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{{short description|Amtrak rail station in Rhinebeck, New York}}
{{good article}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox station
| name = Rhinecliff,&nbsp;NY
| style = Amtrak
| image = Rhinecliff train station platform.jpg
| image_caption = Looking south at Rhinecliff station in July 2007
| alt = A covered railway station platform with two tracks next to a wide river
| address = 455 Rhinecliff Road
| borough = [[Rhinecliff, New York]], US
| country = United States
| coordinates = {{Wikidatacoord|Q3097409|region:US-NY_type:railwaystation|display=inline,title}}
| owned = {{ubl|[[Amtrak]] (station building)|[[CSX Transportation|CSX]] (tracks and platforms)}}
| line = CSX [[Hudson Subdivision]]
| platform = 1 [[island platform]]
| tracks = 2
| connections = 
| accessible = Yes
| code = {{Amtrak code|RHI}}
| zone = 
| opened = October 1, 1851
| rebuilt = 1852; 1870s; 1914<br />2020s (planned)
| mpassengers = {{rail pass box|system=Amtrak|passengers={{Amtrak ridership|Rhinecliff}}{{Amtrak ridership|citationNY}}|pass_year={{Amtrak ridership|date}}}}
| services = {{Adjacent stations|system1=Amtrak
 |line1=Adirondack|left1=Hudson|right1=Poughkeepsie 
 |line2=Berkshire Flyer|left2=Hudson|right2=Poughkeepsie|note-mid2=(seasonal)
 |line3=Empire Service|left3=Hudson|right3=Poughkeepsie 
 |line4=Ethan Allen Express|left4=Hudson|right4=Poughkeepsie
 |line5=Lake Shore Limited|left5=Albany–Rensselaer|right5=Poughkeepsie|to-right5=New York
 |line6=Maple Leaf|left6=Hudson|right6=Poughkeepsie
 }}
| other_services_collapsible=yes
| other_services_header=Former services
| other_services= {{Adjacent stations|system1=Amtrak|line1=Niagara Rainbow|left1=Hudson|right1=Poughkeepsie|
|system2=New York Central Railroad
|line3=Main Line|left3=Barrytown|right3=Staatsburgh
}}
| nrhp = {{Designation list
 |embed = yes
 |designation1 = cp
 |designation1_date = March 7, 1979
 |designation1_number = 79001571
 |designation1_partof = [[Sixteen Mile District]]
 |designation1_free1name = Architectural&nbsp;style
 |designation1_free1value = [[Mission Revival Style architecture|Mission]]-[[Spanish Colonial Revival Style architecture|Spanish Revival]]
 |designation2 = cp
 |designation2_date = December 14, 1990
 |designation2_number = 90002219
 |designation2_partof = {{nowrap|[[Hudson River Historic District]]}}
 }}
| mapframe = yes
| mapframe-marker-color = #{{rcr|Amtrak}}
}}

'''Rhinecliff station''' (formerly '''Rhinecliff–Kingston''') is an [[Amtrak]] intercity rail station located in the [[Rhinecliff, New York|Rhinecliff]] hamlet of [[Rhinebeck, New York]], United States. The station has one low-level [[island platform]], with a [[wheelchair lift]] for [[accessibility]]. It is served by the {{lnl|Amtrak|Adirondack}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Berkshire Flyer}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Empire Service}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Ethan Allen Express}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Lake Shore Limited}}, and {{lnl|Amtrak|Maple Leaf}}.

The original Rhinebeck station opened with the [[Hudson River Railroad]] in 1851. It was relocated south a year later to resolve a dispute with the Rhinecliff–Kingston ferry; the village of Rhinecliff grew around the new location. The [[Rhinebeck and Connecticut Railroad]] (R&C) opened in 1875, prompting the station to be renamed Rhinecliff. The [[New York Central Railroad]] (NYC), successor to the Hudson River Railroad, expanded the line to four tracks in 1910–1914. The project included a new Rhinecliff station with a brick station building and two island platforms. Passenger service on the former R&C ended in 1928 and the line was abandoned in 1938. 

NYC passenger service declined in the mid-20th century; the east platform was removed after the line was reduced to two tracks in 1962. The NYC merged into [[Penn Central]] in 1968, and Amtrak took over passenger service in 1971. Amtrak gradually added service; by 2000, Rhinecliff was served by 13 daily round trips. Rhinecliff station was added to the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 1979 as a contributing property to the [[Sixteen Mile District]], which became part of the [[Hudson River Historic District]] in 1990. The station building closed in 2022 for a two-year renovation. A project to build a longer, accessible high-level platform is planned.

