Jamal will make sure you have a horrible experience. On our trip with my family from New York to Rochester on Train 49, we went to the café car around 8:00 PM and encountered one of the worst customer service experiences I've ever had. Jamal, who was working in the café car, became immediately hostile toward me over a very minor situation. I simply moved a small bag of potato chips inside a box that I was paying for so a bottle of water would fit. Instead of calmly addressing it, Jamal got aggressive, confrontational, and stood in my face as if he was ready to start a fight. His behavior was paranoid and escalated quickly for no reason. I told him there was no need to be hostile or have an attitude, at which point he told me to sit down and refused to serve me at all. His behavior was extremely unprofessional, intimidating, and inappropriate--especially while dealing with passengers and families. I genuinely felt unsafe during the interaction. Based on his behavior, it appeared that Jamal may have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or otherwise unfit to be working with the public at that time. This experience completely ruined what should have been a normal train ride. Amtrak seriously needs to address how this employee interacts with passengers, because no customer should ever feel threatened or disrespected like this. read more

It took about 60 minutes to arrive at Rochester train station. A bulk of people stepped onto the train at this stop. The conductor expects a full house. So far, a comfortable ride. read more

Amtrak - View - Train Stations Near Me - Rochester, New York

See all

Our Daughter who is 16, was traveling alone to Chicago. We were really nervous about her taking the train, in this current political climate. Especially, to Union Station in Chicago. She is a US citizen, but we still were unsure of what she would be walking into. Her train left at 11pm, and was due to arrive at 11am the next day. We arrived an hour early, per the instructions. The train station in Rochester is very small, and since we had our tickets. We discovered it really wasn't necessary to show up that early, at this time. We spoke to the conductor about our nerves. really nice, and put us at ease. Also, looking around we saw a lot of young people, traveling. Mostly college age. Usually train stations are sketchy looking places, but this is well lit. The staff is friendly, and seems trained really well. The only sketch thing that happened is a woman came in who appeared to be on drugs. She went to their window. She was not traveling with them. But they did a great job of quietly speaking to her with respect, giving her enough assistance to get her to leave. She was stumbling a bit and nodding out at times. They gave her directions, and told her to be safe. I could tell that they were not annoyed by her, but rather worried instead. She was an older woman. It put me at ease, they handled it quickly, and with respect to all people. The woman left, she was nice, and seemed appreciative of the advice they gave her. I didn't hear the conversation. But could tell some from body language. Our daughter left without incident. We had her on location, so we knew where she was at all times. She was met on the other side without incident. She did say the Chicago Union Station was huge, and when she first departed the train was a bit nervous, but saw her friend's parents very quickly. She said the ride was without incident and went well. I think she will be using the train more often, as she ages. read more

Amtrak - The inside station. Very clean and quiet! - Train Stations Near Me - Rochester, New York

We decided to take the train to NYC rather than fly, and since it was our first time on Amtrak, it felt like an adventure. We took an Uber to the station, which was fairly new and tidy. There are only vending machines, so if you're hungry, bring your own food--you're allowed to bring it on the train. The station also has Wi-Fi and outlets to plug in your phone or laptop. The staff was courteous and helpful, and the option to check your baggage was a nice perk. The bathrooms were clean as well. Be aware that there may be a security person at the entrance who will ask to see your tickets. The trip from Rochester to NYC was smooth, with comfortable seating. However, our return trip was a different story. 3.5 outta 5, read more

See all

Enjoyed the Maple line from Rochester to Niagara Falls. The seats were fine, not full at all. Both stations are kind of gnarly for pedestrians, as the locations are quite sketchy. The station itself was busy but seemed clean. A good, alternate way to travel without a car! read more

See all

Have not taken a train out of or to Roc before. But we decided this was less stressful and about the same cost as driving. There is no secured parking so we got a ride to the station. A secure lot / garage would be nice though. The station was redone from my understanding. However it's still very basic. No food/ drinks but vending machines. There is WiFi now and outlets under the seats. Masks are currently required inside the station. I did not use the restroom. The lobby was clean with somewhat comfortable seating. Staff was helpful when customers had questions. read more

