Gateway Multimodal Transportation Center
Encyclopedia
The Gateway Multimodal Transportation Center, also known as Gateway Transportation Station or Gateway Station, is a rail and bus terminal station in downtown St. Louis, Missouri
. Opened in 2008 and operating 24 hours a day, it serves Amtrak
, St. Louis MetroLink
, MetroBus
regional buses, Greyhound
cross-country buses, and taxis. Missouri
's largest rail transportation station, it is located one block east of St. Louis Union Station
.
Gateway Station cost $31.4 million to build. After more than a year of delays, it fully opened November 19, 2008, with Amtrak service.
The station's unique design has won several awards, including 2009 CNR Regional Excellence Award, 2008 Best New Building by the Riverfront Times
newspaper, and the 2009 Award of Merit - Illuminating Engineering Society
Illumination Awards.
The station's food court hosts local sundries
-and-deli
businesses and franchised
food outlets of KFC
and Pizza Hut
.
, to Carbondale, Illinois
, where passengers can board the City of New Orleans train.
station, which serves the Red Line
and Blue Line
.
It takes about 30 minutes to travel to Lambert-St. Louis International Airport
's East and Main Terminals via the Metro Red Line.
The Transportation Center would also be the hub for the two proposed St. Louis Commuter Rail
lines.
Many MetroBus
routes stop at the center, including:
The center is also a terminal for several bus routes of the Madison County Transit
System, which serves the Metro East area of St. Louis.
Bus Lines offers more than six national routes from Gateway Station. The center has 12 bus bays and separate security and arrival/departure gates.
offers express city-to-city service at Union Station on its M5 route (Normal, Ill. / Chicago, northbound; Columbia, Mo. / Kansas City, westbound); Memphis, Tennessee (southbound).
has a desk next to the Greyhound ticketing counters, and other rental car companies can be contracted for pickup at the station.
Approximate travel time by taxi, non-rush hour:
. In November 1978, when Union Station closed, Amtrak moved to a modular structure two blocks east, at 550 S. 16th St. Intended for temporary use, this station remained in service for 26 years. In recognition of its low aesthetic value, many St. Louisans came to refer to this station as "Amshack."
Even with the reopening of Union Station, Amtrak continued to serve passengers through this "temporary" facility. On December 20, 2004, Amtrak moved across the street to a 4000 square feet (371.6 m²) building, at 551 South 16th St, built of masonry and steel at an estimated cost of $600,000. Following the move to the new Gateway Transportation Station in 2008, the previous building now houses Amtrak operating and mechanical crews.
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. Opened in 2008 and operating 24 hours a day, it serves 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...
, St. Louis MetroLink
St. Louis Metrolink
MetroLink is the light rail transit system in the Greater St. Louis area of Missouri and the Metro East area of Illinois. The entire system currently consists of two lines connecting Lambert-St. Louis International Airport and Shrewsbury, MO with Scott Air Force Base near Shiloh, Illinois through...
, MetroBus
MetroBus (St. Louis)
MetroBus is the public bus service for the Greater St. Louis Region connected with the MetroLink light rail system. It is managed by the Bi-State Development Agency and uses a shared fare system with the MetroLink rail.-Service:...
regional buses, Greyhound
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...
cross-country buses, and taxis. Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
's largest rail transportation station, it is located one block east of St. Louis Union Station
St. Louis Union Station
St. Louis Union Station, a National Historic Landmark, is a passenger train terminal in St. Louis, Missouri. Once the world's largest and busiest train station, it was converted in the early 1980s into a luxury hotel, shopping center, and entertainment complex...
.
Gateway Station cost $31.4 million to build. After more than a year of delays, it fully opened November 19, 2008, with Amtrak service.
