Among the delights of railroad travel is departing and arriving at great stations. I have more than a few favorite stations, so I’ll limit today’s essay to active stations served by regularly scheduled trains. This excludes favorites that are gone but not forgotten, such as Philadelphia’s magnificent Broad Street Station; station buildings that survive but have been repurposed, such as those transformed into restaurants or museums; as well as active stations serving heritage railroads, such as the North Conway, N.H., station operated by Conway Scenic Railroad. Each of these categories may be explored at another time.
A great station combines architectural splendor with functionality, and adds to the travel experience rather than detracts from it. My favorites are amazing spaces, work well, leave lasting good impressions, and offer distinct experiences for those who love railroads.
Manhattan’s Grand Central Terminal
First on my list is New York City’s Grand Central Terminal. Without a doubt, this is America’s most famous station, but that’s not why Grand Central makes the top of my list. This was the first station that I came to know through tours my father gave me before I was 6 years old. I’ve felt a personal connection to this icon of railroading ever since. When you visit, take the opportunity to arrive by Metro North commuter train (which runs dozens of times daily from a variety of suburban stations in New York and Connecticut), then disembark, proceed to the station’s capacious grand concourse with its famous octagonal information booth, and experience the majesty of this magnificent place. Gaze up to take in the celestial ceiling. Visit the station’s famed Oyster Bar for fresh seafood. Seek out the whispering gallery in the lower-level concourse, where the effect of a parabolic ceiling allows a whispered conversation between friends at opposite ends of the arched ceiling despite the cacophony of noise that characterizes the station.
Philadelphia’s landmark 30th Street Station
Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station (renamed in honor of the late U.S. Congressman William H. Gray III in 2014) is an awe-inspiring place. It was completed in 1933 and restored to its former glory between 1988 and 1991. Like Grand Central, trains reach the station on two levels. Passengers may choose between Amtrak, NJ Transit’s Atlantic City Rail Line, and numerous SEPTA commuter rail lines.
Amtrak serves the lower level, with its frequent Northeast Corridor trains, including the fast Acela trains, plus a variety of daily long-distance services including the Crescent, Palmetto, Silver Meteor, and triweekly Cardinal — now the only through train between Philadelphia and Chicago.
The station was built for the Pennsylvania Railroad and constructed on a colossal scale that combines classical Greco-Roman magnificence with 1930s art deco styling. The station retains much of its Pennsylvania Railroad heritage, including PRR keystones cast into railings, the 1895 allegorical relief titled Spirit of Transportation salvaged from Broad Street Station, and Walter Hancock’s massive bronze of angel raising a fallen soldier as a tribute to more than 1,300 of the railroad’s employees who perished during World War II.
Los Angeles Union Station
The West Coast has the great Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal (now named Los Angeles Union Station). This Art Deco gem is an interpretation of Spanish Mission style design by the LA architectural team of John and Donald Parkinson. Completed in 1939, it served Santa Fe, Southern Pacific, and Union Pacific. Today, it is home to Amtrak, Metrolink, and Los Angeles Metro Rail rapid transit.
My first visit to Los Angeles brought me to LAUPT by way of Amtrak’s Coast Starlight 45 years ago. Arriving in the fading light of an August evening, the station seemed magical. Since then, I’ve arrived and departed via this icon of Western railroading many times and it always feels like an occasion.
In many places, small town stations — where they remain — exist only as a reminder of passenger trains long past. Among the exceptions are stations at Bellows Falls and White River Junction, Vt. Both are neat places to watch and photograph trains, and have survived as places to board Amtrak’s Vermonter (running between Washington D.C. and St. Albans, Vt.), while also occasionally serving Vermont Rail System excursion trains.
Favorite international train stations
Beyond our shores are many great stations. For years, I rented a Dublin apartment that was walking distance from Irish Rail’s Heuston Station — among the oldest large stations in continuous service. I’ve made countless journeys around Ireland from Heuston. I miss the sounds of the train announcements, the idling EMD diesels, and the atonal squawks of locomotive horns announcing departures from the platforms.
When on the European continent, consider a visit to Belgium’s Antwerp Central, a virtual palace of railroad stations, combining classic and modern architecture with trains arriving and departing on three levels. In Germany, the Köln Hauptbahnhof (Cologne Main Station) is overshadowed by the city’s towering cathedral. Italy’s Milano Centrale (Milan Central) stands out for its sheer enormity; its disproportionate size makes the ordinary mortal seem insignificant. You can arrive and Milano Centrale by antique tram, then glide out from this 20th century masterpiece aboard a modern high-speed train, and you will have encapsulated the thrill of European rail travel in one journey. What are your favorite stations? Tell me in the comments!
More from Brian Solomon
Read more from rail author and photographer Brian Solomon here.
