Seaboard92
Engineer
What are the longest and shortest amtrak platforms that you guys know of?
Platform Lengths
- Thread starter Seaboard92
- Start date
Help Support Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum:
- Status
I think WIL (Wilm, DE) is pretty long, but have no clue if it ranks up there with the longest.
I recall seeing a "bus stop" station when on the CL or CZ (was traveling from WAS to PRO in 2011), so I would think that one was fairly short.
I recall seeing a "bus stop" station when on the CL or CZ (was traveling from WAS to PRO in 2011), so I would think that one was fairly short.
I'd say that Chicago Union Station has the Longest Platforms and nominate Taylor, Tx as the shortest!
Update;I think Betty is right, the Auto train Station in Lorton wins hands down for the Longest! Thanks to Tom for the update!
Update;I think Betty is right, the Auto train Station in Lorton wins hands down for the Longest! Thanks to Tom for the update!
Last edited by a moderator:
west point
Engineer
On the NEC PHL and Newark have the longest. However the south end of Newark is in bad repair and not ever used as far as has been told.. South end of PHL does not seem to be used either. Last time there the south end had very limited lighting..
http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?c=Page&pagename=am%2FLayout&cid=1246041980246
Hmm, looks like Lorton might be the longest. Now, did you want to exclude the Auto Train?
Don't know how it ranks but, the platform at Williams Junction, AZ (WMJ) requires a separate spot for each car with passengers boarding or disembarking.
The platforms at 30th Street station are 14 cars long. The 3 center high level platforms at NYP are 17 cars long. WAS has a 17 car long low level platform between tracks 25 & 26 on the lower level. NWK has 18 car long high level platforms, but the south ends are crumbling and blocked off, so the full length is no longer in use nor accessible. BAL has a 17 car long platform on the south side, but I think that platform is no longer in active use. So, for the NEC, the longest platforms are legacy platforms at the major city stations from the days of PRR. The standard longest length on the NEC for the newer or rebuilt stations appears to be 12 cars long (circa 1050').
It also becomes as question of how does one define a platform? Especially the "shortest"? High level or low level? Does a short segment of crumbling asphalt at some rural station that only sees a LD train count?
FormerOBS
Conductor
VERY minor correction. Not plural "Auto Train stations". It should be singular "Auto Train station". Lorton probably has the longest. Sixteen cars can be accommodated. The Sanford platform is shorter, making it necessary to double the train over onto two tracks at that end of the run.
Tom
Tom
Last edited by a moderator:
rusty spike
OBS Chief
Shortest? Maricopa (MRC), at 115' according to Google Earth has to be in the running. Making matters worse, it is a crew change point for the SL/TE, so it requires 4 position stops--head-end crew from the loco, remaining crew out of the TransDorm, sleeper pax, and finally coach pax. :wacko:
I'll still go with Taylor,Tx.
The "platform" is a ramp with the handicap ramp storeoom and a hi level platform that is 4'x6' enabling one car @ a time to spot for boarding/detraining!
The old platform was crumbling asphalt and ballast requiring the use of a step stool! Shortest one I've seen including the "ghost stations" and "Bus shelters" @ various sites!
The "platform" is a ramp with the handicap ramp storeoom and a hi level platform that is 4'x6' enabling one car @ a time to spot for boarding/detraining!
The old platform was crumbling asphalt and ballast requiring the use of a step stool! Shortest one I've seen including the "ghost stations" and "Bus shelters" @ various sites!
Last edited by a moderator:
Devil's Advocate
⠀⠀⠀
How long is the "platform" at stations like Sanderson, TX or Deming, NM? Does zero feet count as the shortest or does that mean it's removed from contention?
trainman74
Conductor
The platforms were extended in Anaheim with the opening of the new station, and they do seem very long (especially for a station that has no long-distance trains). Not sure what the exact number is for the length, though.
Probably to accommodate the anticipated "High Speed Rail"
Seaboard92
Engineer
What took are you using to compute the length?
