Which station has the best restrooms?

[Guest]

Beaumont has all natural restroom...

Yeah! And I think it was just used when I was there last month! To get from the front cars to the rear cars via the "station" platform, you either had to walk thru a 20 foot puddle of standing water - or thru the rocks!

People aren't perfect. Someone obviously missed the grass.

 

[GG-1]

Wow 26 messages about the lua. :lol:

 

[AlanB]

Or is Poughkeepsie considered MetroNorth, and not Amtrak?

Metro North.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Newark NJ Penn Station has the best. They aren't spectacular in any one way, but they are in a constant state of being cleaned by very friendly and dedicated custodians that will even help direct people to empty stalls.

 

[JayPea]

While I haven't spent a whole lot of time in station restrooms, I've found the one at my "home" station at Spokane actually good in comparison. Plenty of room and they keep them clean. I was a full-time janitor for a dozen years and still perform that service for a couple of days a week at my current employer so I know what is expected when restrooms are "professionally" clean. The temporary one I used at Seattle a few years ago was not good at all. The regular rest rooms were part of the ever-present remodeling of King Street Station there and they were just a temporary shack on the outside of the main building. Even on an otherwise warm sunny May day, there was a vicious wind howling through the shacks. They've changed that setup since then but it was miserable at the time.

 

[Cho Cho Charlie]

White River Junction has a very "like home" feel to their bathroom.

 

[MrFSS]

HERE is a list of the best restrooms in the world - no Amtrak stations on it.

 

[Murjax]

I can't say any of the Amtrak restrooms I've been in are "great", but if I had to choose my favorite, I would have to choose Bridgeport, CT. It's obviously very plain since it's only a commuter station, but there is always someone there which means it's always clean. I have yet to find a toilet unflushed there (unless of course it's broken). The worst restroom I've been in surprisingly is in WAS. Although you'd think such a magnificent station would have clean restrooms, the fact that there are at least 20 homeless people practically living in Union Station at any one time results in disgusting restrooms. It's just impossible to manage. The opposite is true for NYP. Although the station is anything but appeasing, their restrooms are clean and maintained. As others have mentioned though, they can get tight.

 

[JAChooChoo]

I used the Baltimore Penn Station restroom this morning before catching my train down to DC and had forgotten just how bad it is; that place probably hasn't seen an overhaul since the 80's!
So that got me to thinking, which stations have the best restrooms? Here are the rules:

1). Can't be a Club Acela, Metropolitan Lounge, or First Class lounge (i.e. it has to be accessible to a coach passenger)

Rafi

And must meet ADA accessability.

 

[RTOlson]

I'm a fan of the Davis, Calif. bathroom. The room is large and airy. The color and tiles of the interior are similar to the rest of the historic Southern Pacific depot.

The main portion is pretty utilitarian -- with two urinals and a sink. The best part is the single stall, fitted for the handicapped. The stall fills the end of the room, which is closest to the outside walls. It has plenty of space for bags and and gets a lot of light from the stained-glass and frosted-glass windows.

That's probably the best Amtrak restroom I've been in.

 

[tp49]

Oakland, CA has the absolute worst bathrooms I've ever been in on the Amtrak system. Dirty to a point of needing a hazmat suit to walk in there, graffiti ridden and generally unpleasant. Had the set up for use of tokens on the door but you don't have to use tokens to access it.

NYP has good restrooms in that they're clean. They're cleaner than the ones in the LIRR ticketed waiting area. Yes they're small but I'll take clean over small.

 

[The Metropolitan]

Of the ones specifically listed that I've been though, Emeryville CA gets my vote for the best. Baltimore's ain't great, but I do prefer them to DC's or even Philly's which you share with several folks who take up "residence" there.

As far as unlisted ones, two restrooms seem to stroke my memory as being welcome, quiet relief spots:

Cleveland, OH and

Greensboro, NC - both were well maintained and clean.

Pittsburgh would probably rank as a close 3rd, I don't recall it being the Trump Plaza, but I don't recall any cleanliness issues.

The most suprisingly "vintage" restroom that I recall encountering was that in the Charlotte NC Station. Visit it and you'll see what I mean.

 

[Rafi]

I used the Baltimore Penn Station restroom this morning before catching my train down to DC and had forgotten just how bad it is; that place probably hasn't seen an overhaul since the 80's!

Worse than WAS (both the A gate and downstairs near the escalator to the Metro)?

I think it's worse than WAS' bathrooms. That's just my opinion, but it just feels... grungy and really, really dirty. The kind of dirty where you don't want to touch ANYTHING.

