In many large cities the current rail station is not much compared to the grand terminals of previous years. What large cities now have Amshacks but once had great stations or grand stations now turned into malls.
Examples St. Louis, Detroit, and Cleveland
St. Louis has an Amshack but they are supposed to build a new station for Amtrak trains, Metrolink trains, and Greyhound bus passengers.
The grand stations of which you speak are monuments to civic pride and/or corporate ego. They also served a lot more trains than Amtrak currently operates. Except for those stations that still support a large substantial suburban service, the stations have become white elephants that are expensive to maintain and operate strictly for rail services.
In the examples you cited, Amtrak operates a handful of trains that really can’t justify operating the huge station buildings that are already there.
One of the great railroad stations that is still a railroad station is 30th St Station in Phillie.
Dave H.
…But the Washington station is head and shoulders better now since it’s renovation the last decade or so. It was a sorry mess before that happened. I am thankful it was brought back as much as it was and that it is still there now to function. Quite a bit of beauty to it too…