If you click on the 10th icon from the left at the top of the Google Earth page it opens up the "Ruler" window in which you can select "line" or "path" or "pro". For the Anaheim platforms I used "line" from one end of the platform to the other (once the Anaheim station is displayed). I use "path" to measure non-linear track distances between selected points.
A google search turned up this 2012 viewgraph presentation on the new Anahiem ARTIC project. Slide 17 shows the new platforms as 1000; long, but it appears they may have left the 800' long platforms in place from the previous Anaheim station to the west. 1000' is awfully long for the current trsims that stop there. CA HSR will need long platforms, but those will be high level platforms and likely on new tracks through the station, so why 1000' for now, don't know. I will say that is one fancy new station for the amount of passenger traffic it currently gets. Going to be 15 years or longer before CA HSR gets to Anaheim.
BCL
Engineer
Emeryville is pretty long. Maybe 2000 feet? They typically park the LD trains there for a while, and positioned to not block access to other platforms. I recently took #11 down to EMY, and luck would have it that I was in the last car.
OKJ has a similarly long main platform. However, they have two platforms of about the same length. They could park two LD trains at the same time without one blocking access to the other.
OKJ has a similarly long main platform. However, they have two platforms of about the same length. They could park two LD trains at the same time without one blocking access to the other.
Almost all stations on Amtrak routes at one time could handle 15-18 car trains. That was certainly true on the routes I'm most familiar with- the NEC and Silver service routes. Amtrak has allowed those platforms to deteriorate which prevents the operation of more cost effective longer trains. I suspect in recent years the cost of ADA requirements is partly responsible.
FormerOBS
Conductor
Ownership of the platform may be an issue. If the track & platform are owned by a host railroad, they may be reluctant to spend money on maintenance of a long platform, and Amtrak, as the tenant, may be reluctant to reimburse the host railroad for maintenance of any more platform length than necessary. Of course, I don't personally know how these agreements are reached.
Tom
Tom
jis
Permanent Way Inspector
Staff member
Administator
Moderator
AU Supporting Member
Gathering Team Member
Just as a related side.....the longest platform in the world can be found at Gorakhpur Junction Station in India, which boast a platform 0.84 miles (1.35km) in length, Of course it is used to platform multiple trains with entry/exit crossovers in the middle of the platform.
Generally platforms in large Indian stations are capable of handling 24 to 26 car express trains (cars of 75' length, not 85' as in the US)., since that is how long most important Mail and Express (overnight LD trains with dozens of Sleeping Cars) trains are.
Generally platforms in large Indian stations are capable of handling 24 to 26 car express trains (cars of 75' length, not 85' as in the US)., since that is how long most important Mail and Express (overnight LD trains with dozens of Sleeping Cars) trains are.
Based on Google Earth imagery, the platform at EMY nearest the station is about 1,625 feet long and the other outboard platform is about 657 feet long. The longest of the two platforms at OKJ is about 1525 feet long and other platform is about 1,026 feet long.
As far as accuracy goes, the Google Earth Ruler tool measured my local 12,366 foot runway at 12,373 feet for an error of +7 feet or +0.06%. Based on this, the error in measuring a 2000 foot platform would be about +1 foot. While not up to the standards of a registered land surveyor, that error is considerably less than visual estimates. In addition, as Google Earth is either aerial or satellite imagery, platform levels and condition are impossible for me to see. Because of that, I simply measure the length of the yellow caution line at the edge of the platform which usually extends to the physical ends of the platform, but as far as I know does not include any end ramp for vehicular access.
Last edited by a moderator:
BCL
Engineer
The shortest I've seen are just pads for the doors. Berkeley has a full length platform, but some trains stop on the next track with only two cars opening doors. The go slowly to line up with the pads.
neroden
Engineer
Platform maintenance is cheap. (Well, outside the snowbelt where the salt and snow clearance makes it more expensive.)
It only looks expensive because we have 50+ years of deferred maintenance on some of these platforms. 100 years in some cases. But really, it's pretty cheap.
- Status
