Passenger Trains > From Denver Union Station Sunday

My wife & I did a Denver-Glenwood Springs weekend for her birthday. It was my first time at the refurbished Denver Station, so here's a report. Photos below.

Inside is quite nice, though they're still finishing up a few details. Most of the lobby is seating for the lobby bar, but I was told that rail passengers could use it once it opens. There are multiple restaurants, and a hotel as well.

1st two photos show #5 backing into the station, and then parked, with it's reflection in the "glass house." That's the enclosure for the stairs and the elevators down to the bus level. We were all kept at the end of the platform, south of this structure, until the exiting pax had cleared.

They wash the windows of the lounge car and the diner while it's in the station. For some reason there are no trash receptacles on the platforms.

If you walk through the bus level to the other end, an escalator takes you up to the light rail station. It's a bit of a walk, but the marble floor makes it easy to roll suitcases. It's nowhere near as long a walk as in most airports.

There are 8 tracks. The two center tracks are only a little way below platform level, making them perfect for Superliners. The outer tracks are recessed much lower (photo 3) for the future DMU commuter and airport express services.

Coming back Sunday took ridiculously long. The last few miles, past an intermodal yard, we went very slowly. Finally we were soooo close to the station, then had to curve north into a BNSF yard, then back into the station. That would be OK, except that we stopped a few times, for a few minutes each time. Hand thrown switches?

All-in-all: very attractive station, inside and outside. Need to improve how Amtrak get's in, though.

Mike



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/30/14 19:37 by symph1.

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The junction just N of the station is very busy and all the time was wasted waiting for tracks to clear of other trains.

Any photos of the station's new interior?

Nice facility, but Amtrak won't run CHI-DEN summer cut cars now that they have the ability again.

"… For some reason there are no trash receptacles on the platforms. "

I first experienced this with the London Underground during 1999. I asked a "Bobby" in the Westminster Station if he could direct me to a rubbish bin as i couldn't find one. He told me there are none in the stations because of the ease with which bombs could be placed in them by terrorists. The Brits take that kind of stuff very seriously.

Denver Union Station's Management may have the same idea.

Or it could be that:"Gee, nobody thought about putting trash receptacles on the platforms. We'll look into it."

Fritz in HSV, AL

andersonb109 Wrote:
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> Any photos of the station's new interior?

I've got plenty here: http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,3465112,3465670#msg-3465670

Tor in Eugene

Fritz

Unfortunately we Brits have very much first hand experience of bombs in trash bins - London Bridge Station was so bombed by the IRA resulting in a great loss of life and horrendous life changing injuries.

It also resulted in lockers being removed from railway stations.

Regards

Chris C

Chris484trains Wrote:
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> London Bridge
> Station was so bombed by the IRA resulting in a
> great loss of life and horrendous life changing
> injuries

Whilst IRA bomb outrages on the mainland did result in loss of life the incident at London Bridge in 1992 caused no fatalities

Hi Whoever you are

I stand corrected - my memory aint what it used to be!

You are correct - a miracle that no one was killed!

Regards

Chris C