Pittsburgh Union Station — Attraction in Pittsburgh

Amtrak’s Union Station in Pittsburgh isn’t just a train stop—it’s a place where optimism comes to get mugged in broad daylight. Picture a Soviet bus terminal crossed with the DMV, then strip away the charm. That’s your welcome mat.

Bright overhead lights fry your retinas like you're being interrogated. There are no signs, no food, and no help—just the unmistakable ambiance of late-stage capitalism in decay. It’s less a transport hub, more a cautionary tale for anyone foolish enough to think traveling by train was going to be “romantic.” Oh, and that “budget” fare? Yeah, somehow still cost more than a flight home.

Inside? Things go from bleak to straight-up Kafkaesque. The floor’s a disaster of cracked tile and uneven concrete mounds, as if the building itself is trying to shrug you off like a bad idea. I set my bag down for two seconds, and a staff member materializes just to bark, “Bags go on the floor.” Really? Right next to the thriving insect commune in the corner that’s hosting a buffet on something unidentifiable? I’m not checking my luggage into the Bug Marriott, thanks.

The station feels abandoned in spirit, if not in population. Rust peels off the ceiling outside like it’s trying to snow apathy. The escalator continues to turn and click despite being closed giving off what I referred to it as the "Heart Beat of the Station". And the smell? Picture someone nuking a TV dinner full of despair and gym socks at the same time.

The staff? If you could bottle their attitude, it’d be labeled “hostile indifference.” They’ve got that dead-eyed look of people trapped in a purgatory shift that started sometime during the Bush administration. One guy acted like checking a bag was an act of personal betrayal. Another warned a woman her suitcase might be “too large,” as if she had a prayer of making it out of this Kafka death trap alive. They’re not there to help. They’re there to haunt.

And they’re so irritated they don’t just scare passengers—they scare the rats. You know it’s bad when even the vermin keep their distance. That’s not ambiance. That’s a cry for help in fluorescent lighting.

The vibe? Pure psychological warfare. You don’t wait for a train here—you survive the slow erosion of hope. The seats punish your spine like you've offended them personally. There are no outlets, no food, no mercy. Just the growing suspicion that the train you’re waiting for left in 1983.

This isn’t travel. This is penance. And by the end, you’re not wondering when your train will arrive—you’re wondering what you did to...

I have a family member who ended up in a situation I needed to leave the state of Pennsylvania from a bad domestic issue from a relationship. She was in another city, and was able to get her an Uber after transferring money to a Walmart so she could get a prepaid phone as the other party took all of her belongings. To make a long story short we were able to get her into Pittsburgh and the train station did not open until 6: 00pm with her train leaving this morning almost 12 hours later at 5:00 a.m. the next day. There were great many people that were extremely polite to her at a couple different establishments and tried to help keep her warm until the train station opened. Now I had spoken with Amtrak because the hours are a little confusing but I just wanted to confirm. Essentially they are open from 6:00 p.m. until the next day around 8:00 a.m.

She ended up getting inside and comfortable The lights are on There was some vending machines, and the heat was on. Around midnight, The Amtrak staff informed everyone there while giving out a bunch of snacks, they were locking the doors and leaving were they were going to be locked inside overnight. The lights were turned off and the heat was turned off as well. With the temperature going down the -9° everybody that was in the station including from what she advised there was a baby / children present. It is completely unacceptable to lock the doors with no way out, and then turn the lights and heat off. From what she advised they were all shivering all night long. Amtrak this is completely unacceptable and if somebody ended up in a medical emergency you are responsible. From my understanding there were two lawyers that were at the station themselves using Amtrak to travel and have decided to take matters into...

(1) It is a dump - if it's been renovated since 80s, it doesn't show. (2) Rich folks have ruined it - they took the nice part of the train station for their weddings and events. (3) Rich folks have ruined it - today we had trouble boarding because of too many private cars, oh AND they get to go on first because it is "such a long walk", I guess when you're rich you forget how to walk 1/4 mile? Are we all vegetables or something? (4) Staff are incompetent at the best of times. I watched an employee allow a greyhound user walk through the train track area, which requires a valid ticket, twice AFTER SPEAKING WITH HER, because she wasn't watching and didn't speak Spanish. It's 2022 - is that secure? WHAT IF SHE WAS A MASS SHOOTER, AT AMTRAK JUST WALK ON IN!!!! How is it being that close to the greyhound station you're not prepped for that? (5) Staff are rude. You are late because of rich people and your own incompetence, but sure, rip my super expensive work laptop I couldn't otherwise afford away from my other bag because I was being "too slow", I'd been waiting in line for literally 30 mins and you couldn't give me 30 seconds?

Basically, it's a shitshow. Thanks to this experience, I'm now questioning why I use amtrak at all - at least an airport won't let someone wander around with the wrong ticket for the wrong flight. I get Amtrak needs to pay folks more, and clearly they can't attract any talent, but I'm a paying customer - it is not my problem that they don't know...