Boarded the 530a Empire line Amtrak from ROC to NYP (New York Penn Station). Very easy to do and certainly preferable to a bus for a trip of that duration. There's a meal car in the back of the train (the guy running it has a major attitude). Overall, a very scenic, fun experience, and an ideal way to get to NYC with minimal stress. read more

The new station is much more pleasant than the previous one. Nice waiting area and service. Some vending machines for cold drinks and snacks. They need to have Food concesión on site. Vending machines are not enough. The staff is friendly and professional. There is an elevator to the pplatforms as eell as stairs. Wheelchair service is also available. Assisted Boarding Waiting Area by the elevator. read more

Amtrak - Train Stations Near Me - Rochester, New York

See all

Quiet, clean. Wish parking was more secured. A relatively stress free way to get to NYC compared to driving. Slower than flying except these days with so many cancellations maybe it's not slower. One drawback of getting on the train here is that it has many other passengers from west of the Rochester on board already, so hard to get a full row of seats for you and companion travelers in the coach seats. I don't know how full the business class might be if that would give you more room. read more

Never rode a train until my trip to see my great grand daughter Jayla born 4/18/2022 the ride was along but I enjoyed it I have to find out how to take my pups significant it's possible 2 small dogs under 25lbs read more

New from what they've had years ago but still pretty basic of a station. Have hopped on a train for early morning rides to Albany in the past for work and it did the job, a little bit sketchy of a feeling walking in alone super early when it is deserted. Wish they added food options like the Albany stop and made it a little more attractive option to travel throughout the NYS area. I wouldn't park a car here. read more

Well the girls just left for a visit to their grandparents and what a lovely process! Well organized and polite tickets agents and conductors! Fingers crossed for a fun adventure! read more

Bleak is the best word to describe this place. It's dirty, there are questionable characters loitering and the only food/drink option is from a vending machine. There's no wifi while you wait for your train unfortunately. I was a little concerned about leaving my car for a day - it turned out OK (I felt better seeing the lot full). Although, it's not supervised and you can't say it's a safe area where the station is. At my last visit, I entered the station only to see 5 or so Border Patrol officers standing around. It was not clear what they were doing or if they were looking for someone but everything went well. Better off with them around, sure? If you're arriving from elsewhere, there are often cabs lined up in expectation of the arriving trains. One upside I suppose if you don't happen to have someone picking you up. It pains me to know this is what represents Rochester for the train travelers. Especially knowing the historic gorgeous station we once had many years back. Fingers crossed there's real improvement with the development of a new station. I love to ride Amtrak! read more

Amtrak - Oh what a beauty... - Train Stations Near Me - Rochester, New York

This new station is perfect. I used the temporary station out of necessity (I take the train at least once a month through Rochester) but the new station is my favorite. It is shiny, put together beautifully, and spacious. There's always a seat, you can go to the bathroom, check bags, relax, and charge your phone. The workers are usually helpful too. I love the detailing on the lower level as well. Make sure to check out the video boards! The only thing that would make this better is if they opened a cafe or store in it, as there is clearly already space for it! read more

I love riding Amtrak, but this station is a bit... depressing. The original station was designed by renowned architect, Claude Fayette Bragdon. It was beautiful, one of Rochester's most incredible structures. In the 1960s someone got the bright idea to tear it down, rip up some tracks, and drop a box on the rubble. In a lot of ways, it mirrors what happened to Penn station during the same era. Sure, this station is functional, but it's dreary and sad. CSX owns the tracks, so there have been times where I can see the train just a few hundred feet away, but it must wait for a slow moving freight train to pass. The clerks and train staff are always pretty helpful, but I can't help but to feel like this station barely functions. I really wish Rochester gets the funding to build the large intermodal transit station on the site of this dingy brutalist box. read more

The new station is super clean, easy to navigate and very comfortable. The staff is also extremely helpful. There's a woman in particular that helped everyone navigate the platform (on Mothers Day 2018) - she was super helpful, friendly, and kind to everyone. It was so nice to encounter such upbeat kindness while traveling. I want to thank her and the other staff who were also very kind to everyone. The city has done a great job with this station. Plus, train travel beats the bus and even the plane to NYC. read more

