Someone somewhere on the Internet posted that Union Station has one charging station and that it wasn’t anywhere near seats (even though a bench was visible in their photo), and then everyone jumped in to moan about how absolutely terrible the train/bus station is, without questioning if the information posted was even accurate.

Despite those rumors, Hartford’s Union Station has at least three phone/device charge stations that anyone can use without being hassled.

The one shown above, near bench seats, is visible when using the Spruce Street (Peter Pan/Greyhound bus terminal) entrance. It’s through the main sliding doors and to the right, and it is viewable before one would turn to use the CTrail ticket machines.

The one shown below is in the same area, but possibly not visible to someone who has not walked around the station. If one were to make a trip to the restroom and then return, it would be unmissable. Additionally, it’s right up on that bench; if that charging station did that to someone in the street, it’d get slapped. I don’t know if that metal chair is always there, but it was present during a recent stop at the station. Knowing, now, that this chair exists, one could ask someone on staff for the chair if it is not out.

If entering from Union Place, there is a large waiting room with benches around the edges. You can use this space. I don’t know why people think that it’s off limits. There is a departure time screen in this space and announcements can be heard here as well. The charging station in this room does not have seating directly nearby. This can be easily remedied if anyone wanted to. If you want seats, ask the staff present for them or make some phone calls/write emails.

There is a coffee vendor again in the station, and it’s not Dunkin. The renovated restrooms are better than they’ve looked in years. There aren’t ridiculous stanchions set up like in New Haven Union Station that make travelers feel corralled in while obviously designed to keep certain types of people out. There’s a selfie station tucked away by the restrooms. They fixed that bootleg women’s room sign that was scotch taped on last year.

If you’re going to hate on something, do it from a place of being informed.