Poughkeepsie station facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Poughkeepsie
Poughkeepsie station in 2007
Location	41 Main Street, Poughkeepsie, New York
Owned by	Metro-North Railroad
Line(s)	Empire Corridor (Hudson Subdivision)
Platforms	1 side platform 1 island platform
Tracks	4
Connections	Dutchess County Public Transit: A, B, C, D, E, Poughkeepsie RailLink Leprechaun Lines: White Plains Bus Ulster County Area Transit: Ulster-Poughkeepsie LINK Short Line Bus: X32N
Construction
Parking	1,101 spaces
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Station code	POU
Fare zone	9 (Metro North)
History
Opened	1918
Rebuilt	2009
Traffic
Passengers (2017)	102,070  0.53% (Amtrak)
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station Rhinecliff–Kingston toward Niagara Falls, New York Empire Service Croton–Harmon toward New York Rhinecliff–Kingston toward Toronto via Niagara Falls, Ontario Maple Leaf Rhinecliff–Kingston toward Montreal Adirondack Rhinecliff–Kingston toward Rutland Ethan Allen Express Rhinecliff–Kingston toward Chicago Lake Shore Limited Preceding station Metro-North Following station Terminus Hudson Line New Hamburg towards Grand Central
Former services Preceding station Amtrak Following station Albany–Rensselaer toward Chicago Lake Shore Croton–Harmon toward New York (Grand Central) Rhinecliff–Kingston toward Detroit (Michigan Central) Niagara Rainbow Preceding station New York Central Railroad Following station Hyde Park toward Chicago Main Line Camelot toward New York
Poughkeepsie Railroad Station
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location in New York Show map of New York Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Area	8.7 acres (3.5 ha)
Built	1918 (1918)
Architect	Warren & Wetmore
Architectural style	Beaux Arts
NRHP reference No.	76001214
Added to NRHP	November 21, 1976

The Poughkeepsie station is a busy train stop in Poughkeepsie, New York. It serves two main train companies: Metro-North Railroad and Amtrak. For Metro-North, it's the very last stop on their Hudson Line. For Amtrak, it's a stop for several trains that travel along the Empire Corridor.

This station building was finished in 1918. It was designed to look like a smaller version of the famous Grand Central Terminal in New York City. People in Poughkeepsie were very proud of it when it first opened. In 1976, it became a protected historic place, added to the National Register of Historic Places. It's one of only two Hudson Line stations outside Manhattan to get this special recognition.

Exploring the Poughkeepsie Station Layout

Waiting room inside the station

The Poughkeepsie station is a four-story building built right into a rock wall. The lower two levels are where the train tracks are. The top two levels hold the main waiting room. This part of the building is made of brick.

The front of the building has five large arched windows. Above these windows are cool carved stone designs. To the west, there's a long, steel walkway that is about 420 feet (128 meters) long. This walkway helps people get to the train tracks using stairs and elevators. Today, it also connects to a nearby parking garage. When the station was first built, this walkway helped people reach businesses on Main Street.

Inside the Waiting Room

The waiting room is very tall and bright. During the day, sunlight streams in through the big windows. There are also three original chandeliers that light up the room. You can still sit on the 14 original benches, which are made of beautiful chestnut wood.

The walls are covered in wood panels up to eight feet high. Above that, you can see carved stone all the way up to the ceiling. The ceiling itself has original stained walnut rafters. These might have been inspired by an old church in Florence, Italy.

Station Services and Features

At the station, you can find bathrooms that have been updated. There's also a place to buy snacks. You can buy Metro-North tickets at a counter or from two ticket machines. Amtrak tickets can only be bought from a special machine called Quik-Trak. The local MTA Police also have an office right next to the station.

In the late 1960s, a big road called the North-South Arterial (US 9) was built. It runs on an elevated path right next to the station. This made the station feel a bit separate from the rest of the city.

Understanding the Train Tracks

There are four tracks at the platform level. This allows Amtrak and Metro-North trains to stop at the same time. The tracks are numbered 2, 1, 3, and 5, from west to east. Usually, only tracks 2, 1, and 3 are used. Track 5, the one furthest east, is mostly used for maintenance trains or trains having problems.

The station has different types of platforms:

• A high-level island platform
• A high-level side platform
• A low-level side platform (not used for passengers)

Each platform is long enough for six train cars. Only the high-level platforms are used for passengers.

G	Street level	Exit/entrance, platform crossover, station house, parking, buses
P Platform level	Side platform, not in service
	Track 5	← No regular service →
	Track 3	←      Hudson Line termination track ←      Hudson Line toward New York–Grand Central (New Hamburg) →
	Island platform
	Track 1	←      Hudson Line toward New York–Grand Central (New Hamburg) → ←      Northbound Amtrak service to Albany–Rensselaer and beyond (Rhinecliff–Kingston)
	Track 2	←      Southbound Amtrak trains to New York–Penn Station (Croton–Harmon) → ←      Hudson Line toward New York–Grand Central (New Hamburg) →
	Side platform

A Look Back: History of Poughkeepsie Station

Poughkeepsie station around 1890

The station building in 2006

The very first Poughkeepsie station was built in 1850. It was part of the New York Central Railroad's "Water Level Route" along the Hudson River. For the first two years, Poughkeepsie was the end of the line. Even after the tracks reached Albany, Poughkeepsie remained a very important stop. Many local businesses, like carpet mills and shoe factories, used the trains to send their products to market. This concentration of industry also helped banking and finance grow in the city.

Becoming a Major Rail Hub

In 1888, the Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge was completed. This bridge allowed trains to cross the Hudson River, connecting east and west. This made Poughkeepsie even more important for regional train travel. When it was time to build a third station on the site, a famous firm called Warren & Wetmore was hired. They were asked to design a station that would impress travelers and show the city's confidence. They decided to model it after Grand Central Terminal, another successful building they had designed.

The Grand Opening

After five years of planning and building, the new station opened on February 18, 1918. The city's main newspaper, the Poughkeepsie Eagle, was full of praise. They wrote that Poughkeepsie residents were amazed by the new station. It was much grander than anything they had imagined. Travelers would no longer get a bad first impression of the city when they arrived by train.

The building has stayed mostly the same since then. Even though fewer people traveled by train for a while, and the New York Central company no longer exists, the station has adapted. Now, under the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, it mainly serves commuter trains from Metro-North. It was officially recognized as a historic place in 1976.

Recent Changes and Future Plans

In the late 1900s, the station underwent a big restoration. This included rebuilding the walkway from the station to Main Street. A large parking garage was also built for people who commute by train. Many commuters come from areas north and west of Poughkeepsie.

Since the 1990s, there have been talks about extending the Hudson Line further north. Some plans suggest extending it to Rhinecliff or even to Rensselaer. However, some property owners in places like Hyde Park and Staatsburg have objected to plans for new stations there. People who already commute from Poughkeepsie, though, are in favor of the expansion.

• Amtrak – Stations – Poughkeepsie, NY

• Metro-North station page for Poughkeepsie
• List of upcoming Metro-North train departure times and track assignments from MTA