Bakersfield (Amtrak station)
Encyclopedia
The Bakersfield Amtrak Station is a train station in Bakersfield, California
. It is the southern terminus of Amtrak's San Joaquin route operated by Amtrak California
, with Thruway Motorcoach service continuing to Amtrak stations and bus stops throughout Southern California and Nevada. The station opened with a celebration on July 4, 2000
(Jim Costa
spoke and Buck Owens
performed at the event). It contains an 8300 square feet (771.1 m²) station, 2 tracks, and a 14-bus bay.
The original operator for train service on this line was the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe. Their station was located at the intersection of 15th Street and F Street (about 0.9 miles west). It was constructed in 1899 and demolished in 1972. Named Santa Fe passenger trains served at the station included the San Francisco Chief
, and Golden Gate. Starting in 1974, Amtrak
operated out of a temporary station at that site, until this station was constructed.
in 1898, and was completed in 1899. However, they would not construct a train station in the city, because once completed, the railroad was purchased by Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe
. It would also obtained trackage rights over Tehachapi Pass
from the Southern Pacific Railroad. They constructed the Bakersfield Santa Fe Station in 1899, at the intersection of F Street and 15th Street.
The station occupied two blocks of land, between D Street and F Street. A Harvey House
was located on the east side of the station. In 1901, the Bakersfield and Kern Electric Railway
was relocated to serve the station. It provided a direct connection between the Bakersfield Santa Fe Station and the Bakersfield Southern Pacific Station
(about 2.5 miles east in East Bakersfield
). In 1938, Santa Fe began operating intermodal rail service on the San Joaquin Valley line. Trains would travel between Oakland
and Bakersfield on the railroad line. At Bakersfield passengers would transfer to one of several bus routes, which departed for destination in Southern California
. As a result, bus bays were constructed at the station.
Service continued until 1971, when Amtrak
was formed. Since a rail route along the coast and in the San Joaquin Valley
was considered redundant, the San Joaquin Valley route was dropped. In 1972, the train station was demolished by Santa Fe and replaced with freight offices and a parking lot.
Ironically, train service would restart in 1974, only two years later. It was decided to use the intermodal route previously used by Santa Fe, instead of the Tehachapi route used by Southern Pacific. This would pose a problem for Bakersfield. The city would serve as the transfer point between rail and bus, but did not have any facilities for it.
A temporary structure was erected at the new parking lot (part of the previous site occupied by the station) east of the freight offices, to serve as the station. Buses would park wherever space was available. The station was served by only one track. As ridership increased, the station became ineffective at containing all of the passengers. Also, adding more bus routes forced them to park in an adjacent alley. In 1985, the temporary structure was doubled in size in an attempt to keep up with demand.
In the late 1990's, plans were started for the construction of a new, permanent train station. Land at the intersection of Truxtun Avenue and S Street was selected for the site. It would cost $5.1 million, funded by the State of California with Bakersfield as the lead agency. The station would officially open on July 4, 2000, with a demonstration train breaking through a ceremonial barrier. In attendance were the mayor, a state senator, and Amtrak officials. Country Music star Buck Owens
(who lived in Bakersfield) performed at the event.
. The station contains a large, enclosed waiting room. Taxi stands are located to the west, and a loading zone is located directly north of the station. It also contains a free, unattended parking lot.
The station contains two tracks and two platforms (one side platform
, and one island platform
). Each platform can hold a six-car train. A third track provides for overnight storage and is not used by passengers. There is also a 14-bus bay, located north of the tracks (just south of the taxi stand). Both the bus bay, and one platform are sheltered. Both platforms contain gate markers (labeled A through L), which mark the location of the doors on the train (when the train is made up of California Cars).
Of the 73 California stations served by Amtrak, Bakersfield was the sixth busiest in FY2010, boarding or detraining an average of approximately 1150 passengers daily.
