Which are the nicest Amtrak stations?

Just wondering what people think are the nicest Amtrak stations considering how many stations exist in the Amtrak system.

I would say 30th St. Station Philly for one.

New London is a real gem. Beautifully restored 1887-built station - the oldest station building on the Northeast Corridor still actively used by Amtrak*, and one of the oldest Amtrak stations in the country - designed by the great H.H. Richardson. Ticket office, seating, and a cafe inside. Nice riverfront views from the platforms. And it's in a nice little downtown area that's become quite charming in the last decade.

* Kingston (RI) dates from 1875, but isn't currently used by Amtrak.

Well... for all the stations I've visited:

• Washington DC actually I would say is nice (if crowded a bit) with actually decent shopping at it. It could be nicer had the movie theater on the lower level had not closed.
• New Carrolton, MD... is huge, but only has two vendors (popcorn and coffee). It's really a transfer station for the Orange Line, the nearby government agency, and other transit. So it's borderline.
• BWI Airport, MD is not nice. Everything is shoehorned in, and forget about cell phone service. It's slated for replacement Amtrak four-tracks it GROVE to WINANS.
• Baltimore's Penn Station, MD... is average. Wood seats, a middling cafe, a satelite Dunkin' Donuts, a Haber newsstand, and that's it. I go through this station all the time.
• Pennsylvania 30th Street Station, PA ranks up with Washington DC Union Station, but can only get close for one reason only: DAMNED OLD WOOD SEATS! It needs to rethink how boarding is in regards to seating.
• Pittsburgh, PA: Worse than not nice. It's a hole-in-the-wall station, which suits it fine, actually, given it only gets visited by trains four times a day.
• NYC Penn Station, NY: Cramped. Confusing. Needs a paper map, more restrooms, and why is there a K-Mart in there?!? WTF?!? Not nice.

Boston South Station is very nice, and very close to the intercity bus terminal and subway. There's an eating area with several good fast food eateries. The concourse is large, airy and open (I'm looking at you, NY Penn). The Club Acela is upstairs and you can see the activity in the concourse which is nice if you like to do that kind of thing (can't see track activity, though).

I've been to Chicago several years ago (before the remodeling began), Denver 16 years ago, DC for only about a half hour, 30th St Station several times, and NYP several times. Of all of those, 30th Street would be my favorite (large, airy, open), although I'd like to check out DC's station for an extended period of time and have yet to do so. I've also been to the VIA stations for Toronto, Ottowa, and Montreal. All of them are pretty nice, although Montreal is a bit small for the traffic. Overseas I've only been to Dublin's Connolly station, long enough to get breakfast after the overnight flight and catch the commuter rail. Connolly has a big train shed, but that's all I recollect about it, didn't visit passenger waiting areas.

Agree about Boston South and 30th street, although the Accela lounge is the best part of 30th street I think

The waiting area at Los Angeles Union Station is architecturally spectacular.

Greensboro NC is honestly magnificent. Redone about 10 (?) years ago its the best example of a medium-sized, off corridor station I have seen. It features original seating and an original mural map of the Southern RR system.

Smaller Rocky Mount NC (the old ACL station) is impressive with high ceilings and original woodwork on the inside, but not many people have a good reason to see it.

Hudson NY is very nice but tiny. Despite its size it manages to have good seating and a charming cafe that is open for 6am trains.

Albany seemed like a pretty decent modern station when I wander around waiting for the Lake Shore switching moves. Good and speedy restaurant, nice views of tracks, good access to platforms. Unfortunately its location is lousy if you want to actually visit the city.

Kansas City could have been amazing, if they didn't move the waiting area into a former baggage room (windowless) and had awkward track access.

Harrisburg PA looks impressive railside but I have never been inside.

Slightly off topic but Halifax Nova Scotia is perfectly preserved and utterly charming. Unfortunately it sees so few trains per week that it feels caverness and kinda lonely.

Anybody been to the new (but old) Twin Cities / St. Paul station? Midway was one of the worst stations but I have heard great things about St Paul.

