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San Bernardino (Amtrak station)
Encyclopedia
The Santa Fe Depot is a Mission Revival Style passenger rail terminal in San Bernardino
, California
, United States. It currently serves one Amtrak
and three Metrolink
lines. The depot is a historical landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places
as Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Passenger and Freight Depot.
, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
(ATSF) first built a two-and-a-half-story wooden structure on the site in 1886 to replace a converted boxcar
that had been used as a temporary station. The 1886 building was mostly destroyed in a fire on November 16, 1916.
Local politicians requested ATSF to build a new station on a much larger scale than the previous. The new station, designed by architect W.A. Mohr, cost $800,000 ($11,551,475 adjusted for 2005) to build and was officially opened on July 15, 1918. At that time, it was the largest railway station west of the Mississippi River
. The San Bernardino Sun wrote "Santa Fe's Station to be the finest in the west." A few years after the depot's opening, an extension was added that included a Harvey House
and living quarters.
The station saw heavy use throughout the 20th century. But like with many railroad stations, there was a gradual decline in usage with the advent of automobiles, buses and air travel. The Harvey House closed in the 1950s. In 1972, ATSF transferred its passenger service to Amtrak. Metrolink began service to the station in the early 1990s.
In 1992, San Bernardino Associated Governments
(SANBAG) purchased the historic depot from Santa Fe. While Amtrak and Metrolink stopped using the depot in favor for a much smaller newer structure on the west side of the older one, SANBAG acquired over $15 million from federal and local grants and funds to begin an extensive restoration of the historic depot beginning in 2002. In 2004, SANBAG and Metrolink moved some of their offices there. After renovations are complete, SANBAG will share ownership with the City of San Bernardino and both agencies intend on leasing space in it. The historic depot waiting area, along with a new snack shop, opened again for Amtrak and Metrolink passengers on May 2, 2008. Greyhound Lines
also planned on moving passenger operations to the depot at some point in 2009, although as of 2012 that has not occurred.
with some Moorish
influence. Utilizing hollow clay blocks, a red tile roof and stucco exterior, the depot was designed to withstand fire. Four domed towers are built around a large center lobby with polished tile walls and floor. The interior includes handcrafted high beams, coffered ceilings and decorative column capitals.
trains which originate from Los Angeles
' Union Station and the northern terminus for some Inland Empire-Orange County Line
trains. Some San Bernardino Line trains continue southwestward towards Riverside
on weekends.
San Bernardino is considered a 91 Line
station, but no actual 91 Line (700-series) trains stop there. It is listed because the combination of the Orange County
and IE-OC lines is listed on the 91-line timetable. When one transfers between the two in Orange, the effect is the same as riding the 91 Line.
Amtrak's Southwest Chief
, which travels between Los Angeles, California
and Chicago, Illinois, stops once a day in each direction here.
There are no ticket offices at the station, though tickets for both Amtrak and Metrolink can be picked up at Metrolink's ticket vending machines. Amtrak tickets must be reserved either via telephone or internet before being picked up.
Of the 73 California stations served by Amtrak, San Bernardino was the 58th-busiest in FY2010, boarding or detraining an average of approximately 30 passengers daily.
San Bernardino, California
San Bernardino is a city located in the Riverside-San Bernardino metropolitan area , and serves as the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States...
, 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...
, United States. It currently serves one Amtrak
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...
and three Metrolink
Metrolink (Southern California)
Metrolink is a commuter rail system serving Los Angeles and the surrounding area of Southern California; it currently consists of six lines and 55 stations using of track....
lines. The depot is a historical landmark 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...
as Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Passenger and Freight Depot.
History and renovation
Through its subsidiary California Southern RailroadCalifornia Southern Railroad
The California Southern Railroad was a subsidiary railroad of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway in Southern California. It was organized July 10, 1880, and chartered on October 23, 1880, to build a rail connection between what has become the city of Barstow and San Diego,...
, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often abbreviated as Santa Fe, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The company was first chartered in February 1859...
(ATSF) first built a two-and-a-half-story wooden structure on the site in 1886 to replace a converted boxcar
Boxcar
A boxcar is a railroad car that is enclosed and generally used to carry general freight. The boxcar, while not the simplest freight car design, is probably the most versatile, since it can carry most loads...
that had been used as a temporary station. The 1886 building was mostly destroyed in a fire on November 16, 1916.
