Amtrak's ban on photographers on station platforms

[penncentral2002]

For Zack: An interesting survey

Rockville, MD is an open platform station in the sense that there are no barriers or gates to access its platforms. It is a regular stop for the Capitol Limited and for MARC trains. It has an agent for MARC while it is unstaffed for Amtrak. I have never photographed trains there, but I have never heard of any railfans being hassled for photographing trains there.

Alexandria, VA has always been an Amtrak station in the past, but it is now a VRE station as well. Earlier its platforms were open in the same sense as Rockville, MD, but I haven’t been there in a while so I don’t know if its platforms are still open.

On the other hand Fredericksburg, VA is posted against tresspassing in that there are signs to the effect that only passengers intending to travel on the trains are permitted on its platforms; nevertheless I have noticed people on the platform that the VRE uses waiting to greet arrivals.

To all: I have read Amtrak’s photo/video recording policy, and it appears that the platforms at all of its stations are restricted to passengers only, so never mind if the the stations are owned by a community or the host railroads so railfan photographers can’t photograph trains from its platform.

At Fredericksburg, the main (only?) way to buy tickets is using machines on the platform - the “no trespassing” signs that were posted at least the last time I was there dated from RF&P Days and were not posted on every entrance to the platform. It is true that lots of people are there to meet trains - I have seen people watching trains there too. Maybe something new has been posted, but I would still consider that to be an “open” station based on actual practice. There are other places to see trains in Fredericksburg than the

[al-in-chgo]

The British sell, or used to sell, a platform-access ticket for a few pence. It was enough to see people to the train and watch it leave.

I wonder if some stations might find it worth their while to something do that? Maybe charge a dollar for a station pass from the same vending machine that sells tickets? Access to the platform could be turnstiled or on the honor system but regular photographers would soon catch on that it is something they really can’t be without on the platform, unless they have a valid travel ticket.

Go ahead, shoot it full of holes. I can’t think of any big objections once it is stressed that this is a voluntary program on the part of the rwy operating agency, and if it is terribly difficult to put in such a system (or terribly ridiculous if the platforms are way open in different places), they don’t have to do it.

[RudyRockvilleMD]

Al:

The British still sell platform tickets at some stations, mostly the large stations such as Victoria Station in London. However, a few years ago I asked a gate person who inspected tickets to go out a few feet on the platform to get a shot without a platform ticket, and she said," ok."

I am not going to shoot your idea full of holes, it’s a good idea in some stations where access to the platforms is restricted to ticket holders. However, I think Amtrak’s ban on photography from station platforms, except for ticketed passengers, is for liability reasons so this might be the only argument against the platform pass.

[al-in-chgo]

Al:

The British still sell platform tickets at some stations, mostly the large stations such as Victoria Station in London. However, a few years ago I asked a gate person who inspected tickets to go out a few feet on the platform to get a shot without a platform ticket, and she said," ok."

I am not going to shoot your idea full of holes, it’s a good idea in some stations where access to the platforms is restricted to ticket holders. However, I think Amtrak’s ban on photography from station platforms, except for ticketed passengers, is for liability reasons so this might be the only argument against the platform pass.

I agree with you, but it’s a sad story. Consider how trivial the distinction is, in real-world terms, between a depot Amtrak rents and an Amtrak-owned depot (there are other variations, but these seem to be the main ones). Guess we’ll all have to think like the legendary “Philadelphia Lawyers” to make sense of all this! - a.s.