==Station design==
[[File:Rhinecliff train station building.jpg|left|thumb|The station building in 2007|alt=A tan brick railway station building with a red tile roof]]
Rhinecliff station is located on the west side of the [[hamlet (New York)|hamlet]] of [[Rhinecliff, New York|Rhinecliff]] along the east bank of the [[Hudson River]]. It has a single low-level [[island platform]], {{convert|520|feet}} long, between the two tracks of the [[CSX Transportation|CSX]] [[Hudson Subdivision]].<ref name=schumer>{{cite press release |url=https://www.schumer.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/following-his-personal-push-on-the-rhinecliff-station-platform-schumer-secures-major-over-28-million-grant-to-create-new-state-of-the-art-rhinecliff-train-station-after-15-years-of-dilapidation-rhinecliff_one-of-nys-busiest-stations-will-get-total-revamp-to-bring-hudson-valley-transportation-hub-into-21st-century- |title=Following His Personal Push On The Rhinecliff Station Platform, Schumer Secures Major Over $28 Million Grant To Create New State Of The Art Rhinecliff Train Station; After +15 Years Of Dilapidation, Rhinecliff – One Of NY's Busiest Stations – Will Get Total Revamp To Bring Hudson Valley Transportation Hub Into 21st Century |date=August 18, 2022 |publisher=Office of Senator Chuck Schumer}}</ref> A wheelchair lift is used for [[accessibility]].<ref name=great /> At the north end of the platform, a footbridge with elevators and stairs connects to the station building on the east side of the tracks. At the south end, a footbridge with stairs connects to a small park on the west and Shatzell Avenue on the east.<ref name=ecode /><ref name=PSC /> A parking lot is located on the east side of the tracks, where an additional platform and pair of tracks formerly existed.<ref name=great /> Amtrak owns the station building and part of the parking lot; CSX owns the platform, tracks, and the remainder of the parking lot.<ref name=great />

The station building is located on the north side of Hutton Street adjacent to its overpass crossing the tracks. Its lower floor is at track level and its upper floor is level with Hutton Street. The structure is [[cruciform]] in shape with [[Mission Revival Style architecture|Mission]] and [[Spanish Colonial Revival Style architecture|Spanish Revival]] architectural styles.<ref name=16md /><ref name=strausandkelly /><ref name=GCT /> The exterior is tan brick in [[Flemish bond]] with arched windows and a light stone [[cornice]]. [[Corbel]]s support the deep eaves of the red clay [[roof tiles|tiled roof]].<ref name=great /><ref name=GCT>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P1C1DgAAQBAJ&pg=PT160 |title=Building Grand Central Terminal |year=2017 |first1=Gregory |last1=Bilotto |first2=Frank |last2=DiLorenzo |publisher=Arcadia Publishing |isbn=9781439660515 |page=92 |via=Google Books}}</ref> The interior is finished in brick and wood.<ref name=great />

{{As of|2024}}, the station is served by twelve daily round trips: eight {{lnl|Amtrak|Empire Service}} round trips (one of which becomes the {{lnl|Amtrak|Berkshire Flyer}} during summer months) plus the single daily round trips of the {{lnl|Amtrak|Adirondack}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Ethan Allen Express}}, {{lnl|Amtrak|Lake Shore Limited}}, and {{lnl|Amtrak|Maple Leaf}}.<!-- https://juckins.net/amtrak_timetables/archive/home.php --><ref>{{cite web |url=https://juckins.net/amtrak_timetables/archive/timetables_Empire_Service_20240102_external.pdf |title=Amtrak's Empire Service |date=January 12, 2024 |first=Christopher |last=Juckins |publisher=Rail Passengers Association}}</ref>
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==History==
===Early stations===
The [[Hudson River Railroad]] opened between [[Rensselaer, New York|Greenbush]] (across the Hudson River from Albany) and New York City on October 1, 1851. At the time, ferry service between [[Kingston, New York|Kingston]] and Rhinebeck used either of two wharves on the east (Rhinebeck) side – Slate Dock or Long Dock – as determined by majority vote of eastbound passengers. The two docks were located about {{convert|1/3|mile|1}} apart, due west of Rhinebeck and north of where Rhinecliff village is now located. The railroad station was established adjacent to Slate Dock when the railroad opened.<ref name=ferryhistory>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-kingston-daily-freeman/126778183/ |title=History of the Kingston–Rhinecliff Ferry |newspaper=The Kingston Daily Freeman |date=January 8, 1957 |pages=10, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-kingston-daily-freeman/126778207/ 11], [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-kingston-daily-freeman/126778224/ 12] |first=Donald C. |last=Ringwald |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>

This arrangement proved highly inconvenient to railroad passengers, who were forced to walk down the track or take a longer detour on roads if the ferry went to Long Dock, and thus often missed their trains. Ferries were also not timed to make connections with trains. These issues were intentional on the part of brothers William and [[Charles Handy Russell]], who owned the ferry as well as significant stock in the railroad. They aimed to garner support to relocate both the ferry terminus and railroad station to Shatzell's Dock, about {{convert|0.45|miles|1}} south of Slate Dock, where they owned land.<ref name=ferryhistory />

Local controversy followed the proposal. After a year of maneuvering by the Russells and their manager [[Thomas Cornell (politician)|Thomas Cornell]], the railroad's board of directors voted on October 8, 1852, to relocate the station to Shatzell's Dock. The western terminal of the ferry was changed from [[Kingston Point station|Kingston Point]] to [[Rondout, New York|Rondout]] on November 11, 1852. The eastern terminal was scheduled to change to Shatzell's Dock on that date, but it may have been delayed until the railroad began stopping at the dock on December 1.<ref name=ferryhistory /> The station was located on the east side of the tracks just north of Shatzell Avenue.<ref name=1867map />