Rafi

 

[jis]

Or is Poughkeepsie considered MetroNorth, and not Amtrak?

Metro North.

If POU is considered Metro-North should Newark NJ be considered NJTransit?

 

[VentureForth]

Savannah ain't bad. But I really think the Atlanta restrooms are real nice. DALLAS RESTROOMS ARE LOUSY!! Fort Worth is practically new, so they are WAY up on my list. So is Kannapolis and Salisbury NC. They're both relatively new and are well kept. So my order on those just mentioned:

1. Kannapolis, NC

2. Salisbury, NC

3. Ft Worth, Tx

4. Atlanta, GA

5. Savannah, GA

Dallas doesn't make the top anything list here... Even despite recent renovation, it's just not maintained. Also a favorite 'hostel' for the homeless.

 

[tourlink99]

Why Tampa of course! The station , along with the bathrooms was refurbished a few years ago. They are clean, not very busy, and aside from a little pealing paint are in good shape.

Mark

 

[Tygercat]

NY Penn gets my vote, they are usually clean abeit crowded. I actually prefer the facilities at the Borders Bookstore or Macy's nearby. Philadelphia 30th St- the ones in the food court area are usually good in the morning, but at least once were appaling in the evening. However, there are others on the north side of the station (near the baggage counter) that don't get as many people and are usually acceptable. Washington Union Station- the last time I was there (over a year)the ladies in the Amtrak area (gate G) was clean but needed work, one sink was becoming detached from the wall! Oddly, the one in the food court was better.

 

[Amtrak OBS Gone Freight]

WOW... a poll about which station has the best "head, latrine, etc!!!" Never expected this one.... :blink: :lol:

But anyway, Sebring FL seemed to have a nice clean restroom at most times I been there. Ocala, FL had decent restrooms after the renovation was completed (yea shortly before they lost the train there!), and as far as big city restrooms, I couldn't begin to tell anyone. Of all the trips in and out of MIA, NYP, WAS, PHL, I have never been in either of them except the employee restrooms at MIA!!! The last Amtrak station restroom I was in was DeLand, FL and it was in decent condition, Winter Park, FL and it was alright, and Lakeland, FL about three months ago, and it was fairly clean (but it after #92 and they were about to close so it probably had been just cleaned).

OBS gone freight...

 

[Joel N. Weber II]

I used the Baltimore Penn Station restroom this morning before catching my train down to DC and had forgotten just how bad it is; that place probably hasn't seen an overhaul since the 80's!

I tend to think that how well the cleaning staff is keeping up with keeping a bathroom clean is more important than how recently it has been remodeled.

 

[Amtrak839]

The eight people who voted for WUS have obviously never used a restroom there. IIRC Williamsburg had pretty good bathrooms.

 

[RTOlson]

I don't know about Washington Union Station -- it's a big station and there are a lot of bathrooms. I've never been to the bathrooms in or near the Amtrak area, but I've been to the ones off the Great Hall. Those weren't bad.

 

[Jersey Jeff]

Although it does not see many Amtrak trains, Newark Airport station has a quiet, clean little restroom tucked away behind the Amtrak ticket counter. It's on your left as soon as you pass through the gates from the tracks.

 

[Long Train Runnin']

Although it does not see many Amtrak trains, Newark Airport station has a quiet, clean little restroom tucked away behind the Amtrak ticket counter. It's on your left as soon as you pass through the gates from the tracks.

There is actually one on each platform as well. usualy clean as i've never passed through there with out seeing cleaning staff

 

[ScottC4746]

Hmm, this is hard one. LAX doesn't get my vote. It's way too small for the size and number of passengers it serves. You go into this small little door and it always crowded inside, especially when you have luggage.

And too many homeless taking baths.

 

[access bob]

I used the Baltimore Penn Station restroom this morning before catching my train down to DC and had forgotten just how bad it is; that place probably hasn't seen an overhaul since the 80's!
So that got me to thinking, which stations have the best restrooms? Here are the rules:

1). Can't be a Club Acela, Metropolitan Lounge, or First Class lounge (i.e. it has to be accessible to a coach passenger)

2). Can be any station in the Amtrak system, Amtrak-owned or otherwise, but has to be accessible to Amtrak patrons.

3). Must be a station Amtrak normally serves (for example, Grand Central won't qualify, despite the temporary service there recently)

4). While I'm listing Amtrak's top 20 stations (in terms of patronage), feel free to write in your own vote.

Rafi

I'll let you know if I ever find one

Bob