Amtrak “Siri” and LED Signs

[Qapla]

quite a few passengers going to Tampa and leaving from Tampa. It is a very busy station.

Yes, it is a very busy station ... you'd think they would make the depot a little more "up-to-date"

Tampa Union Station (TUS) is a historic train station in Tampa, Florida. It was designed by Joseph F. Leitner and was opened on May 15, 1912, by the Tampa Union Station Company. Its original purpose was to combine passenger operations for the Atlantic Coast Line, the Seaboard Air Line and the Tampa Northern Railroad at a single site. The station is located at 601 North Nebraska Avenue (SR 45).
In 1974, as Union Railroad Station, Tampa Union Station was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places and in 1988 it received local landmark status from the City of Tampa.

Even though it has been "restored/renovated" more than once, it is still in need of significant work.

 

[brianpmcdonnell17]

Yes, it is a very busy station ... you'd think they would make the depot a little more "up-to-date"


Even though it has been "restored/renovated" more than once, it is still in need of significant work.

They are currently in the process of adding a high-level platform. Also, even though the SS is the only train to stop there, the departure board is used for the Thruway busses to and from Orlando as well.

As to how busy it is, I think it is the only station other than Denver which has over 100,000 annual passengers and only one daily round-trip.

 

[Qapla]

I know it doesn't really matter when it comes to getting on/off the train ... but, the tracks that are there - the unused ones - are in terrible condition! The building(s) have had some work done ... but the yard leading up to the platform is overgrown and just plain ugly.

This is the first thing you see when backing into the station.

That yard, with the 8 tracks, is part of railroad history. It wouldn't take that much to clean it up and keep it in better appearance. They could even park some decommissioned cars on the tracks just for flavor instead of looking like a blighted weed patch with a broken down fence.

On the other hand, the "shaded parking" under the highway overpass is nice.

 

[me_little_me]

Those signs like in Greenville are next to useless. Far better if they told people where to stand on the platform to be near their car when the train arrives and other useful information. Mostly, it's info on watching out for people who might want to hijack the train and it always contains the phony anticipated arrival times until the train is almost at the station as if the train was going to travel from the last stop at the speed of light to make up lost time although it has never done that before.

Which track? Wow! That's like the airlines telling you which concourse. How many decades before they add the LOCATION on the platform?

"Ladies & Gentlemen, flight 309 to Boston departs from one of the 37 gates on Concourse B. Good luck in running to your gate after the plane arrives and before it departs two minutes later".