Rhinecliff–Kingston, commonly and formerly known as simply Rhinecliff, is a train station located in Rhinebeck, New York. It serves northern Dutchess County and the nearby Kingston area across the Hudson River. The station has one low-level island platform that serves two tracks. Track 1 is normally used by northbound trains heading to Albany and beyond and Track 2 is normally used by trains heading south to New York. Passengers board/disembark the trains using stools that the conductors and station staff connect to the train. There is also an unused second platform, connected to the first via an overpass.Rhinecliff station is somewhat popular with owners of weekend homes in the area as well as some commuters who prefer Amtrak's service to that of Metro-North's out of Poughkeepsie. These riders, along with students and others going to and from nearby Bard College, made Rhinecliff the 46th-busiest Amtrak station in 2004 with 86,466 boardings. Occasional suggestions to bring Metro-North service to Rhinecliff have been stalled by community opposition and track ownership issues.Though the station's name implies an easy connection to Kingston and vicinity, usually only taxicabs serve the station from Kingston. However, it is the closest station to the Kingston–Rhinecliff Bridge. Beginning in July 2015, a Kingston–Rhinecliff Ferry provides service between the two communities. The Kingston–Rhinecliff Ferry allows easy access to Kingston from Rhinecliff and vice versa. The next-closest Hudson River crossings are in Hudson, about 30 minutes north; and Poughkeepsie, about the same distance to the south. Both Hudson and Poughkeepsie have their own Amtrak stations.
