Amtrak Standard Stations Program


The Amtrak Standard Stations Program was an effort by Amtrak to create a standardized station design. Amtrak believed that these station designs would enhance Amtrak's corporate image. This effort was formally launched in 1978.

Background

The program was spurred by the need for Amtrak to build new stations. As a new entity, the company did not initially have any of its own facilities – stations and depots were inhereted from its constituent railroads. In many locations, existing station buildings were in disrepair. In other locations, route realignments, ownership conflicts, or a lack of existing facilities necessitated the construction of new station houses. Additionally, existing grand terminals in many large cities had more capacity than Amtrak's requirements and were expensive to retain. These reasons and others prompted the effort to provide those locations with more modern and appropriately sized facilities.
was an early Amtrak attempt to design and build a modern train station, seen near opening in July 1977
The first new station Amtrak constructed itself was Cincinnati River Road in 1973, however that is not of a standard design. Early attempts by Amtrak to create a modest "modern" station designs include the Richmond Staples Mill Road station and Cleveland Lakefront station. Amtrak president Paul H. Reistrup expressed a desire for Amtrak stations to look familiar in each locality.
Amtrak would formally outline its Standard Stations Program in its 1978 Standard Stations Program Executive Summary. The program was intended to amplify a sleek, modern image. It was also intended foster a unified corporate identity through a consistent "look" and branding, with each standard station utilizing not only one of several similar station building designs, but also the same interior and exterior finishes, signage, and seating. The program's manual outlined the reasoning of for such efforts.
Standard designs were seen as cost efficient as they would eliminate design costs that would otherwise be incurred with each and every station were they uniquely designed and would also expedite construction.

Station designs

The station structures were intended to be functional, flexible, and cost-efficient. With spikes in ridership during the 1970s due to oil shortages, there was a perceived potential for permanent ridership gains. Therefore, Amtrak designed the stations to be easily expanded. End walls of the stations were designed to be able to be removed in order to build additions without incurring disruptions to the functioning of the stations.
Designs were mostly rectangular, and all except the largest model were one story. Walls were to be built of either textured, precast concrete panels, split concrete block or brick in what was described as a “play of bronze and tan” colors. A prominent cantilevered, flat black metal roof was to sit atop the buildings, with deep eaves to protect passengers from bad weather. Stations had floor-to-ceiling windows. Often, the top edge of the walls had a band of clerestory windows, which from a distance provided an optical illusion that the roof was floating above the station. The square footage and amenities of stations were to be determined by what their peak hour passenger count was.
Five initial standard station design models were presented with varying ideal sizes and intended capacities:
Amtrak constructed standard stations in the 1970s and 1980s, but ultimately built relatively few of them. Strapped for funds, it instead gravitated towards either building even cheaper modular stations or seeking local funding for station development, in some cases even cooperating with private developers. Many "stations" opened in the 1980s and 1990s were very minimal, sometimes lacking any facilities besides a platform and appropriate signage or only featuring simple bus stop-style platform shelters. Many of the standard stations have been replaced with more modern intermodal facilities or by restored previous historic stations throughout the 2000s and 2010s. the documentation is still referenced when necessary in planning or constructing new stops.

List of standard stations

Station NameCityDesignOpenedClosedNotes
Rensselaer, New York19802002demolished 2010
Anaheim–StadiumAnaheim, California19842014Rebuilt and renamed "Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center"
Ann Arbor, Michigan1983
Depew, New York1979-
Canton–AkronCanton, Ohio50C19781990
Carbondale, Illinois1981
DearbornDearborn, Michigan1979demolished, replaced with current John D. Dingell Transit Center
FlintFlint, Michigan1989-
Grand Forks, North Dakota1982
Hammond, Indiana1982-
HuntingtonHuntington, West Virginia1983
MiamiMiami, Florida300A1978pending closure
MidwaySaint Paul, Minnesota300A19782014
NormalNormal, Illinois19902012
Omaha, Nebraska1983
RochesterRochester, New York150B19782015demolished, replaced with Louise M. Slaughter Rochester Station
SchenectadySchenectady, New York19792017demolished, replaced with current facility
TacomaTacoma, Washington1984pending closure

Others