Please Help...Ridiculous Albuquerque Station

[njulian]

I am leaving out of Albuquerque on the SWC on July 4 (as noted in several different posts). Here's a lulu. I am trying to find out where the paid overnight parking is located. There is no phone number for this station to be found anywhere. Plus, I've seen mulitple horror stories aobut the station itself. So...does anyone know where and how much the long term parking is and if not, how on earth to call this place (if they would answer which I also don't know.)

Thanks

 

[Guest]

Try 1-800-USA-RAIL.

 

[RailBirder]

How did you determine Albuquerque has paid overnight parking? I don't see anything on the website about it.

 

[Guest_redsandal_*]

I live in Albuquerque and have used the lot you're referring to when we took the train from ABQ to CHI last fall. Here's how it works. First, the parking structure is across the street from the station which is on 1st St. You can either pay by the day and pay when you leave, or you can pay for a longer period of time (by the month), which is cheaper, and the permit for that can be purchased in advace at the city administrator offices in the Plaza del Sol building at 2nd and Lomas, 6th floor. It's CASH ONLY and be sure you have SMALL BILLS - THEY DO NOT LIKE TO MAKE CHANGE. Leave your permit on your dash and then show it when you leave. This last option is what we did when we took our two week trip. This lot is not run or maintained by Amtrak, but rather the City of Albuquerque.

 

[Guest_redsandal_*]

Oh, and if you're in ABQ, you can dail 311 and they might be able to give you more information. We can't really remember how much it was but it's something like 4 dollars a day and I think we paid 35ish for a month.

 

[njulian]

Try 1-800-USA-RAIL.

That just gets me Julie..no info unless I wish to wait for an agent, which was a very long wait.

 

[njulian]

How did you determine Albuquerque has paid overnight parking? I don't see anything on the website about it.

It is listed in the Route guide. All the stations are listed and there are little icons for what services are offered.

 

[njulian]

I live in Albuquerque and have used the lot you're referring to when we took the train from ABQ to CHI last fall. Here's how it works. First, the parking structure is across the street from the station which is on 1st St. You can either pay by the day and pay when you leave, or you can pay for a longer period of time (by the month), which is cheaper, and the permit for that can be purchased in advace at the city administrator offices in the Plaza del Sol building at 2nd and Lomas, 6th floor. It's CASH ONLY and be sure you have SMALL BILLS - THEY DO NOT LIKE TO MAKE CHANGE. Leave your permit on your dash and then show it when you leave. This last option is what we did when we took our two week trip. This lot is not run or maintained by Amtrak, but rather the City of Albuquerque.

Thanks, this is great. We'll only be gone 7 days, so the daily option is probably better.

So.....how awful is the station?

 

[Arkarch]

Of historical note, the original station was a very pretty place. It burned down in early 1993 and last I checked, nothing permanent has ever been built to replace it.

Found a link http://atsf.railfan.net/depots/depoted.html

 

[redsandal]

Thanks, this is great. We'll only be gone 7 days, so the daily option is probably better.
So.....how awful is the station?

It's so so...it's in an ok area of downtown. It's not as nice as the CHI Union Station, of course, but it's ok. It's next to the new Alvarado Transporation Center which is where you can catch the bus. It's got a seating area, bathroom and ticket window. Then an area outside where you can sit and watch other trains (Rail Runner, for instance) as well as purchase Native American jewelry as they have stands behind the station where you go to get on the train. Do you live in ABQ or are you passing through?

 

[redsandal]

Here's a pic of the Transportation Center. Note that this is NOT where you'll get the train, but next door to the Amtrak station. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvarado_Transportation_Center

This link gives you info on the Rail Runner (a commuter train which runs from Belen to Bernalillo). You get on the SWC at the Amtrak station in this same location. The site includes a map and parking info. This is at the very same location as the Amtrak. http://www.nmrailrunner.com/albuquerque.asp

I'm curious about the horror stories you've heard...as a woman, I feel perfectly comfortable at the station. I don't suppose I'd want to be wandering around there by myself after dark, but the SWC rolls through there on the way to CHI at noon and gets in from CHI around 5 and I've never felt uncomfortable.

 

[guest_AmtrakCrescent20]

Is Amtrak still planning to move into the Alvarado TC or has that plan been abandoned?

 

[Everydaymatters]

Is the station downstairs? During the maintenance stop, it was confusing. It looked like you had to go down some stairs and to the left to get into the station. I didn't see access directly from the train platform to the interior of the station.

 

[njulian]

Of historical note, the original station was a very pretty place. It burned down in early 1993 and last I checked, nothing permanent has ever been built to replace it.
Found a link http://atsf.railfan.net/depots/depoted.html

What a shame..I read somewhere the reason for this is some battle between the city and AMTRAK on who pays for a new building so of course no one does and the station is in a tiny old storage area. Last time I took the train out of there..98 maybe..there was nothing at all.. You just stood by the tracks basically..there was a concrete slab and some old, very small, red structure, and that was it. It just seems ridiculous a city the size of Alb, especially since they are just getting into the light rail business, wouldn't have a better AMTRAK facility.

 

[njulian]

Thanks, this is great. We'll only be gone 7 days, so the daily option is probably better.
So.....how awful is the station?

It's so so...it's in an ok area of downtown. It's not as nice as the CHI Union Station, of course, but it's ok. It's next to the new Alvarado Transporation Center which is where you can catch the bus. It's got a seating area, bathroom and ticket window. Then an area outside where you can sit and watch other trains (Rail Runner, for instance) as well as purchase Native American jewelry as they have stands behind the station where you go to get on the train. Do you live in ABQ or are you passing through?

I live in Alamogordo.

 

[njulian]

Here's a pic of the Transportation Center. Note that this is NOT where you'll get the train, but next door to the Amtrak station. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvarado_Transportation_Center
This link gives you info on the Rail Runner (a commuter train which runs from Belen to Bernalillo). You get on the SWC at the Amtrak station in this same location. The site includes a map and parking info. This is at the very same location as the Amtrak. http://www.nmrailrunner.com/albuquerque.asp

I'm curious about the horror stories you've heard...as a woman, I feel perfectly comfortable at the station. I don't suppose I'd want to be wandering around there by myself after dark, but the SWC rolls through there on the way to CHI at noon and gets in from CHI around 5 and I've never felt uncomfortable.

Well, the stories weren't so much a safety issue, but an unkempt, uncaring one..dirty, overflowing toilets, etc. I just googled Albuquerque AMTRAK and the stuff popped up.

Thank you for all your help. I love AMTRAK, I just get frustrated that it could be so much more..

 

[printman2000]

Is the station downstairs? During the maintenance stop, it was confusing. It looked like you had to go down some stairs and to the left to get into the station. I didn't see access directly from the train platform to the interior of the station.

Yes, the "station" is down some stairs from the train platform. I was there a couple of months ago.

 

[gswager]

I'm from Portales, NM. Here what I did twice (due to train one-way and fly back or other way around.) I parked my vehicle at airport off-site parking where the bus route is. It's bus #50. It will take you to Alverado Transportation Center which is right next door to Amtrak station. It stops every half hour.

Also, occassionally, a taxi driver may occassionally showed on this Amtrak forum. The driver loves to hear the Amtrak stories.

I wouldn't park overnight at the garage parking or at the station due to downtown area where the vandals roaming at night.

Here's the info from ABQ Bus Transportation.

I will make more details because I just got back from business trip.