San Antonio Station
Encyclopedia
San Antonio Station serves as the Amtrak
train station in San Antonio
, Texas
. It serves two Amtrak lines; the Sunset Limited
and the Texas Eagle
. The two lines are actually part of the same train from Los Angeles
, California
, but splits at this station with the Sunset Limited continuing onto New Orleans, Louisiana
and the Texas Eagle to Chicago
, Illinois
.
Amtrak previously utilized the historic Southern Pacific Railroad Station, also known as the Sunset Station, which was designed by SP's architect Daniel J. Patterson
, and built in 1902 by the Southern Pacific Railroad
. The design is in the Spanish Mission Revival
style. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1975. Amtrak moved operations in 1998 to a smaller depot that was built adjacent to the older station. Under its owner, VIA Metropolitan Transit
, the historic building underwent an extensive restoration and now serves as an entertainment complex. The station also neighbors the Alamodome
. There is even a preserved 2-8-2 Baldwin "Mikado" steam locomotive
that had belonged to the Southern Pacific
railroad, was donated to the City of San Antonio at the end of its service life in 1956, and placed on static display at nearby Maverick Park for many years before being relocated to the station. Another "Mikado", donated simultaneously to the City of Austin, is operated on excursion trains for live steam enthusiasts by the Austin Steam Train Association.
San Antonio Station provides an Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach
route serving Harlingen
, Brownsville
, and McAllen, Texas
.
Of the 19 Texas stations served by Amtrak, San Antonio was the second-busiest in FY2010, boarding or detraining an average of approximately 160 passengers daily.
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
train station in San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. It serves two Amtrak lines; the Sunset Limited
Sunset Limited
The Sunset Limited is a passenger train that for most of its history has run between New Orleans, Louisiana and Los Angeles, California, and that from early 1993 through late August 2005 also ran east of New Orleans to Jacksonville, Florida, making it during that time the only true transcontinental...
and the Texas Eagle
Texas Eagle
The Texas Eagle is a 1306-mile passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the central and western United States. Trains run daily between Chicago, Illinois, and San Antonio, Texas, and continue to Los Angeles, California, 2728 miles total, three days a week...
. The two lines are actually part of the same train from Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, but splits at this station with the Sunset Limited continuing onto New Orleans, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
and the Texas Eagle to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
.
Amtrak previously utilized the historic Southern Pacific Railroad Station, also known as the Sunset Station, which was designed by SP's architect Daniel J. Patterson
Daniel J. Patterson
Daniel James Patterson was an American architect around the turn of the 20th century. Much of his work was done for the Southern Pacific Railroad....
, and built in 1902 by the Southern Pacific Railroad
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
. The design is in the Spanish Mission Revival
Mission Revival Style architecture
The Mission Revival Style was an architectural movement that began in the late 19th century for a colonial style's revivalism and reinterpretation, which drew inspiration from the late 18th and early 19th century Spanish missions in California....
style. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1975. Amtrak moved operations in 1998 to a smaller depot that was built adjacent to the older station. Under its owner, VIA Metropolitan Transit
VIA Metropolitan Transit
VIA Metropolitan Transit is the mass transit agency serving San Antonio, Texas. It began operation in 1978 as a successor to the San Antonio Transit System...
, the historic building underwent an extensive restoration and now serves as an entertainment complex. The station also neighbors the Alamodome
Alamodome
The Alamodome is a domed 65,000 seat, multi-purpose facility that is primarily used as a football/basketball stadium and convention center in San Antonio, Texas, U.S...
. There is even a preserved 2-8-2 Baldwin "Mikado" steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
that had belonged to the Southern Pacific
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
railroad, was donated to the City of San Antonio at the end of its service life in 1956, and placed on static display at nearby Maverick Park for many years before being relocated to the station. Another "Mikado", donated simultaneously to the City of Austin, is operated on excursion trains for live steam enthusiasts by the Austin Steam Train Association.
San Antonio Station provides an Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach
Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach
Thruway Motorcoach is Amtrak's system of Amtrak-owned intercity coaches, locally contracted transit buses, through-ticketed local bus routes and taxi services to connect Amtrak train stations to areas not served by its railroads...
route serving Harlingen
Harlingen, Texas
Harlingen is a city in Cameron County in the heart of the Rio Grande Valley of south Texas, United States, about from the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. The city covers more than , and is the second largest city in Cameron County and the sixth largest in the Rio Grande Valley...
, Brownsville
Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville is a city in the southernmost tip of the state of Texas, in the United States. It is located on the northern bank of the Rio Grande, directly north and across the border from Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Brownsville is the 16th largest city in the state of Texas with a population of...
, and McAllen, Texas
McAllen, Texas
McAllen is the largest city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. It is located at the southern tip of Texas in an area known as the Rio Grande Valley and is part of the . Its southern boundary is located about five miles from the U.S.–Mexico border and the Mexican city of Reynosa, the Rio...
.
Of the 19 Texas stations served by Amtrak, San Antonio was the second-busiest in FY2010, boarding or detraining an average of approximately 160 passengers daily.