My son goes to school in Santa Barbara and if you know, flights in and out of SB are outrageously priced!!! We found the train as an alternative and love it! Both my son who lives there and my other son who goes down to visit him often, say that the trip is comfortable and scenic. This station in particular is clean and well-run. FYI: If it's the winter and you have to wait inside--it's still cold. We get there early to check in luggage and wait in the car. Parking is limited. read more

Open air train station located in Oakland's Jack London Square area. Running on 2 tracks that are completely accessible, this station is composed of 3 parts. The tracks, the station building and the footbridge. The building, with glass framing, has the lobby area and a statue of C.L. Dellums, Black Labor Leader of the Sleeping Car Porters. The bridge is anchored by 2 elevators, one on each side, leading to the parking garage. read more

Amtrak - Jack London Square - Train Stations Near Me - Oakland, California

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It was a good ride on Amtrak, not great as I didn't have any cell service on the ride over. I'm not sure why. Maybe the cell service was having issues or it's blocked on the trains so you have to use there wi-fi. I think they have wi-fi for passengers, but I'm not sure. I don't like using the free wi-fi as they are prone to hackers. I'd rather sit looking out the window for 2 hours then risk getting hacked. And that's what I did. It's not a bad view from the train. There is lots of water to look at which is pretty to me and a fun view. We overshot the station when we arrived. I only realized that when my husband said they should have stopped at the station. This was my first time riding Amtrak to the Jack London Station so I was a bit confused. When I got out we were so far from the station that I wasn't sure which way to walk. Eventually I looked at everyone else and most people were going to the left. Some people veered off, but they were the few so I followed the crowd. It's a small crowd as it's the last stop and everyone else had already hit their destination. People kept getting on at nearly every stop. 2 people from my car got off at Berkely and I saw lots of people milling around at the Emeryville station outside the train so I'm guessing they had all gotten off. There was even a family on bikes. I would ride Amtrak again to the Jack London Square location. Just next time I hope they actually stop at the station. It helps so you don't get discombobulated. read more

This Amtrak station is in a convenient location in Jack London Square. Close to the water and very old buildings and structures that Oakland is known for. On any given day, the customer service is top-notch, especially from a young woman named Keisha. A Guest Services Associate. Who is helpful and cooperative. Very efficient as well. This building is amazing and is very well kept. Restrooms are tidy and not much commotion to speak of goes on inside the vicinity. It is peaceful and calm, just sitting down inside, waiting for your train to arrive. Some would say, it's also a good spot to people watch. Since you can see out of the glass windows at every turn. So much city liveliness to take in daily. read more

The station is beautiful, encased in a glass structure. The lobby is expansive, lots of seating, clean restrooms, self service kiosks, snacks and drinks in vending machines, a person to assist at the window and seating outside of the lobby to wait on your train. Since it was the first stop of our scheduled train, I decided to book Oakland Jack London as are starting point to ensure first selection of seating. The gentleman at the window in the lobby was kind and friendly, the station lobby was quiet and well maintained and the interior was easy to navigate without assistance. There is an electronic board, providing train information and departure times. It is easy to see your train from inside the lobby. The app allows you the convenience of an electronic ticket or the lobby provides the ease of creating a paper ticket. We drove to the station, which was pretty secluded. Parking is limited, if existent, so we double parked in front of the USPS mail box which is directly behind the bus stop. There was a 12 bus that stopped in front of the station while we waited. Others took transportation services that read Uber and Lyft. Even though this station is not the most convenient from our residence, it is certainly the cleanest and safer option I will probably begin utilizing to solely depart from. Our train departed early afternoon. read more

Decided to catch the train instead of driving. My fare was only $19 from Oakland to Fairfield. Definitely worth it. I noticed many 49er fans were somehow getting to the game via this mode of transportation. Holla. read more

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One of my favorite if not favorite Amtrak station along the Amtrak Capitol Corridor (commuter) route. Plenty of parking + easy Uber dropoff/pickup. Large, spacious indoor waiting area, security guards, snack machines, restrooms, and not far from BART/downtown Oakland. Great trainspotting location for rail fans. read more