Horrible experience as usual. Another 2 hours late from nyc into Rochester. Don't bother with the federally funded transportation. It's useless read more

I visited here last October 24, 2015. This review is from the old location. "Very dirty inside and out..Don't plan on using the restrooms unless you plan on catching something from it..and the graffiti.. just very dingy and grimy..Very disappointing Amtrak!" read more

This is the worst mattress store I've ever been to! I tested out one of their adjustable beds and when I woke up I was in Manhattan. The maintenance in this station is so poor that there's still graffiti from the Reagan era in the bathroom. God help you if you happen to be there when Border Patrol is, they like to get handsy. read more

The new temporary facility is clean and very pleasant. A nice surprise as they build the new station. read more

Amtrak - Good news. The old station is gone! The new temporary station is even a much better experience. - Train Stations Near Me - Rochester, New York

3/5 since this review is about two utterly unrelated halves: 1) Customer service is deserving of 5 stars. In the many many times I've gone through this station, I've never had a non helpful staff person. Usually they go out of their way to help, even calling the conductors or other stations to get the needed information. 2) the station itself is TERRIBLE. The chairs are sticky, the bathrooms are disgusting and un stocked. Trash strewn all over. Warrants 0 stars. So average the two and you get 3. read more

They have really made this Amtrak station very nice since the last time I traveled to Rochester. Although I do not love the surrounding neighborhood, the space itself is new and easy to navigate. I enjoy traveling from NYC via Amtrak over flying since it's inexpensive , reliable, & easy. read more

Great new station. Walk friendly to the reviving downtown. Lovelove love the train and Amtak!

I traveled from Rochester to NYC in July. The best thing I can say is we made it to NYC without any major issues, after we departed. However, our train was 2 hours late arriving to Rochester. That is ridiculous. There is absolutely nothing around the station or in the station to occupy a wait time either (maybe this is being addressed with the renovation project). I might mention it is not that inexpensive to ride business or first class on the train, not nearly as much as flying, but quite a bit more than a bus ( and almost as long a trip) The employee and the ticket window was incredibly rude to several customers as well, because they had the audacity to inquire about the delay (instead of making regular announcements to update people). I will say that the trip back out of NYC was efficient and on time, no issues. I would definitely think long and hard before booking a repeat of this trip! I think it might be worthwhile to drive to Albany and leave from there. read more

This Amtrak station was built as a temporary structure and it shows. There's an unsupervised parking lot in front of the station where you can leave your car while you are gone (I have not tried doing this yet). The interior is so stark/depressing and is usually not very clean. The seats show the wear of the years clearly. However, there are usually enough seats for everyone to wait for the train which will almost definitely be at least 10 minutes late. The person at the counter has always been helpful. There's also a machine where you can print out your tickets. I suggest you listen carefully to figure out which train is pulling into the station. There's only one area to board and sometimes trains get there at the same time. It can be confusing and result in you heading to Toronto instead of NYC! read more

There were a few reasons this was a 1 star experience. We will never travel by train if at all avoidable. 1. The Wi-Fi was a joke, once more than 5 people are using it, it literally no longer worked. Might as well not even offer it. 2. We were on a 9 hour ride that ended up taking 11 1/2 due to construction...Brutal! 3. Then the food cart's credit card machine broke was cash only!! Good thing I was able to come up with some dollars and change for their microwave food, otherwise I wasn't eating for 11 1/2 hours! 4. There was an elderly lady on the train who was going to miss her next stop because we were arriving so late. The woman conductor was awful to her!! It was your (Amtrak) fault she was going to be late and then you are rude to this poor old lady who doesn't even have a cell phone to call her grandson to let him know she was going to be quite late. I finally complained to another conductor and finally her attitude changed, TIP - Rent a car, it's worth the extra $$ read more

The bathrooms are disgusting- they didn't have toilet paper or paper towels, and hadn't been cleaned in a long time. I have traveled out of this station a few times, and the trains have never been on time (not sure if this can be attributed to the station at all, but I'll mention it anyway). It is in a scary part of the city, and I never feel comfortable during the many hours that I end up waiting for the late train. I will always try to take the train out of syracuse from now on, as I have heard that it is a very nice station. read more

I love taking amtrak you don't have to worried about traffic and accidents. Best transition to travel around.

