This is topic How Do You Call a Train Station? in forum Amtrak at RAILforum.


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Posted by yukon11 (Member # 2997) on :
 
I'm trying to call the Amtrak station in Davis, Calif. I'm thinking of a Coast Starlight trip, this summer, and need to know about parking choices, around the station. I have heard there is a long-term parking garage within walking distance of the Davis station and I'd like more information.

The "Stations" tab, on the Amtrak website, has station addresses but no local telephone number for the station. If I call the "800" national Amtrak number, would they be able to tell me?

Richard
 
Posted by ehbowen (Member # 4317) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by yukon11:
I'm trying to call the Amtrak station in Davis, Calif. I'm thinking of a Coast Starlight trip, this summer, and need to know about parking choices, around the station. I have heard there is a long-term parking garage within walking distance of the Davis station and I'd like more information.

The "Stations" tab, on the Amtrak website, has station addresses but no local telephone number for the station. If I call the "800" national Amtrak number, would they be able to tell me?

Richard

Good luck. I've been given the number to the Houston station several times, but every single time I've called it has been forwarded to the 1-800-USA-RAIL number. Seems a lot of station agents just don't care to answer the phone.
 
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
 
The online Yellow Pages has the phone number of Amtrak Davis CA as 530-758-4220. Let us know how that plays out.
 
Posted by yukon11 (Member # 2997) on :
 
Henry:

Thanks for the phone number. I tried it but got something about "Calif. corridor services", then an automatic switch to Julie. No option, after Julie, to speak to a live person.

I e-mailed the City of Davis information bureau. They replied quickly and gave me a local number for the Davis train station. However, right beside the number it states the number cannot be called with regard to information, customer services, or any reservations..in other words, don't call this number!

Kind of frustrating.

Richard
 
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
 
Well! Somebody is playing hard to get. What about the Sacramento station? Would they be able to answer your questions?
 
Posted by Vincent206 (Member # 15447) on :
 
Try GoogleMaps (satellite view). It doesn't look there's a parking garage next to the train station, but if you follow the wye track to 4th Street, there is a building that looks like a garage--call one of the neighboring businesses. The times I've passed through Davis it seemed like everyone rode a bike to the station.

I remember waiting at Goleta one time for a late Surfliner and we called Julie for information. Her system didn't show any disruption so she put a call into one of stations further up the line to see if the train had passed through yet.
 
Posted by yukon11 (Member # 2997) on :
 
Surfing around, I did find this:

http://www.capitolcorridor.org/included/docs/aboard/fix-i5-davis-parking.pdf

It doesn't say if you can park at the 4th & G street garage for a time span more than a day but less than a month..such as 5-7 days. I guess you would pay based on the daily rate. Also, it looks like the 4th & G garage is a good 2.5 blocks from the Amtrak station. I would probably not arrive until around 10:30-11:00 PM to catch the northbound Starlight. I don't know how safe that 2.5 block walk would be at that time of night.

I also wonder if my car would be safe at the Amtrak station parking lot for 5-7 days and, if so, when I should arrive to be sure of a space.

I wonder if the Davis station takes carrier pigeons?

Richard
 
Posted by Vincent206 (Member # 15447) on :
 
That's the building I saw on Google Maps. It looks like you pay $3.00 a day for parking Mon-Fri and weekends are free. But I would double check your information--down in the bottom right on the pdf it says "Revised 5/29/08"--that's pretty old information. Send your pigeons.
 
Posted by Vincent206 (Member # 15447) on :
 
The Davis Downtown Business Association is located across the street from the Amtrak station. Maybe they would know....

Davis Downtown Business Association
P.O. Box 72497, Davis, CA 95617
tel. 530.756.8763
fax. 530.756.6504
 
Posted by Vincent206 (Member # 15447) on :
 
I passed through Davis this week and I could see the parking garage from my seat in the Pacific Parlour Car. It seemed like there was lots if activity in the area and I think the walk between the garage and the train station would be pretty safe in the evening.
 
Posted by pporro (Member # 31539) on :
 
"Here Station, come here boy"? [Wink]

I found out other places that the station isn't the place to call. Try this. They own the parking lot and the station. UP owns the tracks and the platform.

City of Davis

Phone
(530) 757-5610
(530) 757-5660 FAX
Email
cddweb@cityofdavis.org
Office Address
23 Russell Blvd Suite 2, Davis, CA 95616
Office Hours
Monday – Friday
8:00am to 5:00pm

Hope that provides your specific answers.
 
Posted by yukon11 (Member # 2997) on :
 
Thanks, Mr. PPorro. I will give it a try.

I may, instead of Davis, leave from Martinez as it is closer. Still not sure of my plans.

Richard
 
Posted by sojourner (Member # 3134) on :
 
Richard, I cannot tell you anything about parking, but I did change trains in Davis this summer and it was quite nice to do. The ticket agent was very nice and I was able to check luggage there and go for a nice walk up the Arboretum trail and around the U Davis campus and back. There seem to be lots of cool ethnic restaurants in the area too, quite a few tempting cental Asian, mideastern, Mexican, even a Czech place, but unfortunately I was southbound, so I could only have breakfast. Had a very good one, though, at a place called Crepeville, not too far from the college at 3rd and C.

As far as phone numbers for the station, the one I obtained is the same one that Mr Kisor gave you. I don't think I phoned it, though. Anyway, it sounds like the agents were too busy to answer; perhaps that is the case all the time, but it could be you tried at a bad time, so you might try again at different hours if you don't get your info elsewhere.
 


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