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Expect delays! Mom and I took Amtrak from Jack London (Oakland) to Madera and there were no less than 3 delays, the first being at Jack London, the starting point. There was some type of computer error, the train shut down and I kid you not, this caused us to leave more than one hour behind schedule. I understand some things are beyond our control but this wasn't weather related. I had a friend who worked for Amtrak no less than 10 yrs ago and I constantly heard about customers complaining due to delays. With the exception of this trip with Mom in 10/2023, I have not taken Amtrak since I was in High School and went to Texas from San Francisco with my gmo, bro and cousin. Well back then, I was super excited and looking forward to the experience but guess what I remember, we were delayed, hella delayed. It took so long to get out of San Francisco, we had to be bussed to LA where we waited hours there to even board a train. This was more than 30 years ago and for my experience to be so similar is beyond insane to me. I normally just drive to Madera but wanted a break. However, time is too precious. It was miserable. I'm glad I had Mom there but after while, the delays got to her as well. I'm struggling to find a reason why after all these years this company can't do any better. I can say the train staff was pleasant but it appeared clear to me the trains are not wiped down regularly and if they are, perhaps at the end of each shift for the next day. I don't know, perhaps I was expecting too much, this experience was a disappointment. read more

Amtrak - Jack London Square - Mom & I - Train Stations Near Me - Oakland, California

I have been riding Amtrak to Sacramento for over 8 years to visit my grandson and I have picked him and we get on train ride from Sacramento to Oakland for a weekend visit this is an awesome way to travel between neighboring cities I love it staff is very friendly cafe cart good bathroom good an occasionally there's specials so get on board its a very good experience for kids a nice day trip I have met people who have never rode the train I say to them you missing out internet is free !! read more

The ride was easy, comfortable. The train was clean. The conductor was very nice, helpful & friendly. read more

Amtrak - Jack London Square - Train Stations Near Me - Oakland, California

I'm torn and imagine that you might come to the same conclusion, depending on the circumstances of your trip. Oakland-Jack London Square station is on the admirable side of Amtrak's station quality spectrum. The station's main hall/waiting room is airy, clean and, with any sun in the sky to shine through its soaring windows, quite bright. The building is distinctive and creates a sense of place that marks a welcome departure from the ultra-utilitarian/often non-descript Amshacks that dot so much of the country. While not on the same level as California gems like Sacramento, Los Angeles, or San Diego, Oakland's station evokes its own blend of warm nu-nostalgia. As a traveler, it's not a station to avoid, per se (and its station listing, including amenities, appears to be mostly correct). The longer I waited there though, the more obvious it became that this stop is better-suited for quick drop-offs; there was a sign suggesting as much. Perhaps a byproduct of its era, or perhaps as a deterrent to loitering, the station doesn't offer public charging outlets (at least none that I could find) nor is there Wi-Fi. There's plenty of seating, but no tables or workstations. None of these are dealbreakers, of course. Boarding the San Joaquins, there were outlets at every seat, shareable tables, a snack car with a few hot selections and, technically, Wi-Fi. Picking up lunch, planning any remote work/learning ahead of time, downloading content ahead of time, and arriving on the earlier side only if you need to check luggage are all advisable. It's a nice enough box, but more of a "functional" experience. Oakland-Jack London Square isn't unpleasant. It's not uncomfortable. But was it the kind of place that demands to be chosen over Richmond (with its superior BART connection) or Emeryville (located a short walk from a food hall and a Hyatt Place hotel)? Not particularly. Notes: * Public transit connectivity is fair, with AC Transit's #12 bus running roughly twice an hour towards the BART station at 12th/Oakland (walking to downtown is 15-20 minutes, lightly uphill). read more

Come here to pick up my brother when he doesn't want to commute to work. Really nice and clean...well kept for sure. Street parking and garage parking is available. read more

EVERYTHING!!! It was easy simple boarding and finding a great window seat which is always my preference. At my window just below were the much needed electric sockets for which to charge my dying phone. The food was unexpectedly delicious and cheap! What an easy relaxing smooth journey! It had been years since I took a train anywhere. I plan to take AMTRAK again, soon read more

