portland union station questions

[shanghaiamtrak]

ill be in portland for approx 6 hours in between trains in portland on sunday. is there a left luggage office there that i can store my bags at so i can go outside the station? how much is it?

also does anybody know if there are any internet cafes or someplace i can log onto the net near to the station?

 

[AlanB]

Hopefully someone who's actually been in Portland will see this before you leave on your trip, but just in case.

I would expect that you should be able to leave your bag at the baggage check counter for a few hours. Most Amtrak stations that check baggage do provide this service. Expect to pay a few bucks for the service though, and they will ask to see your ticket.

If you are traveling in a sleeper, then you may be able to leave your bags in the Metropolitan Lounge for free.

While I can't tell you much about where to go in Portland, I can tell you that a very short walk from the station will get you to TriMet, Portland's light rail system. You can link to TriMet's website for maps and schedule info by clicking here.

Sorry, but I also can't help with where to find internet access.

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

I have been there twice but it has been about 16 years or so since the last trip, so I am sure others on this board will speak up and tell you much more than I can remember. I will say that I remember it as a classic well maintained older style station, with beautiful wood curved benches, etc. Portland, Oregon, has kept enough passenger traffic all through the years to keep its main station intact rather than building some trailer-park Amshak in the suburbs( or the slums) somewhere.

Of course a station which is significant enough to boost a Metropolitan Lounge is certainly going to have most of the amenities.

My impression of the whole city of Portland were quite positive for what good that will do you. Again, I am sure others will help out more. I do remember it fondly. And I sort of think the statioon had become inter-modal(with buses) but is still clean and well-maintained.

 

[EmpireBuilderFan]

ill be in portland for approx 6 hours in between trains in portland on sunday. is there a left luggage office there that i can store my bags at so i can go outside the station? how much is it?

Yes, the baggage claim room will store your bags for a small fee per bag ($1.50 if I remember correctly).

also does anybody know if there are any internet cafes or someplace i can log onto the net near to the station?

I'm not sure of any specific Internet cafes, but I'm reasonably sure there are some down there. You might be able to ask one of the Amtrak agents and they'll be able to tell you where to look.

 

[Amtrak Watcher]

There are many WiFi (IEEE 802.11) wireless HotSpots all over Portland. You can find them in just about any espresso shop, but you will have to walk about three blocks to the south of the station to find them.

 

[Amtrak Watcher]

Amtrak puts Internet access in stations

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON -- Amtrak will soon offer Internet access at some of its busiest stations, allowing passengers waiting for the train to check their e-mail or surf the Net.

The railroad said Thursday that it has signed an agreement with AT&T Wireless to offer high-speed wireless Internet access, also known as WiFi, at six stations along the Northeast corridor.

The six stations are: Boston's Route 128 Station; Providence, R.I.; New York Penn Station; Philadelphia's 30th Street Station; Wilmington, Del.; and Baltimore's Penn Station.

Amtrak spokeswoman Marcie Golgoski says any passengers with a WiFi-enabled laptop or PDA will be able to access the system as soon as they walk into the station.

If they're already an AT&T customer, then they'll be able to log on with no charge. But, Golgoski said there will be a fee of $9.99 for passengers who aren't AT&T customers. They can pay with a credit card, and then have unlimited access from that station for up to 24 hours.

WiFi access is already offered at airports, hotels and coffee shops like Starbucks.

Golgoski said Amtrak won't be shelling out any cash for the Internet access.

"Putting this new service into these six stations is not costing Amtrak a cent. AT&T wireless is picking up the entire expense of the WiFi program, from design to installation to operations and maintenance," she said.

The new service will be available early this summer.

 

[EmpireBuilderFan]

Amtrak puts Internet access in stations

Now this is very cool. I hope this become popular enough to expand to stations like Portland, Seattle or Chicago. It'd be nice to sit in the Metropolitan Lounge at Portland and have the ability to surf from my laptop while waiting for the train.

 

[steve_relei]

Near the station? No. Farther up the bus mall in downtown Portland you might use: Kinkos at SW 3rd and Alder ($12 an hour) or at SW 5th and Columbia (thereabouts), or the public library at SW 10th and Yamhill. I think the Starbucks at Pioneer Square has a means to log on also.

If you have time and if the weather is nice, you might trying walking on the Eastside Esplanade--a walkway that parallels the Willamette River, including across the Steel Bridge and near the UP Railroad tracks. It offers nice views of trains, the river, and the downtown skyline, and is close to the station. Ask the station personnel about how to get there.

Coast Starlight crossing Steel Bridge near Eastside Esplanade

Portland Union Station Platforms with Starlight and Talgo Trains

Portland Union Station Platforms looking SE toward Steel Bridge

MAX (light-rail) is several blocks from the station and is a potential help and attraction. Fares on MAX and buses are free within downtown and are $1.30 for travel in one and two zones outside the city center. If you want to go all the way to Gresham, it's $1.60. MAX also has a leg that goes to the PDX airport; the fare for that is $1.60 (all the way to the airport).

The station has maps and schedules that should help you.

 

[shanghaiamtrak]

thanks for the great info guys!