A small village gradually grew around the station, though not to the size that the Russells hoped. They initially called it Shatzellville, then Boormanville (after a former president of the railroad), and finally [[Rhinecliff, New York|Rhinecliff]]. The post office was renamed from Rhinebeck Station to Rhinecliff in 1861, but the train station stayed as Rhinebeck.<ref name=ferryhistory /> A second track was added to the railroad in 1863–64.<ref name=16md>{{cite web |url=https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75312367 |title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory – Nomination Form: Sixteen Mile District |publisher=National Park Service |date=July 1978 |first=Cornelia Brooke |last=Gilder |via=National Archives and Records Administration}}</ref>{{rp|47}} By 1867, a freight house was located on the west side of the tracks north of the station.<ref name=1867map>{{cite map |map-url=https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/s/z6l0ko |map=Rhinecliff |scale=1:2,376 |page=57 |first=Frederick W. |last=Beers |publisher=Beers, Ellis & Soule |year=1867 |title=Atlas Of New York And Vicinity |via=David Rumsey Historical Map Collection}}</ref> The Hudson River Railroad was merged to become the [[New York Central and Hudson River Railroad]] (NYC&HR) in 1869.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7mA4AAAAIAAJ&pg=RA2-PA43 |page=43 |title=Twenty-fourth Annual Report of the Board of Directors of the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad Company and its Leased Lines, to the Stockholders, for the Year Ended June 30, 1893 |year=1893 |publisher=New York Central and Hudson River Railroad Company |via=Google Books}}</ref>

===Rhinebeck and Connecticut===
The [[Rhinebeck and Connecticut Railroad]] (R&C) was chartered on June 29, 1870, to build a railroad from Rhinecliff east to the [[Connecticut]] state line, where it would join the [[Connecticut Western Railroad]]. Construction began in October 1871.<ref name=robinson>{{cite journal |journal=The Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin |publisher=The Railway and Locomotive Historical Society |title=Locomotives of the New Haven Railroad: Central New England Railway |volume=50 |date=October 1939 |pages=7–27 |first=Winfield W. |last=Robinson |jstor=43517255}}</ref>{{rp|10}} Freight service began in stages as construction proceeded eastward; the line fully opened between Slate Dock and [[Boston Corners, New York|Boston Corners]] on April 4, 1875.<ref name=robinson />{{rp|10}} Passenger service on the line initially ran only as far west as Rhinebeck village, northeast of Rhinecliff.<ref name=aug20 /> In 1875, the railroad built a short extension south from Slate Dock along the east side of the NYC&HR to Rhinecliff.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/hartford-courant/129806765/ |title=Railroad Matters |newspaper=Hartford Courant |date=February 4, 1875 |page=2 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Passenger trains began using the extension in mid-August 1875.<ref name=aug20>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/connecticut-western-news/126979739/ |title=To Rhinecliff |newspaper=Connecticut Western News |date=August 20, 1875 |page=2 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Later that year, the R&C built a new spur to reach Slate Dock without crossing the Hudson River Railroad at grade. It split off from the mainline north of Rhinecliff, passed over the Hudson River Railroad on a trestle, and sloped down to reach the dock.<ref>{{multiref2|{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/poughkeepsie-eagle-news/129743484/ |title=Rhinecliff and Connecticut R. R. – Affairs at Rhinecliff |newspaper=Poughkeepsie Eagle-News |date=September 1, 1875 |page=3 |via=Newspapers.com}}|{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/poughkeepsie-journal/129806884/ |title=Rhinecliff |newspaper=Poughkeepsie Journal |date=September 5, 1875 |page=2 |via=Newspapers.com}}}}</ref><ref name=hucklebush>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2c4pAQAAMAAJ |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2c4pAQAAMAAJ&pg=RA2-PA64 |chapter=The Hucklebush Line |first=Keith |last=MacPhail |pages=64–72 |title=Year Book of the Dutchess County Historical Society 1974 |publisher=Dutchess County Historical Society |volume=59 |year=1975 |via=Google Books}}</ref>{{rp|67}}
[[File:Rhinecliff station pre-1914 postcard.jpg|thumb|left|Rhinecliff station in the early 20th century|alt=A mid-sized railway station next to a river]]
The R&C called the station Rhinecliff, though it remained "Rhinebeck" on NYC&HR schedules until the 1890s.<ref name=hub /><ref>{{multiref2|{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yXoqAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA67 |page=67 |title=ABC Pathfinder Railway Guide |date=May 1876 |publisher=Rand, Avery and Company |via=Google Books}}|{{cite book |title=Travelers' Official Railway Guide for the United States and Canada |page=110 |date=February 1890 |publisher=National Railway Publication Company |hdl=2027/chi.096493110?urlappend=%3Bseq=942 |url=https://hdl.handle.net/2027/chi.096493110?urlappend=%3Bseq=942 |via=HathiTrust}}|{{cite book |title=Travelers' Official Railway Guide for the United States and Canada |page=186 |date=July 1896 |publisher=National Railway Publication Company |hdl=2027/chi.096493136?urlappend=%3Bseq=284 |url=https://hdl.handle.net/2027/chi.096493136?urlappend=%3Bseq=284 |via=HathiTrust}}}}</ref> The R&C used a single track on the east side of the station building.<ref name=1876map>{{cite map |map-url=https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e3-4f4e-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99 |map=Rhinecliff |title=New Illustrated Atlas of Dutchess County, New York |year=1876 |publisher=Reading Publishing House |page=16 |scale=1:3,960 |via=New York Public Library}}</ref> The aging station proved inadequate for the increased traffic; in 1877, a local newspaper likened it to a [[rookery]]. The NYC&HR soon moved a disused [[Corrugated galvanised iron|corrugated iron]] station building from Yonkers to Rhinecliff to replace the older station.<ref name=hub>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/poughkeepsie-journal/126434729/ |title=Rhinecliff train station was travel hub in 1800s |newspaper=Poughkeepsie Journal |date=December 30, 2020 |page=A3 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> The original ferry slip was on the north side of Shatzell's Dock; it was supplemented in 1877 by a second slip on the south side, and the original slip was later abandoned.<ref name=ferryhistory />{{rp|10}} [[Train ferry]] service between the [[Ulster and Delaware Railroad]] at Rondout and the R&C at Rhinecliff began in the late 1870s.<ref name=ferryhistory />{{rp|11}}