, which stops outside of the station.
also serving Santa Clarita, Van Nuys, Glendale, Fullerton, Anaheim, Santa Ana, Long Beach, Irvine, Laguna Niguel, San Juan Capistrano, Oceanside, and Solano Beach
also serving Santa Clarita, Van Nuys, Glendale, Fullerton, Anaheim, Santa Ana, San Pedro, Irvine, San Juan Capistrano, Oceanside, and Solana Beach
also serving Lebec, Santa Clarita, Burbank, Van Nuys, Westchester, and El Segundo
also serving Tehachapi, Mojave, Barstow, Baker, and Primm
also serving Fillmore, Sanata Paula, Oxnard, Ventura, and Carpinteria
also serving Tehachapi, Mojave, Rosamond, Lancaster, Palmdale, Littlerock, and Adelanto Junction
also serving La Crescenta, Pasadena, Claremont, Ontario, Riverside, San Bernardino, Moreno Valley, Perris, Sun City
also serving La Crescenta, Pasadena, Claremont, Ontario, Riverside, San Bernardino, Beaumont, Palm Springs, and Thousand Palms
. The station is one of two major hubs used within Bakersfield (the other is the Downtown Transit Center primarily used by Golden Empire Transit
). Currently five bus routes connect with half of the train routes. They travel to various locations throughout the county, including: Desert Communities, East San Joaquin Valley, Kern River Valley
, Mountain Communities, and West Kern.
. They have also designed many of the city's sports venues including: Rabobank Arena
, Bakersfield Ice Sports Center
, McMurtrey Aquatic Center
, and Bakersfield Sports Village
. The station is designed in the modern style, with primary emphasis on glass, dark grey steel, and red Indian sandstone. Because of the rough cut of the sandstone, it appears to change color as the sun tracks through the sky.
The station design can be easily described in three distinct parts. On the west side is the main waiting room. It is toped with an uneven, angled roof of dark grey steel. The roofline is triangular, growing in size from one end of the station to the other. The resulting gap is filled in with glass, which including the skylight, allows a large amount of natural light. Colonnades of red sandstone flank both sides of waiting room, and extend along its entire length, protruding outside the west entrance. It is reminiscent of the long arcades used in late 19th and early 20th century station designs, such as the Bakersfield Southern Pacific Station
. The east side, which contains offices and baggage room, is much simpler. A simple exterior of red sandstone, with square windows, is topped with a small, arched roof. The two sections are joined by a narrow, three story tower of red sandstone, over the ticket counter and north entrance. The city name is also located on the tower, on the south side of the station.
The exterior layout of the station places the bus bays directly adjacent to the train platform. This allows for the shortest distance for transferring from bus to train. Directly outside of the west entrance of the station is a large, stone model of the Earth, suspended by water. There are two additional fountains, which serve a unique purpose. One is located on the west end of the station complex, called the announcement fountain. When a train is approaching, the fountain is activated, spraying columns of water in the air over a concrete slab. The sound of the water, and the columns waving in the breeze is designed to instill a sense of excitement. Once the train has arrived, that fountain is deactivated and a second fountain, adjacent to the station building is activated. It is a similar style to the announcement fountain, although it is much smaller.
Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield is a city near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. It is roughly equidistant between Fresno and Los Angeles, to the north and south respectively....
. It is the southern terminus of Amtrak's San Joaquin route operated by Amtrak California
Amtrak California
Amtrak California is a brand name used by the Caltrans Division of Rail for all state-supported Amtrak rail routes within the U.S. State of California...
, with Thruway Motorcoach service continuing to Amtrak stations and bus stops throughout Southern California and Nevada. The station opened with a celebration on July 4, 2000
2000 in rail transport
-January events:* January 4 – The Åsta accident, a northbound BM92 multiple unit and a southbound passenger train headed by a Di 3 locomotive collided on Norway's Rørosbanen line near Åsta station, killing 19 people....
(Jim Costa
Jim Costa
James Manuel "Jim" Costa is the U.S. Representative for , serving since his initial election in 2004. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district takes in large and predominantly Latino portions of Fresno and Bakersfield in the Central Valley.-Early life and education:Born in Fresno,...
spoke and Buck Owens
Buck Owens
Alvis Edgar Owens, Jr. , better known as Buck Owens, was an American singer and guitarist who had 21 No. 1 hits on the Billboard country music charts with his band, the Buckaroos...
performed at the event). It contains an 8300 square feet (771.1 m²) station, 2 tracks, and a 14-bus bay.
The original operator for train service on this line was the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe. Their station was located at the intersection of 15th Street and F Street (about 0.9 miles west). It was constructed in 1899 and demolished in 1972. Named Santa Fe passenger trains served at the station included the San Francisco Chief
San Francisco Chief
The San Francisco Chief was a named passenger train operated by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway as Nos. 1 & 2 from June 6, 1954 to May 1, 1971. It covered the Santa Fe line from near San Francisco, California to Barstow, California, then east to Chicago, Illinois via the Belen cutoff....
, and Golden Gate. Starting in 1974, 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...
operated out of a temporary station at that site, until this station was constructed.
