Checking up on Amtrak's (lack of) ADA compliance

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“CoatesPhilly” as a former coworker called it, only sees a couple Keystones in each direction each day. Has to do with Thorndale Septa just a few miles down the road.
 
“CoatesPhilly” as a former coworker called it, only sees a couple Keystones in each direction each day. Has to do with Thorndale Septa just a few miles down the road.
Yeah, Coatesville is supposed to get SEPTA service back once they finish the new ADA-accessible station.
 
I have been alerted to the fact that Lordsburg, NM is in just as bad a state as Deming, despite being listed as having an "accessible platform", it's listed with "no wheelchair lift". It's another "board from the grade crossing", and apparently they haven't got a lift there either, just like Deming.

This seems to have been an oversight as it wasn't on Amtrak's previous list of stations with serious impediments to boarding for those in wheelchairs.

Revised consolidated list. I decided to organize it a bit differently.

Stations not requiring major platform work:
----
Not Clear Why It's Not Listed As Accessible Yet, Since it Looks Done:
Ashland, VA (NE Regional, Silver Service -- on CSX track)

Website says they lack wheelchair lifts (but they seem like the platform should allow it?):
Crawfordsville, IN (Cardinal -- on CSX track)
Elko, NV (California Zephyr -- on UP track)

Needs only staff to unlock the elevators, no progress seen:
North Philadelphia PA (NE Regional, SEPTA)

Stations requiring major platform work:
----
Under construction:
Westerly RI (no reported date of completion) (NE Regional)
Ardmore PA (expected done mid-2023) (Keystone/SEPTA)

Funded but not really started:
Newark DE (supposedly to be done in 2023 according to last article I saw, from Jan 2021) (NE Regional)
Coatesville PA (Keystone/future SEPTA)

Partially designed but not committed:
Latrobe PA (Pennsylvanian -- on NS track)
Downingtown PA (Keystone/SEPTA)
Thurmond WV (platform awaits rebuilding to put lift on) (Cardinal -- on CSX track)

Need major work, no progress seen:
Parkesburg PA (Keystone)
Harpers Ferry WV (Capitol Limited/MARC -- on CSX track)

No platform (board at grade crossing), no progress seen:
Deming NM (Sunset Limited -- on UP track)
Lordsburg NM (Sunset Limited -- on UP track)

Both Harpers Ferry and Thurmond require approval from the National Park Service as historic sites. I have no idea what's delaying the others. Though I wouldn't be surprised if UP was causing trouble over Deming and Lordsburg, that's just a wild guess. I want to see that report so I can find out what's actually causing the delays. The Keystone/Pennsylvanian stations seem to be delayed entirely by Amtrak itself, and they have nobody else to blame for North Philadelphia, either.
 
I should note that I actually track this stuff intermittently for most of the urban rail and commuter rail systems in North America. I've been posting the Amtrak statuses here, because this is an Amtrak discussion forum, but if anyone wants to know about the status of some other rail system, ask and I'll put something in the appropriate forum.

(Example: in the Toronto area, GO Transit currently has four inaccessible stations, all under construction. Kipling was finished recently. Eglinton is supposed to finish in 2023; Mimico, Long Branch, and Georgetown in 2024. Georgetown is likely to be late, though most trips there already stop at an accessible platform. This is only listed in one document, the annual Metrolinx Accessibility Status Report, and is quite impossible to find anywhere else on their website.)
 
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What about Flagstaff?

Amtrak's web site says Flagstaff has an accessible platform, accessible waiting room, accessible restrooms, and accessible parking, a staffed ticket office and checked baggage handling, but NO wheelchair lift!

Trying to book a trip to Flagstaff with a wheelchair gives error "Own wheelchair not available for the selected station. at Flagstaff (Amtrak Station), Arizona".

This boggles my mind. How can a station be completely accessible and staffed, but lack a wheelchair lift? It just doesn't make sense!
 
I have a lot on my plate personally right now including chronic medical issues, and I am finding the continued "High Community Transmisison" of Covid-19 throughout the US quite depressing, but when I feel up to it, I'm going to contact Amtrak and the DOJ again to find out *what* is going on with Flagstaff and the others. Stay tuned.