My son took the train from Salinas to Oakland it was only $23 That is a great deal, less than what it would cost me in gas to drive to Salinas and back, not to mention my time . So initially this seemed very convenient and cost efficient. The train left late and set back his arrival time one hour and half later..... I did receive text msg about the train departing late That was great I was able to obtain up to date arrival time by calling the 1-800 number That was very easy and I really appreciated that When I arrived at the station it was past 10pm It was pretty sketchy at first. I saw some people sleeping or camping out in parking lot garage ...... it reminded me of a scene from a scary movie where you yell at the clueless girl to run for her life ....... But once I turned the corner I saw employees and they approached me and showed me where I can wait for my sons train to arrive Their presence was very much appreciated and I felt less apprehensive about the situation The kid arrived and he said he enjoyed the train ride And I said I enjoyed NOT having to drive to pick him up lol My reviews won't always be 5 stars As a female and as a mother safety is always on the the forefront During daylight I'm sure everything will be good Try and avoid being here late hours if possible I'm % transparent I write reviews based on my own personal experience The end read more

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Words cannot express how much I do not enjoy driving. I used to come here multiple times per week when commuting by train to Santa Clara, and I still take the train over the holidays to Modesto to visit family. The parking garage and station platform are a little scary at night and early in the morning before the sun rises. Fortunately, the inside of the station is nice, and the security and station attendants are all super aware. They also used to have a "take a book, leave a book" thing over by the bathrooms. I didn't have enough time before my last train to check that it's still there, but that was a really nice touch and a useful thing if you've forgotten to bring a book! read more

Never would I have imagined myself writing a review for a train station... but sheeesh I arrived at Amtrak on a Saturday morning at 6am. There were two people working security, so it felt safe. Access to the restroom is by code only - which they provided - and when I talked in I was amazed at how clean it was. Spotless may sound like an statement, but it was definitely shiny. The restroom didn't carry the usual odor that I was expecting - actually it smelled neutral. The info desk in the front was also very well decorated and welcoming, though there weren't any staff members working that early. read more

This station is impeccably clean. Plenty of seats, nice and quiet. A short 2 block walk to all the Jack London Square restaurants, starbucks and a pub. The restroom was impressively clean. Probably because there is a door code on it now. You no longer need tokens for the restroom like the previous reviewer noted. Station attendants are quick and efficient, whether friendly or not depends on both their mood and yours (are you annoyed, confrontational or angry, or can you remember to say Please before asking for help?). Suffice to say, the attendants were nice and friendly when I bought my ticket. read more

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Twice now we used Amtrak to get my wife from Fresno to Jack London Square in Oakland. Bad enough it takes them 4.5 hours to cover what is normally a three hour trip but the first time they were over two hours late and announced they were not going to complete the trip but instead stopping in Emeryville and anyone wanting to complete the trip could take a city bus. Today they have been sitting in Le Grand for two hours and 45 minutes waiting to "clear an accident" that does not even involve the train she is on. Next is a 20 minute stop in Merced for no particular reason and they can't give her an ETA. Never never never Amtrak again. read more

The lady at the window was very rude she said wirh attitude "what does you ticket say?!. I was asking a question then she said "next!" very rudely . I have never felt so belittled in my Amtrak experiences. I didn't deserve that level of disrespect at all! read more

The station is very clean and offers a nice view. I just find the tracks a bit confusing because tou have to cross track 1 on the ground to get to track 2. read more

Amtrak - Jack London Square - Main station - Train Stations Near Me - Oakland, California

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I was on the last train to arrive before the station closed. I needed to pee. You need a token to enter the restroom. There was one open service window and I and another passenger asked for a token. The staff, all four of them, just looked at us. We both waited a good five minutes before one of them just tossed the tokens from the window. Nuff said. read more

It's a nice and clean station. Plenty of room inside and out. The "majority" of the time the station ticket sales people are nice, but a significant amount of time they are not. They could also put a new PA system in as I can tell a word they are saying. That said it's our favorite station. read more