History
Construction of the San Francisco and San Joaquin Valley Railroad reached BakersfieldBakersfield, California
Bakersfield is a city near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. It is roughly equidistant between Fresno and Los Angeles, to the north and south respectively....
in 1898, and was completed in 1899. However, they would not construct a train station in the city, because once completed, the railroad was purchased by Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe
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...
. It would also obtained trackage rights over Tehachapi Pass
Tehachapi Pass
Tehachapi Pass is a mountain pass crossing the Tehachapi Mountains in Kern County, California in the United States. The route over the pass connects the San Joaquin Valley to the Mojave Desert...
from the Southern Pacific Railroad. They constructed the Bakersfield Santa Fe Station in 1899, at the intersection of F Street and 15th Street.
The station occupied two blocks of land, between D Street and F Street. A Harvey House
Harvey House
Harvey House may refer to:*One of many hotels of the Fred Harvey Company in the U.S. west, which include :*La Posada Hotel and Gardens, in Winslow, Arizona, a contributing property in NRHP-listed La Posada Historic District, in Navajo County...
was located on the east side of the station. In 1901, the Bakersfield and Kern Electric Railway
Bakersfield and Kern Electric Railway
The Bakersfield and Kern Electric Railway was a streetcar company which operated between Bakersfield and Sumner , in California. Later, after Kern City was annexed by Bakersfield, the streetcar company operated completely in Bakersfield. The company was originally formed in 1887, under the name...
was relocated to serve the station. It provided a direct connection between the Bakersfield Santa Fe Station and the Bakersfield Southern Pacific Station
Bakersfield (Southern Pacific station)
The Bakersfield Southern Pacific Station in Bakersfield, California, was the train station used by the Southern Pacific Railroad. The station opened in June 27, 1889 in the town of Sumner . The station was a mixture of: Richardsonian Romanesque, Spanish Colonial Revival, and Moderne styles...
(about 2.5 miles east in East Bakersfield
East Bakersfield
East Bakersfield is a region in Bakersfield, California directly east of downtown. The region was the former town of Sumner, which was later incorporated and renamed Kern City. It is primarily a mixture of residential and commercial developments...
). In 1938, Santa Fe began operating intermodal rail service on the San Joaquin Valley line. Trains would travel between Oakland
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
and Bakersfield on the railroad line. At Bakersfield passengers would transfer to one of several bus routes, which departed for destination in Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
. As a result, bus bays were constructed at the station.
Service continued until 1971, when 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...
was formed. Since a rail route along the coast and in the San Joaquin Valley
San Joaquin Valley
The San Joaquin Valley is the area of the Central Valley of California that lies south of the Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta in Stockton...
was considered redundant, the San Joaquin Valley route was dropped. In 1972, the train station was demolished by Santa Fe and replaced with freight offices and a parking lot.
Ironically, train service would restart in 1974, only two years later. It was decided to use the intermodal route previously used by Santa Fe, instead of the Tehachapi route used by Southern Pacific. This would pose a problem for Bakersfield. The city would serve as the transfer point between rail and bus, but did not have any facilities for it.
A temporary structure was erected at the new parking lot (part of the previous site occupied by the station) east of the freight offices, to serve as the station. Buses would park wherever space was available. The station was served by only one track. As ridership increased, the station became ineffective at containing all of the passengers. Also, adding more bus routes forced them to park in an adjacent alley. In 1985, the temporary structure was doubled in size in an attempt to keep up with demand.
In the late 1990's, plans were started for the construction of a new, permanent train station. Land at the intersection of Truxtun Avenue and S Street was selected for the site. It would cost $5.1 million, funded by the State of California with Bakersfield as the lead agency. The station would officially open on July 4, 2000, with a demonstration train breaking through a ceremonial barrier. In attendance were the mayor, a state senator, and Amtrak officials. Country Music star Buck Owens
Buck Owens
Alvis Edgar Owens, Jr. , better known as Buck Owens, was an American singer and guitarist who had 21 No. 1 hits on the Billboard country music charts with his band, the Buckaroos...
(who lived in Bakersfield) performed at the event.
Station services
Bakersfield's Amtrak Station is a staffed station. It is equipped with both a manned ticket window, and Amtrak's Quik-Track ticket kiosk. The station also serves checked baggage and Amtrak ExpressAmtrak Express
Amtrak Express is Amtrak's freight and shipping service. It handles small package express service, heavy freight shipments and city-to-city freight shipping by private and commercial customers. Boxes up to 36" x 36" x 36"/50 pounds, suitcases, and boxed bicycles are acceptable, but numerous classes...