The R&C was merged into the [[Hartford and Connecticut Western Railroad]] (H&CW) in 1882.<ref name=icc>{{cite book |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XTquc9xySVkC |title=Reports and Decisions of the Interstate Commerce Commission of the United States: Volume 97, February–July, 1925 |chapter=Valuation Docket No. 332: Central New England Railway Company Et Al |year=1926 |publisher=Interstate Commerce Commission |via=Google Books}}</ref>{{rp|818}}<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe/134939088/ |title=Telegraphic Tidbits |newspaper=The Boston Globe |date=June 9, 1882 |page=4 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> The construction of the [[Poughkeepsie Bridge]] in the 1880s triggered a series of acquisitions and mergers. The H&CW was leased by the [[Central New England and Western Railroad]] in 1889, forming a mainline running from [[Campbell Hall, New York]], to [[Hartford, Connecticut]].<ref name=gateway />{{rp|19}}<ref name=icc />{{rp|818}} The eastern part of the former R&C was integrated into this mainline, while the western section became the Rhinecliff Branch.<ref name=clinton>{{cite book |url=https://www.hudsonrivervalley.org/documents/401021/0/dcrailroads1.pdf/b8e79720-dc42-4eb0-8987-757a3f728578 |title=Dutchess County Railroads |publisher=Clinton Historical Society |year=1996 |first=William P. |last=McDermott}}</ref>{{rp|45}} The line became part of the [[Philadelphia, Reading and New England Railroad]] in 1892, then the [[Central New England Railway]] (CNE) in 1899.<ref name=gateway />{{rp|23}}<ref name=robinson />{{rp|13}} The [[New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad]] obtained control of the CNE in 1904, though it largely continued to operate independently.<ref name=gateway>{{cite journal |journal=The Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin |publisher=The Railway and Locomotive Historical Society |title=Poughkeepsie Gateway |first=D.W. |last=D. W. McLaughlin |volume=119 |date=October 1968 |issue=119 |pages=6–33 |jstor=43518289}}</ref>{{rp|26–28}}
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===1914 station===
[[File:Rhinecliff station construction postcard.jpg|thumb|left|Construction of the new station around 1913 with the older station at right|alt=Construction around a railway station building]]
The NYC&HR widened much of the line to four tracks in the early 20th century. In 1910, with quadruple-tracking south of [[Poughkeepsie, New York|Poughkeepsie]] largely complete, the company began work on the segment north from Poughkeepsie through Rhinecliff to [[Barrytown, New York|Barrytown]].<ref name=review>{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jAVCAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA747 |pages=747–751 |magazine=Railway Review |title=Four-Tracking of the Hudson Division of the New York Central R.R. |date=December 11, 1915 |volume=57 |issue=24 |via=Google Books}}</ref> At Rhinecliff, the cliff face was blasted out to make room for the additional tracks.<ref name=hub /> In June 1912, the [[New York Public Service Commission]] ordered that the Shatzell Avenue grade crossing be closed. A new road bridge was to be built at Hutton Street, about {{convert|500|feet}} to the north, with a footbridge at Shatzell Avenue.<ref name=PSC>{{cite book |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8mlMAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA317 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8mlMAAAAMAAJ |chapter=Petition of New York Central & H. R. R. R. Co. |title=Department Reports of the State of New York Containing the Decisions, Opinions and Rulings of the State Officers, Departments, Boards and Commissions and Messages of the Governor |volume=7 |publisher=State of New York |year=1916 |via=Google Books}}</ref><ref name=ecode>{{cite web |url=https://ecode360.com/RH0960/document/732477317.pdf |title=Regular Board Meeting Agenda |date=June 12, 2023 |publisher=Town of Rhinebeck |pages=14–16}}</ref> 