The station's unique design has won several awards, including 2009 CNR Regional Excellence Award, 2008 Best New Building by the Riverfront Times
Riverfront Times
The Riverfront Times is a weekly newspaper in St. Louis, Missouri that consists of local politics, music, arts and dining news in the print edition and daily updates to blogs and photo galleries on its website...
newspaper, and the 2009 Award of Merit - Illuminating Engineering Society
Illuminating Engineering Society of North America
The Illuminating Engineering Society of North America is a non-profit learned society that was founded in New York City on January 10, 1906. The IES's stated mission is to improve the lighted environment by bringing together those with lighting knowledge and by translating that knowledge into...
Illumination Awards.
The station's food court hosts local sundries
Sundries
Sundries may refer to:* Toiletries and other usually small items both of no large value, and too numerous to mention separately such as cosmetics, threads, needles et cetera...
-and-deli
Delicatessen
Delicatessen is a term meaning "delicacies" or "fine foods". The word entered English via German,with the old German spelling , plural of Delikatesse "delicacy", ultimately from Latin delicatus....
businesses and franchised
Franchising
Franchising is the practice of using another firm's successful business model. The word 'franchise' is of anglo-French derivation - from franc- meaning free, and is used both as a noun and as a verb....
food outlets of KFC
KFC
KFC, founded and also known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, is a chain of fast food restaurants based in Louisville, Kentucky, in the United States. KFC has been a brand and operating segment, termed a concept of Yum! Brands since 1997 when that company was spun off from PepsiCo as Tricon Global...
and Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut is an American restaurant chain and international franchise that offers different styles of pizza along with side dishes including pasta, buffalo wings, breadsticks, and garlic bread....
.
Amtrak
Of the 12 Missouri stations served by Amtrak, St. Louis was the busiest in FY2010, seeing an average of nearly 900 passengers daily.Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach connections
Amtrak runs a daily bus, the Amtrak Thruway MotorcoachAmtrak 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...
, to Carbondale, Illinois
Carbondale, Illinois
Carbondale is a city in Jackson County, in the state of Illinois, within the Southern Illinois region. It is located at the junction of Illinois Route 13 and U.S. Route 51, southeast of St. Louis, Missouri, on the northern edge of the Shawnee National Forest...
, where passengers can board the City of New Orleans train.
MetroLink (light rail)
Gateway Station is next to the Civic Center (St. Louis MetroLink)Civic Center (St. Louis Metrolink)
Civic Center is a St. Louis MetroLink station. The station is located near the Scottrade Center, home of the St. Louis Blues, Sheraton City Center Hotel, Soldiers Memorial, and the Saint Louis Public Library Central Library. It was one of six MetroLink stations in the Downtown St...
station, which serves the Red Line
Red Line (St. Louis MetroLink)
The Red Line of the St. Louis MetroLink is a light rail service operating between 28 stations in Greater St. Louis. It is the oldest and longest line in the system.-Route description:...
and Blue Line
Blue Line (St. Louis MetroLink)
The Blue Line of the St. Louis MetroLink is a light rail service operating between 24 stations in Greater St. Louis. It is the newest line in the system.-Route description:The Blue Line branch starts in Shrewsbury just west of River des Peres...
.
It takes about 30 minutes to travel to Lambert-St. Louis International Airport
Lambert-St. Louis International Airport
Lambert-St. Louis International Airport is a Class B international airport serving Greater St. Louis. It is located approximately northwest of downtown St. Louis in unincorporated St. Louis County between Berkeley and Bridgeton. It is the largest and busiest airport in the state with 250 daily...
's East and Main Terminals via the Metro Red Line.
The Transportation Center would also be the hub for the two proposed St. Louis Commuter Rail
St. Louis Commuter Rail
The St. Louis Commuter Rail is a series of proposed commuter rail lines being developed by Metro's Moving Transit Forward Plan.-Early proposal:According to Metro, there are only about 80 miles of corridors being considered...
lines.