OK so normally not a problem when they are functioning but if someone like my disabled husband gets up to the door and it slams in his face and if the train is there one minute early shouldn't there be someone to watch out for people that are Trying to hop on the train? Are they trying to discourage people from using the train? The conductors at Davis are pretty good about watching out for people running to the train. But not so in Hayward coming from San Jose. Also whoever does the announcing on the train is not doing their job to let people know what train station are coming to especially when it's dark out and people can't see where they are. Hopefully I got the point across. Please announce the stops and if the train is actually early don't leave early! read more

I went there on the morning of September 12, 2023 to inquire about onboard train information as it was my first-time using Amtrak. However, the lady attendant at the information desk was condescending in attitude and cut me short. Only the lady and I were in the spacious lobby, with a few others in the ticketing room. The lady seemed to have nothing to do except watch her smartphone. I still don't understand why she had to be rude and condescending. Amtrak needs to train some lobby attendants to treat the customers right. I was disappointed that Amtrak hired the employees with the wrong attitudes. read more

Taking Amtrak to San Jose, though not the most convenient, affordable, or time my manner, it isn't the worst. Plus there's wifi so you can work or watch all the netflix shows you want on your hour down there. I was surprised at how clean the trains were and comfy. There was plenty of room. it was peaceful. There's apparently a refreshment car with wifi and coffee and every row has at least one outlet you can plug into so you don't run out of battery. The conductors were friendly and did their best to keep us posted while there delays out of their control. I'd 100% take again. read more

A few Sunday nights ago, my son and I waited at the Jack London Station for the Coast Starlight train (#14) to take us to Portland. We could have boarded at Emeryville, but we wanted just a little more time together on the train. The station itself was clean and practically deserted. One fellow passenger asked my son about his martial arts belt display that he was taking to his Portland home. But otherwise, time passed slowly until the train pulled up and we boarded our sleeper car. At one point, we joked that the station designator - OKJ, really stood for Okoboji Iowa. Once on the train, my son was excited. This was his first time on an overnight train and he was anxious to try out his upper bunk. Gayle had also given him $10 and since he couldn't sleep, we went to the Parlour car and let the Porter serve him a "tall one" (Sprite). He then took a grand tour of the Dining Car and other parts of the train, chatting away with anyone who would listen. He finally returned to our cabin, where he fell asleep to the soothing rocking motion of the train. His father's sleep was a little more fitful as he watched San Pablo Bay and Martinez go by. The cabin was stuffy, but the key thing on my mind was that my time as a full time Dad was temporarily coming to an end. But later as the dawn rose on Mt. Shasta, I knew that we would together pass this way again. read more

While sipping on my 2nd bloody mary with my legs spread out on the seat in front of me I looked out my window and noticed that traffic was at a dead stop going North bound on I-80. I suddenly realized what an idiot I've been for not checking out Amtrak sooner! The good and the bad from my first Amtrak adventure over Memorial Day weekend (From Oakland to Sacramento): The Good: * There are 2 Outlets in every row to plug your cell phone/Lap Top/camera charger/etc. * The staff at the actual station, whether you're in Oakland or Sacramento, are really friendly and very helpful *You get to relax for 2 hours while reading a book, listening to music, or simply taking a snooze rather than fighting with traffic for nearly the same amount of time while your blood pressure continues to rise * They serve alcohol!! $4 for beer & wine. $5 for a pretty tasty bloody mary (they even serve it with Tabasco and Worcester sauce) * Their seats recline AND they're comfortable * I had a whole section (4 seats and a table) all to my self on both trips *Round trip from Oakland to Sac was $48 (a car rental for 4 days + gas would have run me about $170) The Bad: * When you purchase your tickets online you have to print out a bar code that you scan when you arrive at the station to print out your actual tickets. Not so convenient when you're running late * There's a 10 minute walk from BART (Lake Merritt stop) to the Amtrak station at Jack London Sq. There might be a shuttle but I wasn't aware of any such thing when I was there. I can't imagine this is very safe at night. Though during the day there really wasn't anyone around and the walk was pretty painless. read more