As part of the quadruple-tracking, the railroad built a new station at Rhinebeck. In October 1913, the railroad issued a construction contract for the station building and platforms.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9uJHAQAAMAAJ&pg=RA1-PA277 |page=277 |date=October 23, 1913 |magazine=Engineering News: Construction News |title=Buildings |volume=70 |issue=17 |via=Google Books}}</ref> The station was designed by the firm of [[Warren and Wetmore]], which had previously designed [[Grand Central Terminal]] and other stations for the railroad. Due to the influence of wealthy Rhinebeck residents [[John Jacob Astor IV]] and [[Levi P. Morton]], it was unusually large for a hamlet the size of Rhinecliff.<ref name=strausandkelly>{{multiref2|{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kG92CQAAQBAJ&pg=PT105 |title=Rhinebeck's Historic Architecture |first=Nancy V. |last=Kelly |publisher=Arcadia Publishing |year=2009 |page=147 |isbn=9781614232902 |via=Google Books}}|{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=E3bhnKBINGYC&pg=PT40 |title=America's Great Railroad Stations |pages=22, 23 |publisher=Penguin |first1=Roger |last1=Straus |first2=Hugh |last2=Van Dusen |first3=Ed |last3=Breslin |year=2011 |isbn=9781101545317 |via=Google Books}}}}</ref><ref name=16md />{{rp|36, 52}} The station opened in 1914 at a cost of $150,000 ({{inflation|US-GDP|150000|1914|fmt=eq|r=-4}}), with the footbridge costing an additional $45,000.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-kingston-daily-freeman/126673947/ |title=New Rhinecliff Station |newspaper=The Kingston Daily Freeman |date=June 6, 1914 |page=7 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> A new freight house was also constructed.<ref name=review /> The NYC&HR became the [[New York Central Railroad]] (NYC) in a 1914 merger.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.trains.com/ctr/railroads/fallen-flags/remembering-the-new-york-central-system-part-1/ |title=Remembering the New York Central System — Part 1 |first=George |last=Drury |date=December 28, 2020 |newspaper=Classic Trains |access-date=January 6, 2024}}</ref>
	
While the NYC mainline (the [[Hudson Subdivision|Hudson Division]]) was well-used, the Rhinecliff Branch was not. By 1915, the line had just two daily round trips.<ref name=1915tt>{{cite book |title=Summer Schedule: Lines West of New London and Willimantic |title-link=:commons:File:June 1915 New Haven Railroad western timetable.pdf |date=June 6, 1915 |publisher=New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad |page=23 |via=Wikimedia Commons}}</ref> This was reduced to a single [[mixed train]] round trip by 1921, and ended entirely in 1928.<ref>{{cite book |last=Lynch |first=Peter E. |year=2005 |title=New Haven Railroad Passenger Trains |publisher=MBI Publishing Company |pages=155–157 |isbn=978-0-7603-2288-8}}</ref> The line was used for freight service until August 1, 1938, when it was abandoned along with almost the entire remaining CNE system.<ref name=icc1938>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0BrMJmfS4nAC |title=Reports and Decisions of the Interstate Commerce Commission of the United States (Finance Reports), Volume 228: April–November 1938 |chapter=Finance Docket No. 11578: New York, New Haven & Hartford Et Al. Trustees Abandonment |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0BrMJmfS4nAC&pg=PA4 |year=1939 |pages=4–24 |publisher=Interstate Commerce Commission |via=Google Books}}</ref><ref name=robinson />{{rp|19}} By 1940, Rhinecliff was served by ten northbound and seven southbound daily trains on the NYC, split between New York–Albany local trains and intercity trains serving Upstate New York and beyond.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://www.canadasouthern.com/caso/ett/images/mohawk-tt-0440.pdf |title=Hudson Division {{!}} Mohawk Division {{!}} Time-Table No. 51 For Employees Only |date=April 28, 1940 |publisher=New York Central Railroad}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://www.canadasouthern.com/caso/ptt/images/tt-0440.pdf |pages=35–46 |title=Form 1001 |date=April 28, 1940 |publisher=New York Central Railroad}}</ref> Privately operated ferry service ended on December 17, 1942. The state acquired the landings and franchise; ferry service resumed on May 17, 1946.<ref name=ferryhistory />{{rp|12}} Kingston ferry service ended in January 1957, shortly before the opening of the [[Kingston–Rhinecliff Bridge]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-kingston-daily-freeman/126636109/ |title=Ferry Is Taken To Newburgh – Maybe For Good |date=January 7, 1957 |newspaper=The Kingston Daily Freeman |page=17 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> The railroad sold the Shatzell Avenue footbridge to the town in 1958.<ref name=ecode /><ref name=june2023>{{cite news |url=https://www.dailyfreeman.com/2023/06/12/rhinebeck-town-board-oks-sale-of-pedestrian-bridge-to-amtrak/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240107033414/https://www.dailyfreeman.com/2023/06/12/rhinebeck-town-board-oks-sale-of-pedestrian-bridge-to-amtrak/ |archive-date=January 7, 2024 |date=June 12, 2023 |title=Rhinebeck Town Board OKs sale of Rhinecliff station pedestrian bridge to Amtrak |newspaper=Daily Freeman |first=William J. |last=Kemble}}</ref>