Flagstaff definitely used to have a wheelchair lift *and* an Amtrak-provided wheelchair. (It's on archived copies of the page.) Something happened.

& I just noticed that Fulton, KY lacks a wheelchair lift. Plans for a new station are in progress, but again, this is weird. The number of stations without wheelchair lifts should not be increasing. I'm going to be asking about this for sure.

On the other hand, Elko claims to have a wheelchair lift now?
 
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Crawfordsville IN (Cardinal flag stop) is getting a new platform - it is well under construction. Have no idea what features it will have. I have to believe it will be ADA compliant.

I will be curious as to what small shelter they end up with. The current shelter is a thoroughly rusted-out Amshack.

1DC503C2-B2BB-4050-A11D-F738BE9ABAC3.jpeg
 
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Thanks for the update. Amtrak used to publish regular updates on these projects (and is required to by court settlement) but has not been doing so.
 
Crawfordsville IN (Cardinal flag stop) is getting a new platform - it is well under construction. Have no idea what features it will have. I have to believe it will be ADA compliant.

I will be curious as to what small shelter they end up with. The current shelter is a thoroughly rusted-out Amshack.

View attachment 25007
Sanderson also has a brand new platform. Could this mean that Amtrak is looking to improve service for the Sunset? Probably not, but we can hope.
 
I haven't seen any news about the stations listed above, but Amtrak recently posted these for accessibility projects at Detroit, MI and Martinez, CA:

Detroit:
Beginning October 14, 2021, the Detroit station will begin a facility upgrade project to improve accessibility throughout the station and parking lot.
During this project work period, parking in the adjacent lot, as well as building access, will be limited. Temporary ramps will be in place for customers to enter/exit the building.
Please allow extra time when arriving to the station. Passengers are encouraged to arrange for pick up and drop off service if possible.

Martinez:
Beginning October 18, 2021, the Martinez, CA, station will begin phase one of a facility upgrade project to improve accessibility throughout the station and boarding platforms.
This project will involve remodeling the ticket counter and restrooms inside the station as well as repairing and replacing sections of the boarding platforms. During the construction period, a temporary ticket counter and restroom facilities will be installed inside the station.
Allow extra time when arriving at the station and follow signage to open sections of the boarding platform.
 
I haven't seen any news about the stations listed above, but Amtrak recently posted these for accessibility projects at Detroit, MI and Martinez, CA:

Detroit:


Martinez:
I was in Martinez Wednesday. Didn’t see any obvious evidence this project has started yet. But the worst part of this otherwise nice, utilitarian station was the rest rooms. Reading that an upgrade is imminent makes a lot of sense.
 
I have a lot on my plate personally right now including chronic medical issues, and I am finding the continued "High Community Transmisison" of Covid-19 throughout the US quite depressing, but when I feel up to it, I'm going to contact Amtrak and the DOJ again to find out *what* is going on with Flagstaff and the others. Stay tuned.

Flagstaff definitely used to have a wheelchair lift *and* an Amtrak-provided wheelchair. (It's on archived copies of the page.) Something happened.

& I just noticed that Fulton, KY lacks a wheelchair lift. Plans for a new station are in progress, but again, this is weird. The number of stations without wheelchair lifts should not be increasing. I'm going to be asking about this for sure.

On the other hand, Elko claims to have a wheelchair lift now?
I was watching the #3 arrival at Flagstaff tonight and they brought a wheelchair lift for a passenger with a walker that couldn't navigate the steps.
 
Reviving this thread because there's news! Middletown, PA's new station is open.

https://cumberlink.com/news/local/c...cle_557d4245-20ca-50f3-b608-9c28e74840c9.html
Also worth noting that the new/old Fort Madison station opened.
https://www.greatamericanstations.com/amtrak-moves-to-downtown-fort-madison-iowa/
None of the stations on the "list of shame" have made progress, however.

