Amtrak made a big splash last month when they released plans to overhaul DC Union Station, but did you know that many other cities are also making big investments in their rail depots? The list, and the renderings, are pretty impressive.
Los Angeles Union Station opened in 1939 and is often referred to as “last of the great railway stations in America.” And for the past 3/4 of a century that superlative has been largely correct. As rail travel declined, so did rail station design. During the latter half of the 20th Century, many cities replaced their grand historic depots with so-called “amshaks”, cheap and awful buildings that have more in common with utility sheds than anything else.
But now that’s all changing, and soon Los Angeles will have to give up its title.
Look at all these plans from big cities around the rest of America:
New York Moynihan Station | project website This plan would shift New York’s Penn Station over one block, to reconceive the historic post office building next door as a station building. |
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Atlanta MultiModal Passenger Terminal | project website Future new intercity rail station. |
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Denver Union Station | project website Renovation of historic depot and addition of a new train room, service Amtrak, regional, and ski trains. |
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Miami Central Station | project website New multimodal station at Miami airport, integrating Amtrak with local rail. Not downtown, but will become the main transit transfer point in the city. |
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Seattle King Street Station | project website Major restoration of historic depot, which had degraded significantly. |
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Charlotte Gateway Station | project website New station integrating Amtrak with local rail. |
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Saint Paul Union Depot | project website Renovation of historic depot for Amtrak and local use. |
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Jacksonville Regional Transportation Center | project website Four-block project integrating Amtrak with local service. A series of new station buildings will be added surrounding the historic depot, which is used as Jacksonville’s convention center. |
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Raleigh Union Station | project website Adaptive reuse of a historic warehouse to become a new Amtrak station. |
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Thanks to the California High Speed Rail (CAHSR) project, that state has several major station projects in planning. Los Angeles Union Station | project website Expansion of existing historic station, to include a new train room for CAHSR. A final design has not yet been picked, so multiple options are still under consideration. |
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San Francisco Transbay Terminal | project website Reconstruction of an existing bus station to handle future California High Speed Rail, as well as local regional/commuter rail. |
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Sacramento Station | project website New station for CAHSR. |
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San Jose Diridon Station | project website New train room at existing station to integrate CA HSR with local rail. |
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Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center | project website New station for CAHSR. |
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Fresno Southern Pacific Station | project website New train room at historic depot for CAHSR. |
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August 14th, 2012 | Permalink
Tags: architecture, development, galleries, intercity, metrorail, transportation