The New York Central began removing tracks from the main line in the 1950s as traffic decreased. Only three tracks were in use at Rhinecliff by 1960.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://www.canadasouthern.com/caso/ett/images/mohawk-tt-0954.pdf |title=Time Table No. 78 For Employees Only: Mohawk Division, Hudson Division |date=September 26, 1954 |publisher=New York Central Railroad |pages=15, 50}}</ref><ref name=ett0460>{{cite book |url=https://www.canadasouthern.com/caso/ett/images/hudson-tt-0460.pdf |title=Time-Table No. 7 For Employees Only: Hudson Division, New York Terminal Division |date=April 24, 1960 |publisher=New York Central Railroad |page=26}}</ref> By then, Rhinecliff was served by five northbound and six southbound daily trains, including the [[Wolverine (NYC train)|''Wolverine'']].<ref name=ett0460 /><ref>{{cite book |url=https://www.canadasouthern.com/caso/ptt/images/tt-0460.pdf |pages=3–4 |title=Form 1001 |date=April 24, 1960 |publisher=New York Central Railroad}}</ref> The portion of the line between Poughkeepsie and Barrytown was further reduced to two tracks in November 1962 with the activation of [[centralized traffic control]].<ref>{{multiref2|{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-item/138076541/ |title=NYC Finishes Controlled Double Track |newspaper=The Daily Item |date=November 23, 1962 |page=9 |via=Newspapers.com}}|{{cite web |last=Baer |first=Christopher T. |title=A General Chronology of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, its Predecessors and Successors, and its Historical Context: 1962 |url=http://www.prrths.com/newprr_files/Hagley/PRR1962.pdf |publisher=Pennsylvania Railroad Technical & Historical Society |date=April 2015 |page=33}}|{{cite book |url=https://www.canadasouthern.com/caso/ett/images/hudson-tt-1063.pdf |title=Time-Table No. 14 For Employees Only: Hudson Division, New York Terminal Division |date=October 27, 1963 |publisher=New York Central Railroad |page=36}}}}</ref> At Rhinecliff, the western platform and tracks (formerly the southbound tracks) remained in service; a parking lot replaced the eastern tracks and platform.<ref name=great>{{cite web |url=https://www.greatamericanstations.com/stations/rhinecliff-ny-rhi/ |title=Rhinecliff, NY (RHI) |publisher=Amtrak |work=Great American Stations}}</ref> On December 3, 1967, the NYC rebranded its trains in the New York–Albany–Buffalo corridor as {{lnl|Amtrak|Empire Service}}.<ref name="pcp04151968">{{Cite journal |date=April 15, 1968 |title=They're brightening up the Empire Trains |url=http://www.unlikelypcrr.com/page3/Welcome_files/PC_POST_1968-04-15.pdf |url-status=dead |journal=Penn Central Post |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006112855/http://www.unlikelypcrr.com/page3/Welcome_files/PC_POST_1968-04-15.pdf |archive-date=October 6, 2014}}</ref> The NYC merged into [[Penn Central]] in 1968. By September of that year, Rhinecliff was served by three of the eight daily ''Empire Service'' round trips.<ref>{{cite book |url=http://wx4.org/to/foam/maps/2-Perry/014/014f/1968-09-16PCsystemPTT-Perry.pdf |title=Form 1 |date=September 16, 1968 |publisher=Penn Central Transportation |page=5}}</ref>
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===Amtrak era===
[[File:Rhinecliff station platform, June 2011.jpg|thumb|left|Rhinecliff station in June 2011|alt=A low-level railway platform between two tracks. A parking lot is on the right. On the left, a road overpass rises to cross the tracks in the background.]]
[[Amtrak]] took over intercity passenger service, including the ''Empire Service'', on May 1, 1971. Amtrak initially operated seven round trips on the corridor, of which Rhinecliff was served by six northbound (westbound) and four southbound (eastbound) trips.<ref name=50years>{{Fifty Years of Amtrak Trains}}</ref>{{rp|44}}<ref>{{cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=19710501&item=0018 |title=Nationwide Schedules of Intercity Passenger Service |date=May 1, 1971 |publisher=Amtrak |page=16 |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}}</ref> The {{lnl|Amtrak|Lake Shore}} operated from May 10, 1971, to January 4, 1972; the southbound train stopped at Rhinecliff during part of 1971.<ref>{{multiref2|{{cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=19710712&item=0018 |title=Nationwide Schedules of Intercity Passenger Service |date=July 12, 1971 |publisher=Amtrak |page=16 |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}}|{{cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=19711114&item=0058 |title=Nationwide Schedules of Intercity Passenger Service |date=November 14, 1971 |publisher=Amtrak |page=57 |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}}}}</ref><ref name=50years />{{rp|44}} ''Empire Service'' was reduced to five daily round trips, all stopping at Rhinecliff, in April 1972.<ref name=50years />{{rp|44}}<ref>{{cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=19720611&item=0044 |title=Nationwide Schedules of Intercity Passenger Service |date=June 11, 1972 |publisher=Amtrak |page=43 |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}}</ref> Amtrak gradually added services in the corridor – many of them modifications of existing ''Empire Service'' trains – that also served points outside the [[Empire Corridor]]. The {{lnl|Amtrak|Adirondack}} and {{lnl|Amtrak|Empire State Express}} (later {{lnl|Amtrak|Niagara Rainbow}}) were introduced in 1974, followed by the {{lnl|Amtrak|Lake Shore Limited}} in 1975.<ref name=50years />{{rp|44}} By 1977, Rhinecliff was served by all eight daily round trips that operated over the New York City–Albany section.<ref name=50years />{{rp|45}}<ref>{{cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=19770215&item=0020 |title=National Train Timetables |date=February 15, 1977 |publisher=Amtrak |page=20 |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}}</ref>

