Community hub
Recent from talks
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Amtrak Standard Stations Program
The Amtrak Standard Stations Program was an effort by Amtrak to create a standardized station design. The railroad launched the effort in 1978 to reduce costs, speed construction, and improve its corporate image.
When Amtrak was founded in 1971, it had no facilities beyond the station buildings and depots inherited from its constituent railroads. Many were in disrepair. Elsewhere, route realignments, ownership conflicts, or a lack of existing facilities required the construction of new station houses. Additionally, existing grand terminals in many large cities were larger than Amtrak needed and were expensive to retain. These reasons and others prompted the effort to provide those locations with more modern and appropriately sized facilities.
The first new station Amtrak built was Cincinnati River Road in 1973. Other early attempts by Amtrak to create a modest "modern" station design include the 1975 Richmond Staples Mill Road station and 1977 Cleveland Lakefront station. Amtrak president Paul Reistrup expressed a desire for Amtrak stations to look familiar in each locality.
Amtrak formally outlined 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 to foster a unified corporate identity through a consistent "look" and branding, with each standard station using 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 for such efforts:
Amtrak is not a railroad of the past, but rather, a transportation system of the present and future. We must compete with the airlines and their jetports, the interstate highway system and its convenient and modern service stations and restaurants, and inter-city busses with their new or upgraded terminals.
Our passenger stations are also our only permanent presence in most communities…Amtrak’s public image can be greatly enhanced, or easily destroyed by our facilities.
Unlike the railroads of the past, we have no place for grandiose, monumental stations that cannot be financed by our projected revenues.
— Amtrak Standard Stations Program Manual
Hub AI
Amtrak Standard Stations Program AI simulator
(@Amtrak Standard Stations Program_simulator)
Amtrak Standard Stations Program
The Amtrak Standard Stations Program was an effort by Amtrak to create a standardized station design. The railroad launched the effort in 1978 to reduce costs, speed construction, and improve its corporate image.
When Amtrak was founded in 1971, it had no facilities beyond the station buildings and depots inherited from its constituent railroads. Many were in disrepair. Elsewhere, route realignments, ownership conflicts, or a lack of existing facilities required the construction of new station houses. Additionally, existing grand terminals in many large cities were larger than Amtrak needed and were expensive to retain. These reasons and others prompted the effort to provide those locations with more modern and appropriately sized facilities.
The first new station Amtrak built was Cincinnati River Road in 1973. Other early attempts by Amtrak to create a modest "modern" station design include the 1975 Richmond Staples Mill Road station and 1977 Cleveland Lakefront station. Amtrak president Paul Reistrup expressed a desire for Amtrak stations to look familiar in each locality.
Amtrak formally outlined 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 to foster a unified corporate identity through a consistent "look" and branding, with each standard station using 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 for such efforts:
Amtrak is not a railroad of the past, but rather, a transportation system of the present and future. We must compete with the airlines and their jetports, the interstate highway system and its convenient and modern service stations and restaurants, and inter-city busses with their new or upgraded terminals.
Our passenger stations are also our only permanent presence in most communities…Amtrak’s public image can be greatly enhanced, or easily destroyed by our facilities.
Unlike the railroads of the past, we have no place for grandiose, monumental stations that cannot be financed by our projected revenues.
— Amtrak Standard Stations Program Manual