RAILforum: Who opens unstaffed stations?

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Posted by EmpireBuilder (Member # 2036) on :

I should be asking questions about my upcoming trip, but since none come to mind I'll just have to ask what was on my mind......

I've noticed that many of the unstaffed stations still seem to have a regular station building where people can wait inside and their might be vending machines and so forth. Since these building are usually used for only a short time each day, I would assume they are usually locked. Who opens and closes these stations in cities when not a single Amtrak employee is located there?

Posted by Grandma Judy (Member # 3278) on :

Can't tell you in general, but in the case of Fort Edward, NY - no one opens the station because it is just a place to have the train stop. There are no vending machines inside - just a park bench & a pay phone outside. A few years ago someone (?) painted & fixed up the building which was in sad repair, but no one ever gets to go inside.
I wonder about stations like Pasco, WA which is open when the Empire Builder stops for a couple hours in the early AM and a couple hours in the evening. Surely that's not a full-time job for anyone. Maybe I'll ask that question when I am there this autumn.

Posted by Amtrak288 (Member # 1967) on :

In Ohio, at Sandusky, where the Lake Shore Limited and Capitol Limited stop, the station has an enclosed waiting room that during the overnight hours is locked unless you call the local police department and they will come over and unlock the station. The number is posted at the back door. The station also had 2 pop machines outside and a pay phone in the parking lot. The city of Sandusky rebuilt the waiting room back in late 1999 and it now has benches inside along with bathrooms. Until then that station was in very sorry shape, now it's in excellent shape, it also houses a local ambulance company as well as a local transit bus service.

In Elyria, OH, where the same aformentioned trains stop at, that station is maintained by a local group of railfans in the area (I was told this back in 2001 when I boarded a train there), it has an enclosed waiting area and a pay phone outside. My best advice to you is that if you plan on boarding at an unstaffed station, then just be prepared for the weather, bring a jacket and a small umbrella and you'll be fine, have a great trip!

[This message has been edited by Amtrak288 (edited 06-27-2004).]

Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :

I believe the arrangement is a bit more formal than suggested by Mr. 288 in his posting.

Amtrak contracts with, as distinct from employs, caretakers to maintain the unstaffed stations. These folk, usually retirees and often a team of spouses or relatives, will clean and otherwise open the station at train time. They of course cannot sell transportation or participate in the movement of trains as those duties inure to qualified employees holding seniority as delineated by Labor Agreements with either Amtrak or a host road.

My experience with these folk over the years suggest that some simply "do the job" (some don't even do that based on my observations at a Wildwood, FL visit during 1999), but others are true ambassadors for Amtrak. They freely answer questions, ensure that literasture is on hand, assist with reading timetables, and probably do "a thing or two" that violates an existing labor agreement but surely helps out an "overwhelmed' passenger.

[This message has been edited by Gilbert B Norman (edited 06-27-2004).]

Posted by dilly (Member # 1427) on :

Keep in mind that that Amtrak's unstaffed "stations" vary widely.

The best are classic 19th Century brick-and-mortar depots. Others are merely oversized tool sheds. Quite a few towns make do with a vandalized bus shelter standing alongside the tracks. And one or two offer nothing but an open platform in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by weeds.

Posted by CoastStarlight99 (Member # 2734) on :

I have also wondered the same thing!

Especially for my favorite station: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=snow.prohosting.com/usarail/chemult01.jpg&imgrefurl=http://snow.prohosting.com/usarail/chemult.htm&h=200&w=296&sz=9&tbnid=6TWvVeVnurcJ:&tbnh= 75&tbnw=111&start=3&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dchemult%2Bamtrak%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26sa%3DG

------------------
--Anton L.
pillsbury09@excite.com
AIM: pillsburyMN

Posted by whistler (Member # 2620) on :

quote:
Originally posted by CoastStarlight99:
I have also wondered the same thing!
Especially for my favorite station: [URL=http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=snow.prohosting.com/usarail/chemult01.jpg&imgrefurl=http://snow.prohosting.com/usarail/chemult.htm&h=200&w=296&sz=9&tbnid=6TWvVeVnurcJ:& tbnh=]http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=snow.prohosting.com/

Trimmed a little.

Might I suggest using http://makeashorterlink.com/

Posted by EmpireBuilder (Member # 2036) on :

Fortunately both stations I will be using on my upcoming trip are staffed stations. Coincidentally, my destination station will be Pasco, WA, which Grandma Judy mentions in this thread. I don't know if jobs at that station would be considered full time or not. I believe the jobs at my departure station of Fargo, ND are though. While both trains leave only an hour and a half apart (2:10AM and 3:49AM), I found out the station hours are midnight to 8AM.

Posted by UncleBuck44 (Member # 2049) on :

The station in Kirkwood, Missouri became a non staffed station a little more than a year ago. At the same time as the one in Jeff City.

Right when it became unstaffed a group of retired workers volunteered to help kepp the station in order.

About 6 months ago the city of Kirkwood made a pitch to take over the station, and I believe were successful.

Now there are still several different Train fanatic volunteers(most over the age of 60) who wait around the station and keep people informed of when the train should be in.

Posted by George Harris (Member # 2077) on :

In North Carolina, they have station attendants funded by NCDOT at most unstaffed stations. See www.bytrain.org for information. Other states should take lessons from North Carolina.

Posted by CoastStarlight99 (Member # 2734) on :

Whistler,

I am not the webmaster of that website..
Although I am building a webpage about Chemult, OR

------------------
--Anton L.
pillsbury09@excite.com
AIM: pillsburyMN

Posted by whistler (Member # 2620) on :

quote:
Originally posted by CoastStarlight99:
Whistler,
I am not the webmaster of that website..
Although I am building a webpage about Chemult, OR

You don't have to be the webmaster of a site to use http://makeashorterlink.com. It is used to reference a longer link. For example the link you referenced pushed through makeashorterlink - http://makeashorterlink.com/?E1F252CA8

Posted by travelplus (Member # 3679) on :

How about Steve Grande from www.trainweb.com? He would be up at odd hours seeing trains lol.