Rhinecliff station was added to the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 1979 as a contributing property to the [[Sixteen Mile District]], which became part of the [[Hudson River Historic District]] in 1990.<ref name=16md /> One round trip became the {{lnl|Amtrak|Maple Leaf}} in April 1981, while another peak-hour round trip became an express that skipped Rhinecliff and other intermediate stops.<ref name=50years />{{rp|45}}<ref>{{cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=19810426&item=0025 |title=National Train Timetables |date=April 26, 1981 |publisher=Amtrak |page=24 |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}}</ref> The westbound ''Lake Shore Limited'' ceased stopping at Rhinecliff on May 21, 1989; the eastbound train stopped intermittently until October 26, 1997.<ref>{{Sanders-Heartland|page=35}}</ref><ref name=50years />{{rp|109}} Brief revivals of seasonal ferry service to Kingston took place in 1992 and 2015.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/05/19/nyregion/a-ferryboat-again-plies-mid-hudson.html |title=A Ferryboat Again Plies Mid-Hudson |newspaper=The New York Times |date=May 19, 1992 |first=Harold |last=Faber}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://hudsonvalleyone.com/2015/07/10/ferry-to-rhinecliff-launches-sunday/ |title=Ferry to Rhinecliff launches Sunday |newspaper=Hudson Valley One |date=July 10, 2015 |access-date=June 18, 2023 |first=Dan |last=Barton}}</ref> From 1993 to 2010, Amtrak called the station "Rhinecliff–Kingston".<ref>{{multiref2|{{cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=19930502ne&item=0003 |title=Northeast Timetable |date=May 2, 1993 |publisher=Amtrak |page=3 |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}}|{{cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=19931031ne&item=0003 |title=Northeast Timetable |date=October 31, 1993 |publisher=Amtrak |page=3 |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}}|{{cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=20091026&item=0022 |title=Amtrak System Timetable |date=October 26, 2009 |publisher=Amtrak |page=19 |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}}|{{cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=20100510&item=0022 |title=Amtrak System Timetable |date=May 10, 2010 |publisher=Amtrak |page=19 |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}}}}</ref> In 1994, [[Metro-North Railroad]] proposed to extend its [[Hudson Line (Metro-North)|Hudson Line]] commuter service to Rhinecliff from Poughkeepsie.<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://digitalcommons.pace.edu/pelr/vol13/iss2/28/ |title=On the Wrong Side of the Railroad Tracks: Public Access to the Hudson River |first=Matthew R. |last=Atkinson |pages=747–834 |journal=Pace Environmental Law Review |doi=10.58948/0738-6206.1430 |volume=13 |issue=2 |date=Spring 1996}}</ref>{{rp|761}}

One ''Empire Service'' round trip became the {{lnl|Amtrak|Ethan Allen Express}} in 1996. Service increases in the 1990s brought the corridor to 14 daily round trips by 2000, of which 13 stopped at Rhinecliff.<ref name=50years />{{rp|46}}<ref>{{cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=20000709ne&st=0001 |title=Northeast Corridor Timetable |date=July 9, 2000 |publisher=Amtrak |pages=28–31 |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}}</ref> The westbound ''Lake Shore Limited'' stopped at Rhinecliff from 2005 to 2006,<ref>{{multiref2|{{cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=20050425&item=0060 |title=Amtrak System Timetable |date=April 25, 2005 |publisher=Amtrak |page=57 |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}}|{{cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=20051031&item=0060 |title=Amtrak System Timetable |date=October 31, 2005 |publisher=Amtrak |page=57 |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}}|{{cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=20060424&item=0059 |title=Amtrak System Timetable |date=April 24, 2006 |publisher=Amtrak |page=56 |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}}}}</ref> and the eastbound from 2007 to 2009.<ref>{{multiref2|{{cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=20061030&item=0062 |title=Amtrak System Timetable |date=October 30, 2006 |publisher=Amtrak |page=59 |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}}|{{cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=20070402&item=0058 |title=Amtrak System Timetable |date=April 2, 2007 |publisher=Amtrak |page=55 |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}}|{{cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=20081027&item=0058 |title=Amtrak System Timetable |date=October 27, 2008 |publisher=Amtrak |page=55 |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}}|{{cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=20091026&item=0042 |title=Amtrak System Timetable |date=October 26, 2009 |publisher=Amtrak |page=39 |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}}}}</ref> It resumed stopping in both directions in 2014.<ref>{{cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/newpdf/NatT01_20130715_2013_Summer_Fall.pdf |title=Amtrak System Timetable |date=July 17, 2013 |publisher=Amtrak |pages=54–57 |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/newpdf/NatT01_20140113_2014_Winter_Spring.pdf |title=Amtrak System Timetable |date=January 13, 2014 |publisher=Amtrak |pages=54–57 |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}}</ref> By early 2020, Rhinecliff was served by all 13 daily round trips on the corridor.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://juckins.net/amtrak_timetables/archive/timetables_Empire_Service_20200102.pdf |title=Empire Service |date=January 2, 2020 |publisher=Amtrak}}</ref> Service was sharply reduced due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in New York (state)|COVID-19 pandemic]], but most resumed by the end of 2020.<ref name=50years />{{rp|256}} One ''Empire Service'' round trip stopping at Rhinecliff became the {{lnl|Amtrak|Berkshire Flyer}} during summers starting in 2022.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://blog.mass.gov/transportation/uncategorized/berkshire-flyer-passenger-train-service-begins-july-8/ |date=April 25, 2022 |title=Berkshire Flyer Passenger Train Service Begins July 8 |publisher=Massachusetts Department of Transportation |archive-date=April 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220426194850/https://blog.mass.gov/transportation/uncategorized/berkshire-flyer-passenger-train-service-begins-july-8/ |url-status=dead}}</ref>

