Rhinecliff–Kingston station

Rhinecliff–Kingston
Amtrak station
File:Rhinecliff train station platform.jpg View looking south down platforms from road overpass to former ferry landing.
Location	Hutton and Charles Streets Rhinecliff, NY 12574
Coordinates
Owned by	Amtrak
Line(s)	CSXT Hudson Subdivision
Platforms	1 island platform
Tracks	2
Construction
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Station code	RHI
History
Opened	1914
Rebuilt	2011
Traffic
Passengers (2015)	194,477  4.4%
Services
Preceding station   Amtrak   Following station Hudson toward Montreal Adirondack Poughkeepsie toward New York City Hudson toward Niagara Falls, NY Empire Service Hudson toward Rutland Ethan Allen Express Hudson toward Toronto Maple Leaf   Former services   New York Central Railroad Barrytown toward Chicago Water Level Route Staatsburgh toward New York City
U.S. Historic district Contributing property
Official name	Rhinecliff New York Central Railroad Station
Designated	December 14, 1990
Part of	Hudson River Historic District
Reference no.	90002219
Architectural style	Mission-Spanish Revival

Rhinecliff–Kingston, commonly and formerly known as simply Rhinecliff, is a train station located in Rhinebeck, New York. It serves northern Dutchess County and the nearby Kingston area across the Hudson River. The station has one low-level island platform that serves two tracks. There is also an unused second platform, connected to the first via an overpass.

Rhinecliff station is somewhat popular with owners of weekend homes in the area as well as some commuters who prefer Amtrak's service to that of Metro-North's out of Poughkeepsie. These riders, along with students and others going to and from nearby Bard College, made Rhinecliff the 46th-busiest Amtrak station in 2004 with 86,466 boardings. Occasional suggestions to bring Metro-North service to Rhinecliff have been stalled by community opposition and track ownership issues.

File:Rhinecliff train station building.jpg

Original station building, still in use.

Though the station's name implies an easy connection to Kingston and vicinity, usually only taxicabs serve the station from Kingston. However, it is the closest station to the Kingston–Rhinecliff Bridge. Beginning in July 2015, a Kingston–Rhinecliff Ferry provides service between the two communities. The Kingston–Rhinecliff Ferry allows easy access to Kingston from Rhinecliff and vice versa. The next-closest Hudson River crossings are in Hudson, about 30 minutes north; and Poughkeepsie, about the same distance to the south. Both Hudson and Poughkeepsie have their own Amtrak stations.

The station building was built by the New York Central Railroad in 1914, in the Mission-Spanish Revival style similar to the next station down the line at Hyde Park. Like much of the hamlet of Rhinecliff, it is a contributing property to the Hudson River Historic District.

Amtrak service

All trains heading southbound from Rhinecliff–Kingston terminate at Penn Station in New York City, while all northbound trains besides the Lake Shore Limited stop at Hudson and Albany–Rensselaer before diverting.

• Adirondack to Montreal
• Empire Service to Poughkeepsie, Westchester County (Croton-on-Hudson/Yonkers) and New York or Schenectady, Syracuse, Buffalo, and Niagara Falls
• Ethan Allen Express to Rutland or New York
• Lake Shore Limited to Chicago
• Maple Leaf to Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo, and Toronto or New York

External links

• Media related to at Wikimedia Commons
• Amtrak – Stations – Rhinecliff-Kingston
• Rhinecliff (RHI); Great American Stations (Amtrak)
• Kingston-Rhinecliff Amtrak Station (USA Rail Guide – Train Web)