Rhinecliff–Kingston station


Rhinecliff–Kingston, commonly and formerly known as simply Rhinecliff, is a train station owned and operated by Amtrak, and located in Rhinecliff, New York. It serves northern Dutchess County and the nearby Kingston area across the Hudson River on the west bank.
Rhinecliff station is popular with owners of weekend homes in the area, who commute to and from New York City or other downstate locations. In addition, it serves some daily commuters who prefer Amtrak's service to that of Metro-North's out of Poughkeepsie. These riders, along with students and others going to and from nearby Bard College, made Rhinecliff the 46th-busiest Amtrak station in 2004, with 86,466 boardings. Occasional suggestions to bring Metro-North service to Rhinecliff have been stalled by community opposition and track ownership issues.
All trains heading southbound from Rhinecliff–Kingston terminate at Penn Station in New York City. Trains continue north to Rutland, Vermont on the Ethan Allen Express, Montreal on the Adirondack, Albany and Niagara Falls on the Empire Service, Toronto on the Maple Leaf, and Chicago via the Lake Shore Limited.

History

The station building was built by the New York Central Railroad in 1914, in the Mission-Spanish Revival style. It is similar to the next station south at Hyde Park. After NY Central ended its West Shore service, Amtrak took over the station. Like much of the hamlet of Rhinecliff, the station is a contributing property to the Hudson River Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
A Kingston–Rhinecliff Ferry began providing service between the two communities in July 2015. Ferry service had long been associated with the former Rhinebeck and Connecticut Railroad.

Station layout

The station has one low-level island platform with stools to allow passengers to board/disembark the trains. A second platform is no longer in regular use, but it is connected to the first via an overpass. The station is wheelchair-accessible, with passengers reaching the train via a portable wheelchair lift.