In March 2020, Amtrak reached an agreement with the town and county over special district taxes. The county had confiscated the title to the station building property in 2001 over Amtrak's nonpayment of the taxes, which the railroad is normally exempt from. The agreement allowed Amtrak to proceed with plans for renovations.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.dailyfreeman.com/2020/03/24/town-of-rhinebeck-removes-hurdle-to-improvements-at-rhinecliff-train-station/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240108211030/https://www.dailyfreeman.com/2020/03/24/town-of-rhinebeck-removes-hurdle-to-improvements-at-rhinecliff-train-station/ |archive-date=January 8, 2024 |date=March 24, 2020 |first=William J. |last=Kemble |newspaper=Daily Freeman |title=Town of Rhinebeck removes hurdle to improvements at Rhinecliff train station}}</ref> In August 2022, the [[New York State Department of Transportation]] (NYSDOT) was awarded $28.2 million in federal funds for final design and construction of the renovations, with a planned 30% state match. The project will include a high-level platform longer than the existing platform, improvements to elevators and footbridges, and a new [[interlocking]] south of the station.<ref name=schumer /><ref name=great />

The station building closed on December 9, 2022, for a two-year renovation including plumbing repairs, elevator replacement, and bathroom improvements.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thedailycatch.org/articles/amtrak-rhinecliff-station-building-to-close-for-renovations-dec-9-mobile-bathrooms-and-ticketing-trailers-to-be-set-up-soon/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221117001623/https://www.thedailycatch.org/articles/amtrak-rhinecliff-station-building-to-close-for-renovations-dec-9-mobile-bathrooms-and-ticketing-trailers-to-be-set-up-soon/ |archive-date=November 17, 2022 |newspaper=Red Hook Daily Catch |title=Amtrak Rhinecliff Station Building to Close for Renovations Dec. 9; Mobile Bathrooms and Ticketing Trailers to Be Set Up Soon |first=Victor |last=Feldman |date=November 14, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thedailycatch.org/articles/pain-at-the-train-as-workers-erect-temporary-amtrak-ticket-office-parking-frustration-mounts/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221119134645/https://www.thedailycatch.org/articles/pain-at-the-train-as-workers-erect-temporary-amtrak-ticket-office-parking-frustration-mounts/ |archive-date=November 19, 2022 |title=Pain at the Train: As Workers Erect Temporary Amtrak Ticket Office, Parking Frustration Mounts |date=November 18, 2022 |first=Emily |last=Sachar}}</ref> In May 2023, Amtrak indicated that the station would remain in service during the four-to-six-year construction process for the platform.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.dailyfreeman.com/2023/05/24/amtrak-vows-to-keep-rhinecliff-station-open-throughout-upgrades/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240109035557/https://www.dailyfreeman.com/2023/05/24/amtrak-vows-to-keep-rhinecliff-station-open-throughout-upgrades/ |archive-date=January 9, 2024 |title=Amtrak vows to keep Rhinecliff station open throughout upgrades |first=William J. |last=Kemble |date=May 24, 2023 |newspaper=Daily Freeman}}</ref> The town sold the south footbridge to Amtrak for [[peppercorn (legal)|$10]] in June 2023.<ref name=ecode /><ref name=june2023 /> By August 2023, a timeline for the platform renovations had not been established because NYSDOT had not finished the design.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.hvpilot.com/news/stationary-construction-on-rhinecliff-station-is-delayed-indefinitely/article_040398f0-3252-11ee-bab0-17f55d31f71f.html |title=Stationary: Construction on Rhinecliff Station is Delayed Indefinitely |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240109041559/https://www.hvpilot.com/news/stationary-construction-on-rhinecliff-station-is-delayed-indefinitely/article_040398f0-3252-11ee-bab0-17f55d31f71f.html |archive-date=January 9, 2024 |first=Eric |last=Steinman |date=August 3, 2023 |newspaper=Hudson Valley Pilot}}</ref>
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==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
{{Amtrak web|RHI|Rhinecliff, NY}}

{{Amtrak New York stations}}
{{NYC Main Line stations}}

[[Category:Amtrak stations in New York (state)]]
[[Category:Former New York Central Railroad stations]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Rhinebeck, New York]]
[[Category:Railway stations in Dutchess County, New York]]
[[Category:Railway stations in the United States opened in 1851]]
[[Category:Railway stations in the United States opened in 1914]]
[[Category:Historic district contributing properties in New York (state)]]
[[Category:National Register of Historic Places in Dutchess County, New York]]
[[Category:Railway stations on the National Register of Historic Places in New York (state)]]
[[Category:Former Central New England Railway stations]]