Staff is awesome. Station is embarrassing. Check out the photos. Enough said. Train service is generally on time, though, and the trains themselves are great. read more

Although yes, it's a worn-out box, I have never felt really depressed in it! And I still enjoy standing outside to wait for the train, even if it's a bit cold. They claim that the building of a new station, reminiscent of the old gorgeous one, is imminent. Stay tuned and cross your fingers. http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2014/05/28/rochester-amtrak-station/9670399/ read more

Amtrak is pathetic. The automated service is next to worthless. The three times I called the Rochester station my experience was as follows: I was forwarded to a fax line the 1st time, voicemail the second time and the phone just rang the third time. I'm trying to give you money in exchange for a service, but if we can't communicate I won't use it. The new building doesn't make up for the CRAP service. The reviews associated w/ Amtrak also speak volumes. read more

Crap from the start supposed to leave at 1109pm still no guranteed time on leaving almost an hr later. $430.00 for tickets no reinburstment for lateness and nothing done to correct the screw up. Ahould of juat taken the greyhound. At least it leaves on time. This is a really big discouragement expecially with this being the firat time on a train read more

Very nice temporary location. Clean, comfortable, and safe. The employees are friendly and very nice. The electronic display for up-to-date train information is very helpful, plus there is an automated kiosk for ordering tickets if need be. There are water fountains and two vending machines for snacks and drinks while you wait. The new station being built seems like it is going to be huge and beautiful. Maybe we'll get to see it in person next time we come out to Rochester. read more

Perfectly fine and decent and quite functional little temporary train station booth-like little building. Staff helpful. Comfortable seats to wait in. Warm during the cold winter weather. Electronic display to show you train destination, arrival/departure time, and status. Vending and soda machines for your convenience. All I ask for. I can't wait to see what they make of the station and what nice and even more convenient station they build. You have to exit out the back and walk to the track to board the train once it comes, but it really is not a big deal. Please make sure to review about THIS PARTICULAR STATION ONLY and not about Amtrak itself or your train ride. This page is for the Rochester, NY Amtrak station exclusively. read more

Someone took my carry on suitcase on train 49 along this route. Have been calling Customer Relations almost everyday hoping it would be returned. Some agents are more helpful than others. One of the agents matched my case with a wrong bag last week so it's been a roller coaster of emotions of thinking it's returned to it being stolen and everything is gone. So everyone using Amtrak keep an eye on your belongings at all times. read more

A really nice station, for a lower end of town. If you have a little time during a train pitstop, and feel the urge to brave a short trek through town. Head up to one of Rochesters Deli's, they're better than the station food offered and a nice way to stretch your legs in an effort to make it back to the train before it departs.:) read more

I believe it is a new station. Quite small, but serves its purpose. Staff is very helpful. There are vending machines.

Dear Amtrak, I had the pleasure of riding with you this past Sunday. The newly remodeled interior cars were lovely and overall the train was quite clean. I figured I would pay the increased fare to ride via the train, versus bus, on the back end of my trip. All went relatively smoothly until two very young, very intoxicated gentlemen passengers decided to "entertain" the entire train car with their drunken behavior. They were shouting, almost constant, profanities and describing their physical conquests in gross detail. Mind you, there were a large number of small children on this car. If I were a parent, I would be outraged. Unfortunately, this behavior continued for hours prior to any Amtrak employee stepping in. Approximately 20 minutes outside this particular train car's destination, an Amtrak employee intervened. This individual was met with increasing aggression by the two young men. While I hate to see any employee have to deal with this behavior, anywhere and in any field, it was long overdue. In my opinion, the police should have been contacted well before this point (not to mention, at least one of them was significantly underage). This situation has really soured my opinion of Amtrak servicing the NYS area. read more

I took the Amtrak to Chicago. This was the worse expirience ever. I would never use their service in my life. The train was so late because the train always had to stop to let other trains pass by. Its cheaper and faster to buy a plane ticket. read more

Beautiful, state-of-the art station. Very clean, comfortable and traveler friendly gateway to and from Rochester!