Columbus (Amtrak station)

Columbus
Station statistics
Address	359 North Ludington Street Columbus, Wisconsin 53925
Coordinates	43°20′27″N 89°00′45″W / 43.3408°N 89.0126°W / 43.3408; -89.0126Coordinates: 43°20′27″N 89°00′45″W / 43.3408°N 89.0126°W / 43.3408; -89.0126
Lines	Empire Builder
Connections	Lamers Bus Lines
Platforms	1 side platform
Parking	Yes; free
Baggage check	Yes
Other information
Opened	1906
Accessible
Code	CBS
Traffic
Passengers (FY2011)	15,473[1]  14%
Services
Preceding station   Amtrak   Following station Portage toward Seattle or Portland Empire Builder Milwaukee toward Chicago

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.^[2] 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.^[3]

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.^[4]

Gallery

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  Closeup of station building.

References

1. ^ "Columbus, WI (CBS)". Great American Stations. http://www.greatamericanstatons.com/Stations/CBS. Retrieved 18 November 2011. 
2. ^ Columbia County, Wisconsin Railroad Structures
3. ^ "New Service Provides Amtrak Access To Green Bay, Madison & Wausau". WMTV. October 17, 2011. http://www.nbc15.com/newsyoucanuse/headlines/New_Service_Provides_Amtrak_Access_To_Green_Bay_Madison__Wausau_131999198.html. Retrieved 2011-10-17. 
4. ^ "Amtrak Fact Sheet, FY2010, State of Wisconsin" (PDF). Amtrak. November 2010. http://www.amtrak.com/pdf/factsheets/WISCONSIN10.pdf. Retrieved 2011-1-6. 

External links

• Amtrak – Stations – Columbus, WI
• Columbus Amtrak Station (USA Rail Guide -- Train Web)