Poughkeepsie, NY station

Hi;
Is the Poughkeepsie, NY train station owned by Amtrak, or Metro North?
I am curious, because it looks like the station needs some major renovations.
There is something going on to the outside of the building; they have netting up on the front of the building, but the inside needs work. It's so drab, and restroom facility is piss poor (pun intended).

FW

Metro North owns the station. The facility has been rebuilt in some parts, and yes, the inside does need more work. The restrooms, interior of the footbridge over the platform and tracks, and waiting room need work. The waiting room seems rather dark to me.

you ask and you shall receive

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/arti ... M-makeover

Metro-North began repairing the roof in June 2008. In addition to the cornice repairs, the project, which came with a $9.5 million price tag, includes repairing the deck under the roof, fixing the rainwater drainage system, replacing all of the clay roof tiles and repointing the building's brick facade, said Marjorie Anders, a spokeswoman for Metro-North.

Roof Repairs, door and window upgrades. You can't do too much to the interior unless you can seal the building tight.

Yes. It's a very depressing place. Not even a decent food bar.
The restroom (at least the Men's) only allows one person at a time, but that could easily be increased to two, if they would only build a stall around the toilet.
Seems pretty easy, and inexpensive to me. Can't figure out why they didn't do that. The place seems to have been refurbished recently.

The waiting room still has those old "pew" benches. Probably could also be refurbished rather than replaced with some crummy plastic ones.
A lot more lighting, and a decent snack bar would be nice.

So, does Amtrak then own the track north of Poughkeepsie, since none of their trains go past there. Or is it owned by CSX?

FW

CPSK wrote:So, does Amtrak then own the track north of Poughkeepsie, since none of their trains go past there. Or is it owned by CSX?

CSX owns the railroad north of CP 75. Amtrak owns no tracks except the Northeast Corridor and some trackage in Michigan. Amtrak trains do indeed continue north of Poughkeepie, but Metro-North Hudson Line service ends at Poughkeepsie.

at CP75 about a mile north of Poughkeepsie (station)

CPSK wrote:The restroom (at least the Men's) only allows one person at a time, but that could easily be increased to two, if they would only build a stall around the toilet.

If there's only one toilet, what's the point? If I were the occupant of that sole toilet, I wouldn't want people constantly walking in just to see my feet under the door and walking back out. Likewise, if I were going into the bathroom, it would be disappointing to realize the door's unlocked, but the only toilet is in use. It's not like someone's going to have an "urgent" need to wash their hands where they just can't wait a few minutes for the previous occupant to exit the room.

As for the lack of a food bar, there are some restaurants nearby, on the opposite side of the tracks. But recall, this is primarily a commuter rail station. A great majority of the passengers don't even use the station building -- they just go from the parking garage (which is on the opposite side of the tracks from the station building), to the platform and onto their train in a matter of minutes. In the evening, they get off the trains, go right to their cars, and head home.

In other words, any kind of foodservice establishment would have a hard time making a profit. Selling a few Snickers bars and Dr Peppers to 5 or 6 people waiting for Amtrak in the late afternoon isn't going to pay the rent.

pnaw10 wrote: As for the lack of a food bar, there are some restaurants nearby, on the opposite side of the tracks. But recall, this is primarily a commuter rail station. A great majority of the passengers don't even use the station building -- they just go from the parking garage (which is on the opposite side of the tracks from the station building), to the platform and onto their train in a matter of minutes. In the evening, they get off the trains, go right to their cars, and head home.

In other words, any kind of foodservice establishment would have a hard time making a profit. Selling a few Snickers bars and Dr Peppers to 5 or 6 people waiting for Amtrak in the late afternoon isn't going to pay the rent.

There is a snack bar/coffee shop that sells muffins and danish and has hot dogs for lunch. It isn't the Oyster Bar, and it serves mostly as a newspaper stand. It is comparable to other station newstands and not designed to be a diner.

In the pre-2003 Amtrak Northeast System timetables, Poughkeepsie station was listed as having only vending machines (no snack bar or full service restaurant).

we are way beyond 2003, and the consesion stand has been there for more than 14 years.

Otto Vondrak wrote:
CSX owns the railroad north of CP 75. Amtrak owns no tracks except the Northeast Corridor and some trackage in Michigan. Amtrak trains do indeed continue north of Poughkeepie, but Metro-North Hudson Line service ends at Poughkeepsie.

So then who owns the Empire Connection, the Post Road Branch, the Keystone Corridor from Philly to Harrisburg and the Springfield Line?

Remember that MNRR does use the tracks north of Poughkeepsie station in order to layup trains.

