Passenger Trains > It's Christmas Time in Union Station

Greetings all,

My son Martin snapped some photos in Chicago Union Station's Great Hall while we waited for delayed #353 to turn after striking a tractor. The place really looks fantastic decorated for the holidays.

Cheers,

-John

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Great pictures. I really like the Great Hall. I don't understand why they don't put the seating back and use it. Better than cramming everyone in the small spaces waiting to board.

Probably to keep the Riff-Raff from living in the station.
Too bad!

--Jim Baker

The seating is still used. It comes and goes depending on what events are taking place.

glcaddis Wrote:
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> Great pictures. I really like the Great Hall. I
> don't understand why they don't put the seating
> back and use it. Better than cramming everyone in
> the small spaces waiting to board.

I agree with the comments on the Great Hall. I don't use Union Station often, but find the passenger area rather unpleasant. It also seemed a bit tricky to navigate and I have done a fair amount of traveling in my life and thus have been in many stations and airports. The Amtrak personnel were quite friendly and helpful in general.

Amtrak generates $1.5 million dollars worth of revenue by leasing out the Great Hall to various private and public parties. The Michigan Association of Railroad Passengers has been encouraging Amtrak to return the Great Hall to it's original purpose-namely a waiting room.

A few more from when I snapped some pictures last month. I was really impressed!

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trainnut Wrote:
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> Amtrak generates $1.5 million dollars worth of
> revenue by leasing out the Great Hall to various
> private and public parties.

That evening, there was a grand dinner party going on with music and food and security and the whole 9 yards. I wish they would re-utilize this space for seating again, too. It is definitely one of the most historic and under-utilized pieces of the station. I have heard, however, that they are planning on revamping the current waiting room to fit more people in. Not sure where or how they'll find the space, though.

I enjoy seeing Christmas decorations in a railway station. Toronto Union Station is devoid of any decoration except for a few sad Poinsettias at the ticket wickets. VIA personnel say this is because the City of Toronto now own the station and VIA is but a tenant. Montreal's Central Station has the usual gorgeous decorations according to people I've spoken to. I was there last year during the Christmas season and enjoyed the displays.

It is very nice that Amtrak makes $1.5M from leasing it out, but they are not in the entertainment business. They would also make money having a bake sale on Canal Street every Saturday morning. That does not mean they should do it.

joemvcnj Wrote:
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> It is very nice that Amtrak makes $1.5M from
> leasing it out, but they are not in the
> entertainment business. They would also make money
> having a bake sale on Canal Street every Saturday
> morning. That does not mean they should do it.


Oh, come now. Bring on the bake sale. Anything to generate revenue is a good thing. And oh, so American, free enterprise, entrepreneurial, et. al. We lost our dignity long ago. That's why you see railroad passenger cars wrapped with advertising and why you're forced to watch commercials on Delta Air Lines as the plane is achieving cruising altitude. The examples are endless. I've heard the city of Colorado Springs is so strapped for cash that they're considering placing advertising banners on their school buses and police cars.

Like I said, we lost our dignity a long time ago . . .

How about the goal of frequent and timely service with dedicated and friedly crews?

korotaj Wrote:
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> How about the goal of frequent and timely service
> with dedicated and friendly crews?

That's too troublesome and costs too much money. It's so much easier to turn all of your tangible assets into billboards or lease them out for special functions and then rake in the royalty payments.