a larger parking garage at this point).

That said, an "infill" station near SUNY-A would make a lot of sense: https://goo.gl/maps/5o1Qkg5f5kVvqmLL6 a walkway across I-90 to SUNY Albany and then shuttle busses to the uptown State office complex and the local malls/airports would tie this in nicely.
 #1523000  by Tadman
 
Savannah perhaps? It's not conducive to the tourist trade, perhaps 30 minutes away from downtown. I'm not sure if there is mainline connection to the railroad museum but I bet the museum would work something out cheap for the carrier to at least terminate the Palmetto downtown.

Regarding Detroit, the location is not bad (fast growing area after decades of utter blight and danger) but the station is a total dive.

Regarding South Bend, the downtown idea may be less feasible because CN/GTW and NS share trackage there for a few miles. The best idea would probably be to close Elkhart and South Bend and open a central station in Mishawaka, half way between the two. The hospital downtown just closed and the area is ripe for redevelopment. And its a very safe and vibrant downtown.
 #1523001  by mcgrath618
 
rcthompson04 wrote: Mon Oct 21, 2019 5:54 am 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.
Seeing as they’re dropping millions into rebuilding Ardmore, I doubt it.
 #1523011  by mtuandrew
 
Tadman wrote: Mon Oct 21, 2019 8:18 am Savannah perhaps? It's not conducive to the tourist trade, perhaps 30 minutes away from downtown. I'm not sure if there is mainline connection to the railroad museum but I bet the museum would work something out cheap for the carrier to at least terminate the Palmetto downtown.

Regarding Detroit, the location is not bad (fast growing area after decades of utter blight and danger) but the station is a total dive.
Re: Savannah, the Georgia State Railroad Museum is no longer connected to outside rail. It’s about 3/4 mile and a missing bridge away. If reconnected it would be a great terminus though, for a RDC or trolley shuttle meeting the Silvers and Palmetto if nothing else.



Re: Detroit, yes, please do make it a better station! It’s smaller than the White Castle across the street :P Location is fine though.

The only place that would have been a really great station location in Detroit is at the Joe Louis property, with a waterfront line connecting the ex-Michigan Central with the former GTW line through the Dequindre Cut. That option has never been seriously considered and is now permanently off the table with the Dequindre Trail.
Last edited by mtuandrew on Mon Oct 21, 2019 11:51 am, edited 1 time in total.
 #1523021  by Roadgeek Adam
 
Tadman wrote: Mon Oct 21, 2019 8:18 am Regarding South Bend, the downtown idea may be less feasible because CN/GTW and NS share trackage there for a few miles. The best idea would probably be to close Elkhart and South Bend and open a central station in Mishawaka, half way between the two. The hospital downtown just closed and the area is ripe for redevelopment. And its a very safe and vibrant downtown.
Consider the fact that Amtrak should be investing in getting stations closer to downtowns of urban areas so people don't have to drive, closing Elkhart and South Bend and forcing drivers to go to Mishawaka would be a mistake.

A project to get South Bend back to Union Station should be more important. However, in the meantime, we'll deal with the Bendix station.
 #1523026  by Station Aficionado
 
mtuandrew wrote: Mon Oct 21, 2019 9:33 am
Tadman wrote: Mon Oct 21, 2019 8:18 am Savannah perhaps? It's not conducive to the tourist trade, perhaps 30 minutes away from downtown. I'm not sure if there is mainline connection to the railroad museum but I bet the museum would work something out cheap for the carrier to at least terminate the Palmetto downtown.
Re: Savannah, the Georgia State Railroad Museum is no longer connected to outside rail. It’s about 3/4 mile and a missing bridge away. Would be a great terminus though, for a rail shuttle meeting the Silvers and Palmetto if nothing else.
Lot of effort and money for a single train. The reason that Charleston and Savannah stations are where they are is that the operational convenience of avoiding stub end stations off the mainline is just too great. Downtown stations are ideal, except when downtown is cul de sac. Establish Thruway stops in downtown Charleston and Savannah and run nonstop connecting buses to the stations.
 #1523030  by SouthernRailway
 
Station Aficionado wrote: Mon Oct 21, 2019 11:37 am
SouthernRailway wrote: Sun Oct 20, 2019 5:27 pm NY Penn Station

(Dumpy station in a semi-dodgy area)
This is just trolling, right? If not, please list all of the alternative station sites in midtown.
Grand Central for as many routes as possible (eg, northbound trains to/through Albany).
 #1523031  by Roadgeek Adam
 
Yeah, no way in hell.

New York Penn Station is not that terrible. It's a windy mess of corridors, but we're mostly used to that.

Trying to funnel all of NY rail service into Grand Central would be a ginormous mistake.

Keep in mind, back in the day, there was a proposal for a big terminal at 51st Street as well that would include an extension of the H&M/PATH to 51st Street. We need more rail terminals, not less.
 #1523044  by WhartonAndNorthern
 
Bob Roberts wrote: Sun Oct 20, 2019 3:30 pm 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.
Positives for Staples Mill is the parking, ability to handle checked baggage, ability to store trains over night, and multiple tracks and platforms including through tracks for freights to bypass the station. I think there's 5 tracks through the station (1 advance, 2 (freight main), 3 (main/platform), 4 (platform), 5 (stub?)). It's not uncommon for two Amtraks to be in the station at once. The AutoTrain does not stop, but can use the through tracks when other trains are in the station.

In short, it's Amtrak's LD base for the Richmond area: all LDs (except AT) and Regionals stop at Richmond.

Problems: too close to Ashland (regionals only) and Richmond Main Street (RVM). Right now, RVM only gets the Newport News trains but there's a push to get all trains stopping at RVM as part of SEHSR. RVM doesn't have a dedicated lot and with lots of the station re-purposed it probably doesn't have room for a baggage office. It would be nice if it had a rental car counter.

Ashland will be a choke point on the line (I don't want to rehash that debate) and the town would be happy if all trains stopped there. Trains already have to slow down to 35mph at Ashland. The problem I see is that Ashland doesn't have the parking, track capacity, or even a station to replace Staples Mill. Ashland's "station" is the town's visitor center.
 #1523045  by Roadgeek Adam
 
SouthernRailway wrote: Mon Oct 21, 2019 2:02 pm 51st Street would be wonderful. Even some below-ground platforms there for Amtrak, without a station house, would be a big improvement.

NYP and its neighborhood make a terrible impression.
It would never happen now. When I'm talking back in the day, this is 1937. This had a crapton of extra proposals attached.

Also, 33rd and 8th is gentrified to hell. It's not the 1980s anymore. The irony is GCT was in the middle of the Red Light District
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