Martinez Amtrak Station

I have lived in Martinez for 18 years and have seen many things but the customer service was awful and they train attending are terrible I was going to Amtrak train to by a ticket to Chicago and the employees Elizabeth who told me I could not plug in my phone and am trust passing as I didn’t even get a chance to pull out my credit card to purchase a ticket a told me I had to leave and I asked to talk to the manger and the manger was no better she just proceed to let her employees continue to be rude and disrespectful right in front of me and called the cops on me and I filed a complaint against Amtrak train and she continues to work there as a attend and I also found a train that she allowed a minor with a fake id board a train to Seattle that the last train came at around 10:40pm and there was a unauthorized train that left at 11:38pm and she said avoid Oregon and Washington for reason I never know why and I asked her what time it was and she still continues to work there after theses to huge events took place and allowing crimes to happens yet Amtrak doesn’t fire her for what she has allowed to go on and people are urinating in the front of the building by the payphone and people who are by the bus who go in the bushes and urinate in the bush at the bus stop I not recommend stopping at this Amtrak and people who are intoxicated heavily to by a ticket this person was almost falling over

I recently moved farther away from my job to live with a loved one. It’s my first day riding the train to work and I didn’t quite leave myself enough time to get my bearings at the station. I bought my monthly pass online and parked out front, where I saw you needed a parking permit. Slightly panicked with 5 minutes until the train arrived, I asked a really nice Amtrak employee about the permit. He made a joke, got me to smile and explained that the permits are free for paying passengers. He then gave me a permit and walked with me outside to show me where I would need to drive to get across the tracks to the overflow parking on busier days. Extremely helpful and I appreciated that he anticipated future problems. This well kept station and kind employees made my first day of commuting!

I came here to ship some boxes across country, and the experience was excellent. Parking is very easy (loading zones available + long term, ask them for a parking tag). Facilities were also well-​kept, clean, quiet. The employees helped me move all of the boxes inside, and the rates were unbelievable.

Brief stop along the Capital Corridor. Not much to see here, quiet station but looks convenient to get to Martinez area.

I recently decided to return via AMTRAK from Martinez to Seattle with my Great-Niece’s (we were in the bay area attending a number of family graduations), instead of using my flight reservations. Pam at the Martinez station was very friendly and helpful in answering any questions I had, since it had been years since I traveled via AMTRAK. She is the only reason why I have this review 5-​stars. Once to the train and on the train I requested several times to be on the lower level, as I have medical issues, which make it painful to go up and down stairs. I spoke with 4 different AMTRAK employees during my 20+ hour trip and was not moved!

Being an avid trainspotter (railfan) and frequent passenger on the Capitol Corridor and San Joaquin services, I’d have to say this is probably one of my favorite stations between Emeryville and Sacramento.
Train traffic for railfans: Train traffic past this station consists mostly of Amtrak trains (Capitol Corridor, San Joaquin, California Zephyr, and the Coast Starlight), but also, depending on the day, sees quite a lot of freight traffic from the Union Pacific Railroad. The Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway line in Franklin Canyon and many other scenic trainspotting locations (including Eckley Pier) are just a short drive away.
The station itself and the surrounding area: There are many restaurants nearby to grab a bite to eat and the restrooms, along with the rest of the station, are clean (but you do need a token for the bathrooms, which can be a minor inconvenience if a freight train is going to pass by soon). The station is also located near a park and marina. The surrounding Downtown area is not bad either.
Overall the Martinez Amtrak station is a great place to catch your train or just spend a day trackside with your camera and some friends.

Nice clean station with a fair amount of free parking. You need to go inside and request a parking pass, which will be provided to you if you have an Amtrack ticket.
Nice location close to downtown Martinez, which is nicer than you would think. I used to live in Martinez and it has a lot of history to it with some really neat historical buildings in the downtown. There are a growing number of diverse restaurants too, and a very nice park with trails located along the waterfront.
One downside is that if you need to go to the bathroom you have to request a key from the desk. I guess they’ve had lots of trouble with transients etc coming in and trashing the bathrooms. Rather inconvenient, but keeps the bathrooms cleaner I suppose.

I’ve used this station for years. It’s less of a homeless hangout now than it was — the tokens for the bathroom make a big difference. (Don’t wander down to the creek, as people live down there.)
PARKING: They have dealt with the issue of locals parking there long term. Now you have to go inside and get a parking sticker or paper or something that shows you’re a passenger. Nice, as there are not enough parking spots.
A variety of public buses serve the station: County Connection, WestCAT, and Benicia Breeze.
To the gentleman frustrated that they charge more to buy a ticket on the train. I think almost every transit agency charges more if you buy your ticket on the train. It slows down the conductor. Everybody is advised to buy their tickets online at least a few days before your trip. Even if it’s the same day it will be cheaper than it would be on the train. Using the ticket vending machine is fast; I’ve bought my ticket with the train pulling into the station and still made it. Paying on the train is a convenience, like if you had to run to catch the train and can’t wait for the next one.
The people at the Java Stop snack bar are nice.
Food on the train is pretty good. Depends on the train. On the Coast Starlight and California Zephyr, there’s an actual dining car. If there are fewer than four in your party, someone else may be seated with you, but that’s cool cause you meet people. The other trains have a café car that offers microwaved sandwiches and pizza. The microwaved food is not bad, although the bread can get kind of chewy. Angus cheeseburger was delicious despite the microwave over melting the cheese.