MetroBus
Many MetroBus
MetroBus (St. Louis)
MetroBus is the public bus service for the Greater St. Louis Region connected with the MetroLink light rail system. It is managed by the Bi-State Development Agency and uses a shared fare system with the MetroLink rail.-Service:...
routes stop at the center, including:
- 4 Natural Bridge
- 8 Bates Morgan Ford
- 10 Gravois
- 11 Chippewa
- 32 Martin Luther King - Chouteau
- 41 Lee
- 74 Florissant
- 73 Carondelet
- 80 Park-Shaw
- 94 Page
- 99 Downtown Trolley
- 40X I-55 Mehlville Express
- 58X Twin-Oaks Express
- 410X Eureka Express
- 174X Halls Ferry Express
- 36X Bissell Hills Express
Madison County Transit
The center is also a terminal for several bus routes of the Madison County Transit
Madison County Transit
Madison County Transit, or MCT for short, is a bus and bike trail transportation system that serves the citizens of Madison County, which is located in Illinois approximately northeast of St. Louis. It was created in 1980 by the Madison County Board to improve transportation in Madison County, and...
System, which serves the Metro East area of St. Louis.
- 18X Collinsville Express
- 16X Edwardsville – Glen Carbon Express
- 14X Highland – St. Louis Express
- 12X Bethalto Express
- 3X Gateway Commerce Center Express
- 1X Riverbend Express
Greyhound Bus Lines
GreyhoundGreyhound 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...
Bus Lines offers more than six national routes from Gateway Station. The center has 12 bus bays and separate security and arrival/departure gates.
MegaBus
MegabusMegabus (United States)
Megabus, branded on buses as megabus.com, is an intercity bus service of Coach USA/Coach Canada and DATTCO providing discount travel services since 2006, operating throughout the Northeast, parts of the Southeast, and Midwestern United States, and in southern Canada...
offers express city-to-city service at Union Station on its M5 route (Normal, Ill. / Chicago, northbound; Columbia, Mo. / Kansas City, westbound); Memphis, Tennessee (southbound).
Rental cars
Budget Rent a CarBudget Rent a Car
Budget Rent a Car System, Inc. is an American car rental company that was founded in 1958 in Los Angeles, California by Morris Mirkin. Budget's operations are headquartered in Parsippany-Troy Hills Township, New Jersey....
has a desk next to the Greyhound ticketing counters, and other rental car companies can be contracted for pickup at the station.
Taxis
The center has immediate 24-hour taxi service at its west entrance.Approximate travel time by taxi, non-rush hour:
- Downtown St. Louis hotels: 5–8 minutes
- St. Louis International Airport: 25–30 minutes
- MidAmerica St. Louis Airport: 30 minutes
- Gateway Arch/Laclede's Landing: 8 minutes
- America's Center/Convention Center: 8–10 minutes
- Midtown/Theatre District: 12 minutes
- Central West End: 10–15 minutes
- Clayton Business District: 15 minutes
Previous Amtrak facilities in St. Louis
At its creation, in 1971, Amtrak served St. Louis from historic St. Louis Union StationSt. Louis Union Station
St. Louis Union Station, a National Historic Landmark, is a passenger train terminal in St. Louis, Missouri. Once the world's largest and busiest train station, it was converted in the early 1980s into a luxury hotel, shopping center, and entertainment complex...
. In November 1978, when Union Station closed, Amtrak moved to a modular structure two blocks east, at 550 S. 16th St. Intended for temporary use, this station remained in service for 26 years. In recognition of its low aesthetic value, many St. Louisans came to refer to this station as "Amshack."
Even with the reopening of Union Station, Amtrak continued to serve passengers through this "temporary" facility. On December 20, 2004, Amtrak moved across the street to a 4000 square feet (371.6 m²) building, at 551 South 16th St, built of masonry and steel at an estimated cost of $600,000. Following the move to the new Gateway Transportation Station in 2008, the previous building now houses Amtrak operating and mechanical crews.
External links
- "40 Years as Voice, 20 Years of Excellence" by Thomas J. Finan
- http://www.riverfronttimes.com/bestof/2008/award/best-new-building-582313/
- http://www.iesna.org/PDF/Awards/ia/2009%20Recipients.pdf
- Amtrak's St. Louis station page
- Status of Amtrak's Texas Eagle trains through St. Louis
- Aerial photo of incomplete station
- More info from greatamericanstations.org