Local politicians requested ATSF to build a new station on a much larger scale than the previous. The new station, designed by architect W.A. Mohr, cost $800,000 ($11,551,475 adjusted for 2005) to build and was officially opened on July 15, 1918. At that time, it was the largest railway station west of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
. The San Bernardino Sun wrote "Santa Fe's Station to be the finest in the west." A few years after the depot's opening, an extension was added that included a Harvey House
Fred Harvey Company
The origin of the Fred Harvey Company can be traced to the 1875 opening of two railroad eating houses located at Wallace, Kansas and Hugo, Colorado on the Kansas Pacific Railway. These cafés were opened by Fred Harvey, then a freight agent for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad...
and living quarters.
In 1992, San Bernardino Associated Governments
San Bernardino Associated Governments
San Bernardino Associated Governments is an association of local San Bernardino County governments. It is the metropolitan planning organization for the county, with policy makers consisting of mayors, councilmembers, and county supervisors, and the funding agency for the county's transit...
(SANBAG) purchased the historic depot from Santa Fe. While Amtrak and Metrolink stopped using the depot in favor for a much smaller newer structure on the west side of the older one, SANBAG acquired over $15 million from federal and local grants and funds to begin an extensive restoration of the historic depot beginning in 2002. In 2004, SANBAG and Metrolink moved some of their offices there. After renovations are complete, SANBAG will share ownership with the City of San Bernardino and both agencies intend on leasing space in it. The historic depot waiting area, along with a new snack shop, opened again for Amtrak and Metrolink passengers on May 2, 2008. Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and...
also planned on moving passenger operations to the depot at some point in 2009, although as of 2012 that has not occurred.
Depot architecture and design
The historic depot is built in the Spanish Mission Revival StyleMission 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....
with some Moorish
Moorish Revival
Moorish Revival or Neo-Moorish is one of the exotic revival architectural styles that were adopted by architects of Europe and the Americas in the wake of the Romanticist fascination with all things oriental...
influence. Utilizing hollow clay blocks, a red tile roof and stucco exterior, the depot was designed to withstand fire. Four domed towers are built around a large center lobby with polished tile walls and floor. The interior includes handcrafted high beams, coffered ceilings and decorative column capitals.
Services
The San Bernardino station serves as the eastern terminus for most Metrolink San Bernardino LineMetrolink San Bernardino Line
The San Bernardino Line is the busiest of Southern California's seven Metrolink lines, running from Downtown Los Angeles east through the San Gabriel Valley and the Inland Empire to San Bernardino. It is one of the three initial lines on the original Metrolink system...
trains which originate from Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
' Union Station and the northern terminus for some Inland Empire-Orange County Line
Metrolink Inland Empire-Orange County Line
The Inland Empire–Orange County Line is a commuter rail line run by Metrolink in Southern California. It runs from San Bernardino through Orange County to Oceanside in northern San Diego County....
trains. Some San Bernardino Line trains continue southwestward towards Riverside
Riverside, California
Riverside is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, and the county seat of the eponymous county. Named for its location beside the Santa Ana River, it is the largest city in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area of Southern California, 4th largest inland California...
on weekends.
San Bernardino is considered a 91 Line
Metrolink 91 Line
The 91 Line is a commuter rail line operated by Metrolink that runs from Los Angeles to Riverside in Southern California, paralleling State Route 91 between Riverside and Santa Fe Springs. Operating since May 2002, the line runs on the Southern Transcon track owned by BNSF Railway. The 91 Line has...
station, but no actual 91 Line (700-series) trains stop there. It is listed because the combination of the Orange County
Metrolink Orange County Line
The Orange County Line is a commuter rail line run by Metrolink from Los Angeles through Orange County to Oceanside in San Diego County, connecting with the Coaster commuter rail service to San Diego...
and IE-OC lines is listed on the 91-line timetable. When one transfers between the two in Orange, the effect is the same as riding the 91 Line.
Amtrak's Southwest Chief
Southwest Chief
The Southwest Chief is a passenger train operated by Amtrak on a 2256-mile BNSF route through the Midwestern and Southwestern United States. It runs from Chicago, Illinois, to Los Angeles, California, passing through Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and California...
, which travels between Los Angeles, California
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...
and Chicago, Illinois, stops once a day in each direction here.
There are no ticket offices at the station, though tickets for both Amtrak and Metrolink can be picked up at Metrolink's ticket vending machines. Amtrak tickets must be reserved either via telephone or internet before being picked up.
Of the 73 California stations served by Amtrak, San Bernardino was the 58th-busiest in FY2010, boarding or detraining an average of approximately 30 passengers daily.