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Columbus (Amtrak station)
Encyclopedia
Columbus is a train station in Columbus, Wisconsin
, USA, served by Amtrak
, the national railroad passenger system. Originally built in 1906 by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad
(The Milwaukee Road), it also includes an older freight station. The Columbus, Wisconsin depot is staffed by an Amtrak station master, providing full ticketing and baggage handling services for both the eastbound (train #8/28 at approx 1 PM) and westbound (train #7/27 at approx 5 PM) Empire Builders.
While there are no food vending machines within the depot itself, several restaurants are within easy walking distance. There are numerous brochures providing information about the Columbus region available within the station, as well as schedules for connecting Amtrak trains in Chicago. The depot also features a bulletin board containing photos of past trips aboard the Empire Builder by former passengers.
The platform area at Columbus is quite short, thus requiring two, and sometimes three, "spottings" of the westbound Empire Builder in order to board passengers into the coach cars and sleepers appropriate for their destinations. Columbus is not a smoke-break stop for the Empire Builder, and continuing passengers may not step off the train in Columbus.
This station as well as Portage station
are the two Amtrak stations serving the Madison, WI metro area. Free auto parking is available at the Columbus station for Amtrak passengers. Beginning in October 2011 Lamers Bus Lines began offering a daily stop at the Columbus station, with service between Madison and Green Bay
.
Columbus is served by Amtrak's daily Empire Builder
. Of the eight Wisconsin stations served by Amtrak, Columbus was the fifth busiest in FY10, boarding or detraining an average of 49 passengers daily.
Columbus, Wisconsin
Columbus is a city in Columbia and Dodge Counties in the south-central part of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 4,991 at the 2010 census. Columbus is located about northeast of Madison on the Crawfish River. It is part of the Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, USA, served by Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
, the national railroad passenger system. Originally built in 1906 by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad
The Milwaukee Road, officially the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad , was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwest and Northwest of the United States from 1847 until its merger into the Soo Line Railroad on January 1, 1986. The company went through several official names...
(The Milwaukee Road), it also includes an older freight station. The Columbus, Wisconsin depot is staffed by an Amtrak station master, providing full ticketing and baggage handling services for both the eastbound (train #8/28 at approx 1 PM) and westbound (train #7/27 at approx 5 PM) Empire Builders.
While there are no food vending machines within the depot itself, several restaurants are within easy walking distance. There are numerous brochures providing information about the Columbus region available within the station, as well as schedules for connecting Amtrak trains in Chicago. The depot also features a bulletin board containing photos of past trips aboard the Empire Builder by former passengers.
The platform area at Columbus is quite short, thus requiring two, and sometimes three, "spottings" of the westbound Empire Builder in order to board passengers into the coach cars and sleepers appropriate for their destinations. Columbus is not a smoke-break stop for the Empire Builder, and continuing passengers may not step off the train in Columbus.
This station as well as Portage station
Portage (Amtrak station)
Portage is a train station in Portage, Wisconsin, United States, served by Amtrak, the national railroad passenger system. The depot is a small square brick structure constructed during the Amtrak era, that is located near a Canadian Pacific Railway office There are no station staff in Portage...
are the two Amtrak stations serving the Madison, WI metro area. Free auto parking is available at the Columbus station for Amtrak passengers. Beginning in October 2011 Lamers Bus Lines began offering a daily stop at the Columbus station, with service between Madison and Green Bay
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay is a city in and the county seat of Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, located at the head of Green Bay, a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It has an elevation of above sea level and is located north of Milwaukee. As of the 2010 United States Census,...
.
Columbus is served by Amtrak's daily Empire Builder
Empire Builder
The Empire Builder is a passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the Midwestern and Northwestern United States. It is Amtrak's busiest long-distance route and busiest daily train, carrying more than 500,000 travelers annually since 2007. Overall, it is the railroad's 10th-busiest line. Before...
. Of the eight Wisconsin stations served by Amtrak, Columbus was the fifth busiest in FY10, boarding or detraining an average of 49 passengers daily.