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Beautiful #Amtrak Station! Nice glass and metal station, kept clean. My Coast Starlight train home was 9:30pm, and had 9 hours to kill :| Things to note about this station: 1) It's a good 10-block walk between Jack London Amtrak and Lake Merritt BART Station. 2) No restaurants in this station, unless you want over-priced vending machine junk, bring your own foods. 3) Oakland's Chinatown has some restaurants to fill your belly & at good prices; become friends with your tupperware and let it hold the leftovers. 4) $4 charge if you want to leave your bag and walk around town to kill time. Staff was friendly, saw me waiting and asked to hold it for me). 5) Was lucky to find an outlet In the floor, otherwise look along the wall, (when the cell phone is on the edge of glory, this Is appreciated information). 6) There Is the occasional pigeon in the station, and they are smart enough to know How to avoid You chasing them out; don't bother :) I'm not going there in this review, with ranting about wanting more Amtrak trains running, but if your traveling over night, like I do via Amtrak through here, the above I hope helps. read more

Amtrak - Jack London Square - Waiting in station at sunset - Train Stations Near Me - Oakland, California

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This is for the express shipping services only. Beware of the hours that are posted online. Despite getting here early, they only do express shipping from noon-7pm. Emeryville station has better hours for express shipping : 9:30am-8pm! The people were generally unhelpful and if you have the means to move cross country another way, don't use Amtrak. read more

So there's this nice new-ish looking building in the heart of Jack London. I felt like this would provide a much better option than the Richmond Amtrak/BART. I was pleased to see that while there were some unfortunate homeless hanging around, there was somewhere to retreat to get away if you felt the need to do so. There is no option at Richmond. You just have to sit there and take - even after you politely send them on their way. Some are pretty aggressive and since it's an open track station, I don't push my luck to far. Jack London offers somewhere to stand out of the elements, mainly the cold. Richmond does have a covering but it's often the cold I'm trying to escape and you could easily miss a train hanging out downstairs. The only thing I wish Jack London would do is put up some signage (unless I missed it) regarding which track on which track. Often times, I have to ask because it's not very clear to me and when you have two trains at the station, you don't have time to get on the wrong one. San Jose is nice but I don't wan to see it when I should be headed to Sacramento. read more

Amtrak - Jack London Square - #Amtrak #JackLondonSquare - Train Stations Near Me - Oakland, California

I love riding Amtrak it's my favorite train to travel Waiting on Amtrak San Joaquin Eastbound train to Stockton.

This station is pretty cool, very modern and kind of intimidating but there's a lot of benches to wait for the trains and the conductor/staff here were pretty chill for the train folk. Meaning they weren't completely over it or militant as sometimes these people could be. There's bicycle coffee just a slingshot down the way and it's in general a cool little square no pun intended to walk around if it's a bit of a wait for the next train.. read more

Not sure if the station is pleasant because there is no one here or if it it actually this peaceful at all times haha! I came to this station about an hour later than my expected arrival time from the Central Valley (due to train issues??) but the journey was pretty painless. read more

This station gets a big fat "F" for not enforcing indoor mask mandates. It was a cold day and we had 40 minutes before our train was to arrive. Thought we would go into the station and wait. Opened the door and took one peek inside and saw a station with completely unmasked people occupiyng the seats. The train itself also allows riders to remove their masks while eating. The effect was a train full of unmasked people nursing bags of chips and beverages for our entire 2 hour ride. In this age of Omicron variant all eating should be confined to the cafe car. We will definitely not be riding on Amtrak again during the pandemic because they are not taking mask mandates seriously on the train or at this station. read more