. The station contains a large, enclosed waiting room. Taxi stands are located to the west, and a loading zone is located directly north of the station. It also contains a free, unattended parking lot.
The station contains two tracks and two platforms (one side platform
Side platform
A Side platform is a platform positioned to the side of a pair of tracks at a railway station, a tram stop or a transitway. A pair of side platforms are often provided on a dual track line with a single side platform being sufficient for a single track line...
, and one island platform
Island platform
An island platform is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange...
). Each platform can hold a six-car train. A third track provides for overnight storage and is not used by passengers. There is also a 14-bus bay, located north of the tracks (just south of the taxi stand). Both the bus bay, and one platform are sheltered. Both platforms contain gate markers (labeled A through L), which mark the location of the doors on the train (when the train is made up of California Cars).
Of the 73 California stations served by Amtrak, Bakersfield was the sixth busiest in FY2010, boarding or detraining an average of approximately 1150 passengers daily.
Bus connections
The station is served by a large number of bus routes. As many as ten scheduled buses connect to a single train. This figure does not include unscheduled buses, tourist buses, ect. It also does not include Golden Empire TransitGolden Empire Transit
Golden Empire Transit is the operator of mass transportation in Bakersfield, California. There are 18 routes serving Greater Bakersfield, which includes both the City of Bakersfield and adjacent unincorporated communities. It, however, does not serve Rio Bravo. Although apart of the city, the area...
, which stops outside of the station.
Thruway Buses
Since Bakersfield is the transfer point, for people traveling between Northern and Southern California, it is served by a large number of Amtrak Thruway buses. Timetables list five bus routes for the San Joaquin route, the most number of Amtrak Thruway Bus routes for that train route. Those five buses arrive/depart for most trains that serve the station, although not all buses travel to the same destinations every time. If every list of destinations were defined as one route, there would be a total of eight bus routes. They are listed below.- 1a: Bakersfield - Los Angeles - Long Beach - San Diego
also serving Santa Clarita, Van Nuys, Glendale, Fullerton, Anaheim, Santa Ana, Long Beach, Irvine, Laguna Niguel, San Juan Capistrano, Oceanside, and Solano Beach
- 1b: Bakersfield - Los Angeles - Long Beach - San Diego
also serving Santa Clarita, Van Nuys, Glendale, Fullerton, Anaheim, Santa Ana, San Pedro, Irvine, San Juan Capistrano, Oceanside, and Solana Beach
- 1c: Bakersfield - UCLA - Torrance
also serving Lebec, Santa Clarita, Burbank, Van Nuys, Westchester, and El Segundo
- 9: Bakersfield - Las Vegas, NV
also serving Tehachapi, Mojave, Barstow, Baker, and Primm
- 10: Bakersfield - Santa Barbara
also serving Fillmore, Sanata Paula, Oxnard, Ventura, and Carpinteria
- 12: Bakersfield - Victorville
also serving Tehachapi, Mojave, Rosamond, Lancaster, Palmdale, Littlerock, and Adelanto Junction
- 19a: Bakersfield - Hemet
also serving La Crescenta, Pasadena, Claremont, Ontario, Riverside, San Bernardino, Moreno Valley, Perris, Sun City
- 19b: Bakersfield - Indio
also serving La Crescenta, Pasadena, Claremont, Ontario, Riverside, San Bernardino, Beaumont, Palm Springs, and Thousand Palms
Kern Regional Transit
Kern Regional Transit is the regional transit provider for Kern CountyKern County, California
Spreading across the southern end of the California Central Valley, Kern County is the fifth-largest county by population in California. Its economy is heavily linked to agriculture and to petroleum extraction, and there is a strong aviation and space presence. Politically, it has generally...
. The station is one of two major hubs used within Bakersfield (the other is the Downtown Transit Center primarily used by Golden Empire Transit
Golden Empire Transit
Golden Empire Transit is the operator of mass transportation in Bakersfield, California. There are 18 routes serving Greater Bakersfield, which includes both the City of Bakersfield and adjacent unincorporated communities. It, however, does not serve Rio Bravo. Although apart of the city, the area...
). Currently five bus routes connect with half of the train routes. They travel to various locations throughout the county, including: Desert Communities, East San Joaquin Valley, Kern River Valley
Kern River Valley
The Kern River Valley is a valley and region in Kern County, California. It is bordered by the Greenhorn Mountains, Piute Mountains, and Scodie Mountains.-External Links:*...
