Pittsburgh Station

[benny]

Quest about the Pittsburgh AMTRAK station. We will be arriving on the 43 Pennsylvanian at 8pm on a Sunday. We will be departing on the 29 Capitol Limited at midnight.

Is the station open at that time? Is it in a good area? Are there places to get a bite to eat while we are waiting?

Is the 43 usually on time or behind?

Thanks

Benny

 

[Philly Amtrak Fan]

Quest about the Pittsburgh AMTRAK station. We will be arriving on the 43 Pennsylvanian at 8pm on a Sunday. We will be departing on the 29 Capitol Limited at midnight.

Is the station open at that time? Is it in a good area? Are there places to get a bite to eat while we are waiting?

Is the 43 usually on time or behind?

Thanks

Benny

From what I remember, It's a very small station. I can't speak about the neighborhood.

Being from the Philadelphia area, if you are coming from Philly or New Jersey it may be better to take a Northeast Regional to WAS and catch the Capitol Limited there or if you are heading to and/or connecting in Chicago go up to New York and catch the Lake Shore Limited. I don't know if it's really unsafe but I'm not a fan of spending four hours late at night in a tiny station. If you're coming back using the same route the wait time is shorter but part of it is during the graveyard shift.

 

[Railroad Bill]

You will enjoy the ride on 43 across Pennsylvania. Great scenery, Amish country, mountains, rivers, etc. In answer to your question, the current station is on the lower floor of the old station and is not esthetically pleasing but adequate for waiting. The station will be open during all of your waiting time and the agent will hold any bags you may have if you wish to go out to find something to eat. The Capitol Ltd may run late so your wait may be extended. The neighborhood is o.k. but I would be a bit leery of walking around alone after dark Below is a link to some recent conversations about the Pittsburgh station that you may wish to read over

http://discuss.amtraktrains.com/index.php?/topic/42869-pittsburgh-pa/

 

[benny]

Thanks

We are catching the 43 in Harrisburg.

 

[benny]

I see that Primanti Bros is open 24hrs. I hear their food is excellent. We might try to walk over there.......maybe.

 

[Lonestar648]

Early evening is no problem, but I would be cautious close to midnight and after. Also, use street smarts, be aware of your surroundings like you would in any city. there are nice hotels nearby that I have stopped in while I was walking just to make sure no one was following. the waiting area is small, so use the Amtrak cell app to keep up with the CAPs progress. Pittsburgh is a nice city, if you have the time take a taxi to the Duquesne Incline to go up to Mt. Washington. Spectacular view of Pittsburgh and the three rivers. Very Romantic, This is where I proposed to my wife 43 years ago. Incline closes at 12:45 AM.

 

[bretton88]

This is great information. I'll be there on a Monday night soon (waiting for the Cap). I'll try the Primanti brothers run too. How close is the light rail to the station?

 

[Bob Dylan]

I see that Primanti Bros is open 24hrs. I hear their food is excellent. We might try to walk over there.......maybe.

All things considered after dark it is best to use a cab to go to "The Strip" where the Original Primanti Brothers is located.

Walking around downtown in the other direction is OK, plenty of bars,upscale hotels, cafes and theaters around, and if the Penguins are playing Hockey ( the Arena is close to the Amtrak Station) there will be lots of people around.

Unfortunately the original part of the Station is now upscale Condos,but if you can get someone to let you take a look inside the beautiful lobby you'll see how sad it is that Amtrak has been sent to the dungeon! ( basement)

 

[Lonestar648]

The PRR built a beautiful station. I remember trains to and from NYC over the years, coach and sleeper (back when you settled into your room, then the train arrived later and your car was connected).

 

[NorthShore]

I had a very nice dinner at the historic Omni William Penn hotel on that layover, once. Pricey, but a very nice environment.

You can also walk easily to and around the cultural.district, where there are numerous restaurants.

 

[NorthShore]

I think this is the place I'd drop in fir dinner and music, if I had the opportunity:

http://www.littleesjazz.com

 

[cirdan]

Quest about the Pittsburgh AMTRAK station. We will be arriving on the 43 Pennsylvanian at 8pm on a Sunday. We will be departing on the 29 Capitol Limited at midnight.

Is the station open at that time? Is it in a good area? Are there places to get a bite to eat while we are waiting?

Is the 43 usually on time or behind?

Thanks

Benny

I made the same connection a couple of years ago. Actually I had a far longer wait as the Capitol Limited was running several hours late due to a freight derailment, or so we were informed.

The station remained open during all the time we were there. There is a waiting room which is a bit spartan and functiional but OK and had plenty of people waiting with us, but it wasn't crowded. There were also some staff on site but I can't remember if they were Amtrak police or some security outfit. But anyway, it was safe enough. I don't there is much of interest to be seen in the immediate area. I took a short walk outside and it all looked pretty dead and dull to me so I came back inside pretty quickly. I just hung around in the waiting room and read my book. I guess had I had felt more adventurous I could have caught a cab to somewhere more interesting but i didn't especially feel like it.

 

[NorthShore]

The cultural district is fairly close and quite walkable from the station. Plenty of restaurants. If you get in early enough on a weekend night, you might even be able to hear the symphony. You can also stroll around the river and see or cross some of the pretty bridges. In summer, there might be a Pirates game at PNC Park nearby. And public transportation is aplenty, if you care to venture a bit further out.