In rough order, of all the ones I've been to (total 34 so far):
1. 30st Philadelphia, hands down
2. Denver Union Station is very impressive, with a nice bar, even if Amtrak is a minor tenant.
3. Tie: Worcester and Kansas City Union Stations are also impressive but fairly empty (again, Amtrak is a minor tenant)
5. Washington DC (looks great, nice shops and food court, but loses points for overcrowded and cramped waiting areas)
6. Boston South Station (points for intermodal connectivity)
7. Gare Centrale (Montreal)
8. Tie: Poughkeepsie and New Haven (both quite charming)
10. Honorable mention to Albany-Rennselaer, my home station, even if it is relatively new, and in the wrong town.

I have to wait to see how Chicago and Toronto Union Station renovations shake out before rating them, they would have made my list but in their under construction state they're pretty awful to get around.

I thought Denver was super nice too, and the proof-in-the-pudding being the seemingly high pedestrian traffic through the headhouse (this was before commuter rail entered service) Main complaint that the light rail platforms are much too far away. The all-driections accessible platforms are definitely a good idea

hs3730 wrote:10. Honorable mention to Albany-Rennselaer, my home station, even if it is relatively new, and in the wrong town.

At the risk of derailing the thread, when was the station rebuilt? I was last over there in 1998 when Anthrocon was Albany Anthrocon, and in it's second year. I think it was about as sparse as BWI Airport.

Bob Roberts wrote: Anybody been to the new (but old) Twin Cities / St. Paul station? Midway was one of the worst stations but I have heard great things about St Paul.

SPUD is a beauty. Still a bit empty, but whenever commuter rail finally happens, it'll fill up more. (Great views of the river too, and immediately next to what night life St. Paul has, haha.) Picture a smaller version of PHL 30th, perhaps somewhat more dark and muted colors.

bdawe wrote:I thought Denver was super nice too, and the proof-in-the-pudding being the seemingly high pedestrian traffic through the headhouse (this was before commuter rail entered service) Main complaint that the light rail platforms are much too far away. The all-driections accessible platforms are definitely a good idea

The Light rail platforms are far, but you can walk through the bus terminal to get to them so it is at least a climate controlled/weather enclosed walk (plus easy bus transfers from both forms of rail). Denver essentially made the station a destination in and of itself with all of the shops and eateries, as well as the plaza in front with the fountain. I also find it clever that the same platforms are both low for Amtrak and high for commuter rail, done by varying the track height.

STrRedWolf wrote:At the risk of derailing the thread, when was the station rebuilt? I was last over there in 1998 when Anthrocon was Albany Anthrocon, and in it's second year. I think it was about as sparse as BWI Airport.

The new one opened September 22, 2002. The last train to depart the old one was a (very late) CHI bound Lake Shore Limited. I remember one of the station staff taking the departure monitor down immediately after (it was just a 27" TV).

New Haven because: valet parking. There is no feeling more superior than driving to the front door of the station ten minutes before departure and handing over the keys.

One of my favorite nice stations is Rome, NY

I'll limit my list to stations I have actually been to.

1. 30th Street Station: First, this is a homer pick as I live in Philadelphia however, it is beautiful. The inside of that station is just good to look at, like waiting surrounded by art. It has a wide range of food and beverages that are open whenever I find myself there. It also has easy connections to SEPTA and NJT (AC Line).

2. Montreal Gare Centrle: Not owned by Amtrak but served by the Adirondack. I would say on par with 30th street in all respects and actually has a more convenient location.

3. Boston South: Good food options, cool building, good connections to transit. Wasn't there for very long but overall it was nice.

4. Washington DC Union Station: The old station that has been turned into a mall is a great way to kill time and grab something to eat. Connection to the Red Line is easy and obviously so are MARC and VRE. It looses points for the platform area. It looks like they stuck an 80s Greyhound station onto the back of a beautiful old building.

5. Harrisburg: Nice building, well maintained, just don't get hungry. My memory is that food and drinks were limited to a couple of stalls. It is also walking distance from most of the important stuff in Downtown Harrisburg.

6. Trenton: Realistically on-par with Harrisburg except of a cool old building it has a shiny new building. It also has a McDonalds and doesn't have anywhere to sit.

7. New York Penn: It might be the most confusing train station I have ever been in. It's not very clean, and there is nowhere to sit.

AgentSkelly wrote:One of my favorite nice stations is Rome, NY

The main hall is lovely, and it has a grand staircase to track level, but you can't actually board a train that way. You have to go outside, through a concrete tunnel, and up the stairs to an Amshack.