Penn Central wrote:

pnaw10 wrote: As for the lack of a food bar, there are some restaurants nearby, on the opposite side of the tracks. But recall, this is primarily a commuter rail station. A great majority of the passengers don't even use the station building -- they just go from the parking garage (which is on the opposite side of the tracks from the station building), to the platform and onto their train in a matter of minutes. In the evening, they get off the trains, go right to their cars, and head home.

In other words, any kind of foodservice establishment would have a hard time making a profit. Selling a few Snickers bars and Dr Peppers to 5 or 6 people waiting for Amtrak in the late afternoon isn't going to pay the rent.

There is a snack bar/coffee shop that sells muffins and danish and has hot dogs for lunch. It isn't the Oyster Bar, and it serves mostly as a newspaper stand. It is comparable to other station newstands and not designed to be a diner.

If you want food near the station try Rossi's, 2 blocks- up Main street 1 block- right on Clover one block. The best italian deli I had been to in a long time. Was actually recommended to us by someone up at the Culinary school.

See: http://www.rossideli.com/

pnaw10 wrote:

CPSK wrote:The restroom (at least the Men's) only allows one person at a time, but that could easily be increased to two, if they would only build a stall around the toilet.

If there's only one toilet, what's the point? If I were the occupant of that sole toilet, I wouldn't want people constantly walking in just to see my feet under the door and walking back out. Likewise, if I were going into the bathroom, it would be disappointing to realize the door's unlocked, but the only toilet is in use. It's not like someone's going to have an "urgent" need to wash their hands where they just can't wait a few minutes for the previous occupant to exit the room.

There are two toilet "devices" and one washbasin in the men's room. A toilet, and a urinal. There should be a stall with a door on the toilet, so someone else can use the urinal, or the washbasin.

However, I understand that this is not a priority, and the fact that it is a working facility is probably good enough. As was said, the vast majority of commuters who use the station drive there, and never use the station building itself. So, I guess my point is moot.

And while on the subject of toilets; IMO, Amtrak really needs to improve in this area. I rode the Vermonter and the Maple Leaf back in 2005, and none of the facilities were very good.

FW

The station in Poughkeepsie is very nicely maintained, with comfortable original seating in a nicely restored waiting room with large windows. There is even a modern parking garage which connects directly to the tracks, so many travelers most likely go directly from their car to the platforms.

Now obviously, this station is primarily a commuter station, and was even built largely with commuter service in mind by the New York Central. I'm sure it gets very busy on weekday mornings and evenings, but there again, commuters don't typically spend very much time waiting at a station.

Overall, this is probably one of the nicest original commuter stations in the entire Northeast

goodnightjohnwayne wrote:The station in Poughkeepsie is very nicely maintained, with comfortable original seating in a nicely restored waiting room with large windows. There is even a modern parking garage which connects directly to the tracks, so many travelers most likely go directly from their car to the platforms.

Now obviously, this station is primarily a commuter station, and was even built largely with commuter service in mind by the New York Central. I'm sure it gets very busy on weekday mornings and evenings, but there again, commuters don't typically spend very much time waiting at a station.

Overall, this is probably one of the nicest original commuter stations in the entire Northeast

Years ago when this station was disigned and built by the Central, I don't think it was intended to function mostly as a
commuter station. In the 20's and 30's when PO was the halfway point between New York and Albany (close that is) there
was more long distance and medium distance passenger service in PO then local service to New York. Over the years since
the 30's the commuter zone has pushed farther and farther north from New York. Neither Poughkeepsie on the Hudson nor
Brewster on the Harlem were intended to handle the heavy commuter traffic in bygone years that they indeed do today.
There were a fair number of long haul and overnight trains that in years past stopped at Poughkeepsie and indeed some of
them even stopped at Beacon and Peekskill. Passenger service in the entire Hudson Valley has grown by leaps and bounds
over the past 35 or so years. Just prior to Amtrak in 1970 the Penn Central operated 8 round trips between Albany and
New York. Of these 8 trains only about half of them stopped at Hudson and Rhinecliff and yet consider how important the
Amtrak service is to these two stations today with 13 round trips only one of which does not stop at Hudson and Rhinecliff.
In 1970 Penn Central did not provide nearly as much commuter service to Poughkeepsie and the upper Hudson stations as
Metro-North provides today.
In my opinion the station at Poughkeepsie is more than adequate for the type of service operated through there by both
Amtrak and Metro-North. Maybe the presence of an Amtrak ticket agent would improve the place a bit but I guess Amtrak
does not feel that way and neither does New York State.
Noel Weaver