I absolutely love riding the Capital Corridor train! I love how smooth the ride is and how beautiful the scenery passing in front of you is and that you can sit at a table with food or books and just relax rather than driving the highway between San Fran and SAC :)
I love having a bottle of wine from the club car and making new friends on the way! So beats having to dodge speeding cars!!!
If you are one person, it is definitely cheaper than taking your car. You can connect with Bart easily to go on to other destinations once you’re in San Fran.

This station is really nice. Although the parking situation here is could be better. The station itself is nice — quite large. The bathrooms could be cleaner though.

so my first time at martinez station and did not know they had a inside to pay in a matter of maybe 15 step they made me pay a extra 10 $ paying on the train what a rip off now have no taxi money

Trains are always ALWAYS prompt, (I’ve seen people miss the train by seconds because they don’t mess around with time.) Plus, I appreciate the frequency of the trains usually once an hour all day.

I’ve gone to this station a number of times and always been happy enough. However today I am slightly grumpy because there is no parking at 3:26 p.m. And by this I mean no parking in their main or overflow lots!
Seriously, I need to park on the street with meters? For one, this is not the nicest area. For two, if I’m taking a train I won’t be back any time soon.
The station itself is nice enough, but eh.
As an added bonus I couldn’t hear any of the station names being called out and almost missed getting off the train. I debated giving them another star down for that but I’m rounding up for now.

The outside of the Martinez station is nice. I think the bus stops are a little too far from the train, it circles around the front and pauses at the furthest end of the parking lot. This isn’t cool for long distance travelers with a ton of baggage.
I usually don’t go inside, but recently found myself sitting in their waiting area after a 30+ minute delay. The station is fairly small and to the point. Café, bathroom and vending machines on one side & ticket kiosk/​desk on the other. Several rows of benches in between. There are no baggage carts unless you steal the one from the homeless man who hangs out here in the morning. No ATM.
The café is better than the food cart in Sacramento. They have more options and an actual counter. You can’t use the bathroom without tokens from the front desk on the opposite side of the station, luckily a random person gave me one. It was clean.
Although the signs to discourage theft & the constant stares from staff indicate that they care about the safety of travelers … this station is not free of the typical losers who just hang around trying to pick up women.
If it wasn’t for the high # of the non-​travelers at this station, I would give it 5 stars. Really… It’s a pain in the ass, get out the way. We’ve got places to go!

i recently took Amtrak to Reno from Martinez. The trip was six hours long and we arrived late due to some other freight train activity. The ride was nice and very scenic. What I didn’t like were the dining car and snack bar accomodations. Announcements weren’t made and I found the snack bar closed on 3 separate times during my trip to Reno.
The train was late arriving to Reno but the Operator made up for that after Sac station doing 90 plus mph like a bullet train!!! YEA
Anywho if you haven’t taken a ride on the Amtrak do so your missing out. Just be prepared to be subjected to the public crowds etc.
If Amtrak was on time once they would have gotten 4 stars. If Amtrak had better dining and snack bar options they would have gotten 5 stars.

There is a library’s worth of books about train stations and the folks they attract. Personally, I find something strangely romantic about these shady stopovers. They are also a great place to people watch.
My recent visit was like walking in to the casting room for a David Lynch film.
A few examples of what I witnessed:
A portly man in a sleeveless t shirt and soiled camouflage pants sang Shania Twain songs in a deep baritone.
A well-​dressed businessman, who, while drinking a milkshake, kept clearing his throat so hard I thought he was having an allergic reaction to his digestive system.
A family of five who sat quietly for over an hour glued to their smart phones without saying a word to each other.
A bored desk clerk picking his nose whenever he thought no one was looking.
Generally speaking, this newly-​renovated Amtrak Station is a beautiful addition to an otherwise economically depressed area. Stop in anytime if you’re looking for free entertainment.

I would award this place 4 – 5 stars, except I feel I have to dock Amtrak a few stars for the following:
The attitude of the woman running the dining car was outrageous… I was patiently sitting at a table while the line/​mob of kids waiting to get food died down. Apparently I’m not allowed to do that and made the mistake of sitting at «her» table (why an employee is allowed to commandeer a whole table to herself in a packed dining car is beyond me). After that, everything about what I was doing was wrong according to her and I left very disappointed in my much-​anticipated train ride.

Hoot!

If given the opportunity, I highly recommend taking the train from Martinez to Sacramento. It is a short but enjoyable trip and you will be dropped off within walking distance of a fun day in Sacramento.
The Martinez Amtrak Station has ample parking and a nice waiting area. There is a small food and drink store offering well priced coffee and snacks.
It is simple to make reservations through the Amtrak website and print out your tickets from a kiosk at the station.
This station is also walking distance to the beautiful Martinez Regional Shoreline Park and downtown Martinez with lots of neat restaurants and shops.

The old Martinez Amtrak station was a neat old funky building that is still located downtown and right near the entrance to Waterfront Park. It had a tiny waiting room and a track side area that gave you a great feel for train travel and a real fear that you might get run over if you weren’t careful.
As part of Martinez’s continued nonlinear approach to urban renewal, a new Amtrak station was built (in the late 90s?) a few convenient blocks the west and still more or less downtown. It’s an attractive and roomy building and includes other transit center options and plenty of free parking. All the trains stop here including the Capital Corridor, San Joaquin, the California Zephyr and the Coast Starlight. And depending on your travel plans, the Martinez station might be a better departure or arrival option than Emeryville or Jack London Square.
Another family-​friendly option is to take the train to Martinez for part of a the day. You can browse the many antique stores, have lunch, spend some time within a very attractive Waterfront Park, and then return home with much of the day left to further enjoy.