Northridge Station only serves Metrolink Trains, all Amtrak Pacific Surfliners bypass the station except for the two first AM Surfliners of the day that are operated by Amtrak but must receive joint funding from Metrolink because they accept all types of Metrolink tickets (not just Metrolink Monthly Passes as are accepted on all other Surfliners). Although there is one Amtrak train stopping in each direction I do not consider the station an Amtrak stop because an Amtrak ticket cannot be purchased from it. It is not listed in Amtrak's Arrow Reservation system as a stop or anywhere else on the Amtrak website. The only way to know Amtrak trains #761 (Metrolink #153) and #768 (#158) is from the Metrolink timetable and noticing the MA note.
The stop receives regular Metrolink service ten times per weekday with six of the trips during peak direction rush hours, two reverse peak trips and two midday trips. I assume Amtrak trains #761 and #768 don't stop at the station on weekends. The stop opened as a temporary station on February 14, 1994 after the namesake earthquake, taking just 12 days to build. For a while amenities were just an open platform (until at least 1998) but eventually a nice, modern permanent station was built. The stop does have a lack of connecting bus service with only the Northridge DASH serving the station, a loop neighborhood circular.
The station has a single concrete platform slightly higher than the station entrance and parking lot. Most of this platform has been modernized except for the portion closest to the train track. This is just simple asphalt with a yellow line and not a tactile warning strip. There is a wheelchair mini-high ramp towards its southern end. For waiting passengers there are two modern canopies that make use of concrete blocks as benches (there a few more along the platform). There is also a staircase that leads to a lookout type seating area that is round, sculpted concrete above the platform, offering a view of a parking lot. This unique element also serves as the canopy for the stations TVMs located along the entrance plaza below.
This entrance plaza is twelve steps beneath the platform and there are 3 staircases down it plus a ramp. These all cut through an angled grassy plaza with pink concrete walls that add some nice color. In the entrance plaza, the previously mentioned lookout seating area provides shelter for the two TVMs, there some bike boxes at the west end, above the station's 290 space parking lot. The east end of the station has the station's bus loop which is the end of Wilbur Avenue and runs along the eastern side. In the sidewalk area between the parking lot and bus loop is a unique green European-style designed to be pay public toilet. It is currently free and to use it a button is pressed instead a spending a penny (or quarter in reality). Signs have a figure for a 20 minute limit for use. The station's entrance is marked at the corner of Wilber Avenue and Parthenia Street by a three sided sign with three wooden poles holding them up. On the two sides facing the street beneath the old Metolink logo is Northridge Station. The side facing arrivals is Welcome to Northridge. The platform signs are also of the standard Metrolink station design.
All Photos taken on 25 March, 2011