As a matter of interest, I went through Amtrak's webpages (using a program I wrote) and found all the stations listed as "No accessible platform". It is slightly different from the list I accumulated previously, and probably not entirely accurate:

ARD (Ardmore, PA)
COT (Coatesville, PA)
DEM (Deming, NM)
DOW (Downingtown, PA)
HFY (Harpers Ferry, WV)
KTR (Kingstree, SC) -- this was not on my radar -- what's wrong with Kingstree SC?
LAB (Latrobe, PA)
LEX (Lexington, NC) -- this was not on my radar -- what's wrong with Lexington NC?
MCB (McComb, MS) -- this is temporary and due to post-fire construction
NRK (Newark, DE)
PAR (Parkesburg, PA)
PGH (Pittsburgh, PA) -- ?!?!? Really ?!?!?
PHN (North Philadelphia, PA)
THN (Thurmond, WV)
WLY (Westerly, RI)

Pittsburgh!?!?

Those on my previous list which are not on this list are Lordsburg, NM and Ashland, VA, plus a couple which claimed to lack wheelchair lifts.

I assume Ashland was finished and they just got around to updating the website. Hooray!

I am not sure exactly how Lordsburg, NM, with no platform, is supposed to have an accessible platform, and I think its website information is probably wrong. I will try to contact someone to get that corrected.

In addition to this list, an *astonishing* number of low-platform stations claim to have no wheelchair lift (which would make them inaccessible). Texarkana?!? Dallas?!? Oakland?!? Memphis?!? This can't possibly be right, or at least I hope it's not right, so I'm not going to list them here. I think this is most likely to be a major website error and I will probably try to report it once I figure out who to contact.

Amtrak has still not published the accessibility report they were supposed to publish several months ago.
 
None of the stations on the "list of shame" have made progress, however.

As a matter of interest, I went through Amtrak's webpages (using a program I wrote) and found all the stations listed as "No accessible platform". It is slightly different from the list I accumulated previously, and probably not entirely accurate:

ARD (Ardmore, PA)
COT (Coatesville, PA)
DEM (Deming, NM)
DOW (Downingtown, PA)
HFY (Harpers Ferry, WV)
KTR (Kingstree, SC) -- this was not on my radar -- what's wrong with Kingstree SC?
LAB (Latrobe, PA)
LEX (Lexington, NC) -- this was not on my radar -- what's wrong with Lexington NC?
MCB (McComb, MS) -- this is temporary and due to post-fire construction
NRK (Newark, DE)
PAR (Parkesburg, PA)
PGH (Pittsburgh, PA) -- ?!?!? Really ?!?!?
PHN (North Philadelphia, PA)
THN (Thurmond, WV)
WLY (Westerly, RI)

Lexington, NC is not a regular station stop. One day a year, North Carolina trains stop there for the Lexington BBQ Festival. That's it. So many people complain about thrice-weekly service and this town has once yearly service. Though, trains haven't stopped there since 2019 - the festival was canceled in 2020 and 2021. 😁
 
Lexington, NC is not a regular station stop. One day a year, North Carolina trains stop there for the Lexington BBQ Festival. That's it. So many people complain about thrice-weekly service and this town has once yearly service. Though, trains haven't stopped there since 2019 - the festival was canceled in 2020 and 2021. 😁
Still needs to be accessible.
 
Lexington, NC is not a regular station stop. One day a year, North Carolina trains stop there for the Lexington BBQ Festival. That's it. So many people complain about thrice-weekly service and this town has once yearly service. Though, trains haven't stopped there since 2019 - the festival was canceled in 2020 and 2021. 😁
Thanks, that explains that situation!

I'm not sure why I hadn't spotted Kingstree -- its "platform" is asphalt below or at top of rail level, it appears (needs a platform built).
 
Lexington, NC is not a regular station stop. One day a year, North Carolina trains stop there for the Lexington BBQ Festival. That's it. So many people complain about thrice-weekly service and this town has once yearly service. Though, trains haven't stopped there since 2019 - the festival was canceled in 2020 and 2021. 😁
1641718516813.png

That is one wonderful station.
 
Although not Amtrak, have you seen the MNRR Breakneck Ridge Station on the Hudson Line? It is summer only. It is three wooden steps painted yellow to get you to a level from where you can board a MNRR Comet Car.
Yes, might be why it's been closed since December 2, 2019 :) There's a plan for the town of Fishkill to pay $200k for short high-level platforms and accessible ramps to a new parking lot, but I think it's been delayed due to covid. It was originally supposed to close for construction mid-2020 at the earliest. Appalachian Trail on the Harlem Line is very similar, but its only access is the trail, so I'm not sure if it needs to be accessible.
 
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