By train station standards, this is one of the better Amtrak spots on the line. It's a smaller, newer building with a giant platform and a couple places to eat across the street. What it lacks in historical value it makes up for in practicality. It's also the main departure point by bus traveling to and from San Francisco. I love riding Amtrak on short trips to and from the Bay Area because the view is incredible, the wifi is reliable and it affords you the opportunity to get up and move around every once in a while. I'll take a private table with my laptop on the upper deck over the Megabus or traffic any day of the week, even if it does me completing my trip by bus to the city. What's nice about this station is that they have the train to bus transfer down to a science. And even if it is pone of the busier, more central stations out there, it never seems that way. With all that said, it's still Amtrak. Depending on the time of day you can encounter some pretty shady characters loitering on the train platform, or worse, climbing on and sitting across from you. Bring headphones and avoid eye contact should you fall into one of these situations. read more

This is review for the express shipping. I was receiving ~30 boxes totaling 600lbs after a move. They arrived in 2 crates to this station. The agents at the 1800 number are not very helpful in telling me whether there is a loading dock at the station. I drove a uhaul van to the station, parked it in the paid lot and gave my waybill receipt at the baggage counter. The person instructed me to get the van to the loading dock for loading. Overall a smooth experience. read more

Amtrak - Jack London Square - Loading dock for express shipping. - Train Stations Near Me - Oakland, California

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The directions for which train to board was a bit confusing, then our train ended up boarding at the time we were supposed to be leaving the station, I understand trains not always being on time but when you call all of the passengers to the platform to board then leave them standing in the rain for 15 minutes before even opening the doors was a little aggravating. Most of us had heavy carry on luggage as it was a holiday trip. Once on the train in was able to find a seat relatively easy. My seat mates were all extremely nice and made the experience that much more fun. The stops are not long and your back on the move again. I think my biggest complaint is the drop off/pick up location gets extremely congested. I left early to get to the station but with the congestion of drop off/pick up I thought I was gonna miss my train. When I got to the corridor that leads to the platforms. I was reading the train numbers to figure out what track I needed to be on. An Amtrak employee was directing people to which track our train would be on but that caused a lot of confusion as it was the wrong information. I had quite a few people ask where I was going and if they were waiting at the right track. The cars were comfortable. Ours was a small one with tables. There is a diner car, I wasn't that adventurous but one of my train mates was. She was able to find it with a little wandering. The conductors on our train were very helpful and really nice. I'm not sure I would travel during a holiday again but it was relaxing and I met some new people. read more

Close to a economically suppressed neighbor hood, but station is clean. Found Amtrak staff to particularly helpful and friendly. Nice way to start a train trip south. Staff onboard Coast Starlight was also extremely helpful and friend. Same crew I had 4 days ago for trip north. read more

I love my dad, but at times, he can be a weird man. For instance, he will send me text messages at 2 a.m. asking me to name all the original members of NWA. He will take a picture of someone wearing a dumb hat and text it to me with the message "WHY???" His travel choices are also a little odd at times. When it comes to travel to the Bay Area, I find it weird that my dad would prefer to spend 8 hours on a train, rather than just get in his car and drive 3 hours up north. That's just part of his quirky charm. It also means that I spend a lot of time picking him up and dropping him off at the Jack London Amtrak station. Overall it's a pretty decent station. Ascetically the big glass windows are pleasing. I've come here at all hours of the day and have never felt unsafe. The staff that work there have been friendly on the couple of occasions that I have had questions. My only beef with the place, and what makes me curse my dad's name for coming in here, is that at certain times a day (particularly afternoons and early evenings), the parking SUCKS. And, because the trains are frequently on the late side, I have no choice but to park my car and wait in the station. Not a bad place to travel to/from, especially if you are the one doing the traveling rather than the pick up. read more

This is officially the only civilized way to commute down and back the East Bay. BART is scheduled to arrive in San Jose alongside Godot, driving on 880 is contrary to the 8th Amendment, and flying from OAK to SJC is cost and backscatter x-ray cancer prohibitive. All that's left is Amtrak: A guided tour of the railside homeless encampments and most colorful taggers of the sunny side of the bay. And a bar car and friendly conductors. Don't get me wrong, whoever decided to only run trains every few hours at strange intervals and not let my monthly pass work on the late train should be put to death. That's probably only one or two people to put down, so the rest are cool and it shouldn't negatively affect the review. read more