Rhinecliff–Kingston station (often simply Rhinecliff station), is an Amtrak intercity rail station located in Rhinecliff, New York. It serves northern Dutchess County and the nearby Kingston area across the Hudson River on the west bank. The station has one low-level island platform, with a portable wheelchair lift for accessibility.[3] It is served by the Ethan Allen Express, Adirondack, Empire Service and Maple Leaf.

Rhinecliff, NY
Looking south at Rhinecliff-Kingston station in July 2007
General information
Location	455 Rhinecliff Road Rhinecliff, New York United States
Coordinates	41.921277°N 73.951379°W / 41.921277; -73.951379
Owned by	Amtrak
Line(s)	Empire Corridor (Hudson Subdivision)
Platforms	1 island platform
Tracks	2
Construction
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Station code	Amtrak: RHI
History
Opened	1914
Rebuilt	2011
Passengers
FY 2021	104,407[1] (Amtrak)
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station Hudson toward Niagara Falls, New York Empire Service Poughkeepsie toward New York Hudson toward Toronto Maple Leaf Hudson toward Montreal Adirondack Hudson toward Burlington Ethan Allen Express Hudson toward Pittsfield Berkshire Flyer Albany–Rensselaer toward Chicago Lake Shore Limited
Former services Preceding station Amtrak Following station Hudson toward Detroit (Michigan Central) Niagara Rainbow Poughkeepsie toward New York (Grand Central) Preceding station New York Central Railroad Following station Barrytown toward Chicago Main Line Staatsburgh toward New York
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[2]
Architectural style	Mission-Spanish Revival

Rhinecliff station is popular with owners of weekend homes in the area, who commute to and from New York City or other downstate locations. In addition, it serves some daily 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.[4] Occasional suggestions to bring Metro-North service to Rhinecliff have been stalled by community opposition and track ownership issues.

History

The station building was built by the New York Central Railroad in 1914, in the Mission-Spanish Revival style. It is similar to the next station south at Hyde Park. After the NYC ended its West Shore service, in 1958, Amtrak took over the station in 1971. Like much of the hamlet of Rhinecliff, the station is a contributing property to the Hudson River Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

A Kingston–Rhinecliff Ferry began providing service between the two communities in July 2015, as a revival of former service that was discontinued in 1957 with the opening of the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge.[5] Ferry service had long been associated with the former Rhinebeck and Connecticut Railroad.

References

External links

Media related to Rhinecliff–Kingston station at Wikimedia Commons

• Rhinecliff, NY – Amtrak
• Rhinecliff, NY – Station history at Great American Stations (Amtrak)
• Kingston-Rhinecliff Amtrak Station – USA Rail Guide (TrainWeb)