, Mountain Communities, and West Kern.
Architecture
The train station was designed by the Los Angeles based architectural firm RossettiRossetti Architects
Rossetti Architects is an architectural firm headquartered in Southfield, Michigan The firm is involved in the design of professional sports stadiums, institutions and commercial buildings.- Current projects :...
. They have also designed many of the city's sports venues including: Rabobank Arena
Rabobank Arena
Rabobank Arena is a 10,000-seat multi-purpose arena, Bakersfield, California, USA. Located downtown at the corner of Truxtun Avenue and N Street, it was built in 1998, and was originally known as Centennial Garden. The city-owned arena sold naming rights to the Dutch cooperative bank Rabobank in...
, Bakersfield Ice Sports Center
Bakersfield Ice Sports Center
The Bakersfield Ice Sports Center is a year-round, indoor ice rink in Bakersfield, California. The facility was completed in 2003. It contains a regulation size ice hockey rink, and seating for 500. It also contains locker rooms, and a snack bar. It is used for adult and youth hockey, ice skating...
, McMurtrey Aquatic Center
McMurtrey Aquatic Center
The McMurtrey Aquatic Center is a state-of-the-art swimming, diving, and recreational facility in the City of Bakersfield, California, USA. It is located near Centennial Garden, newly renamed "Rabobank Arena", in downtown Bakersfield...
, and Bakersfield Sports Village
Bakersfield Sports Village
Bakersfield Sports Village is a tournament style sporting complex located in Bakersfield, California. Phase 1 contains 8 soccer fields. When fully constructed, it will have 16 soccer fields, 10 baseball fields, 4 football fields, and an indoor gymnasium. There will also be a large stadium which...
. The station is designed in the modern style, with primary emphasis on glass, dark grey steel, and red Indian sandstone. Because of the rough cut of the sandstone, it appears to change color as the sun tracks through the sky.
The station design can be easily described in three distinct parts. On the west side is the main waiting room. It is toped with an uneven, angled roof of dark grey steel. The roofline is triangular, growing in size from one end of the station to the other. The resulting gap is filled in with glass, which including the skylight, allows a large amount of natural light. Colonnades of red sandstone flank both sides of waiting room, and extend along its entire length, protruding outside the west entrance. It is reminiscent of the long arcades used in late 19th and early 20th century station designs, such as the Bakersfield Southern Pacific Station
Bakersfield (Southern Pacific station)
The Bakersfield Southern Pacific Station in Bakersfield, California, was the train station used by the Southern Pacific Railroad. The station opened in June 27, 1889 in the town of Sumner . The station was a mixture of: Richardsonian Romanesque, Spanish Colonial Revival, and Moderne styles...
. The east side, which contains offices and baggage room, is much simpler. A simple exterior of red sandstone, with square windows, is topped with a small, arched roof. The two sections are joined by a narrow, three story tower of red sandstone, over the ticket counter and north entrance. The city name is also located on the tower, on the south side of the station.
The exterior layout of the station places the bus bays directly adjacent to the train platform. This allows for the shortest distance for transferring from bus to train. Directly outside of the west entrance of the station is a large, stone model of the Earth, suspended by water. There are two additional fountains, which serve a unique purpose. One is located on the west end of the station complex, called the announcement fountain. When a train is approaching, the fountain is activated, spraying columns of water in the air over a concrete slab. The sound of the water, and the columns waving in the breeze is designed to instill a sense of excitement. Once the train has arrived, that fountain is deactivated and a second fountain, adjacent to the station building is activated. It is a similar style to the announcement fountain, although it is much smaller.
Future
Bakersfield has been selected as a stop for the California High Speed Rail. Currently two alignment options are being considered through Bakersfield. Both options have the high speed rail station located near the existing station. They also show the two stations being connected to allow transfer from high speed rail to conventional trains. Initial construction of the system is expected to begin in 2012, although the construction date for the station is currently unknown.External links
- Amtrak - Bakersfield
- Amtrak California - Bakersfield
- Photos at Amtrak Photo Archive http://www.hebners.net/amtrak/amtStationAB/BakersfieldCAa.jpghttp://www.hebners.net/amtrak/amtStationAB/BakersfieldCAb.jpghttp://www.hebners.net/amtrak/amtStationAB/BakersfieldCAc.jpghttp://www.hebners.net/amtrak/amtStationAB/BakersfieldCAd1.jpghttp://www.hebners.net/amtrak/amtStationAB/BakersfieldCAe.jpg
