Rhinecliff station

Rhinecliff–Kingston
Amtrak station
View looking south down platforms from road overpass to former ferry landing.
General information
Location	Hutton and Charles Streets Rhinecliff, NY 12574
Coordinates	41.921277°N 73.951379°W / 41.921277; -73.951379
Owned by	Amtrak
Line(s)	Adirondack   Empire Service   Ethan Allen   Maple Leaf
Platforms	2
Tracks	2
Construction
Accessible	Yes
Other information
Station code	RHI
History
Opened	1914
Rebuilt	2011
Passengers
2011	163,205  2.9%
Services
Preceding station   Amtrak   Following station Template:Amtrak stations toward Template:Amtrak stations Template:Amtrak lines Template:Amtrak stations toward Template:Amtrak stations Template:Amtrak stations toward Template:Amtrak stations Template:Amtrak lines Template:Amtrak stations toward Template:Amtrak stations Template:Amtrak lines Template:Amtrak stations toward Template:Amtrak stations Template:Amtrak lines

The Rhinecliff–Kingston Amtrak station, commonly and formerly known as simply Rhinecliff, is located in Rhinebeck, New York and 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.

Original station building, still in use.

Though the station's name implies an easy connection to Kingston and vicinity, only taxicabs serve the station from Kingston. However, it is the closest station to the Kingston–Rhinecliff Bridge. In the near future, a Kingston–Rhinecliff Ferry may provide service between the two communities. The Kingston–Rhinecliff Ferry would allow 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 the early 20th century 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 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
• Maple Leaf to Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo, and Toronto or New York

Until April 4, 2009, the southbound Lake Shore Limited (Train 48) also stopped here as well as at Hudson and Poughkeepsie stations.

Notable places nearby

• Trolley Museum of New York
• Empire State Railway Museum
• Catskill Mountain Railroad
• Dutchess County Fairgrounds
• Wilderstein
• Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome
• Rondout

External links

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