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Houston (Amtrak station)
Encyclopedia
The Houston Amtrak station is a train station in Houston
, Texas
, United States
served by Amtrak
, the U.S. national railroad passenger system.
Of the 19 Texas stations served by Amtrak, Houston was the sixth-busiest in FY2010, boarding or detraining an average of approximately 50 passengers daily.
The present station, which opened to passengers on October 26, 1959, was built by the Southern Pacific Railroad
to replace the former Grand Central Station which was located just to the east of the current property. That station operated from September 1, 1934 until the property was sold to the U.S. Government in 1959 to become the site of the Houston main post office. Grand Central Station, in its turn, replaced the original Houston & Texas Central depot of 1886. When Amtrak was created it was one of two train stations in Houston that served Amtrak trains, the other being Union Station, which is now part of Minute Maid Park
. All Amtrak trains were moved to Southern Pacific Station by the end of July 1974, and all trains were either canceled or rerouted out of Houston except the Sunset Limited
. This station continued to be owned and operated by the Southern Pacific Railroad
even after the creation of Amtrak, and to this day is owned and operated by the Union Pacific Railroad
since the merger of Southern Pacific and Union Pacific.
A third station, the Katy Railroad Depot, was located at the top of the Main Street viaduct, adjacent to the campus of the (UHD). It had ceased to be an active passenger station by the end of 1958 and never served Amtrak. It has now been demolished, except for part of the platform which still exists under the main street viaduct.
, located just north of downtown, on the Union Pacific Main line. It is planned to be a much larger facility, with the tracks running underground, similar to the design of Penn Station in New York.
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
served by 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...
, the U.S. national railroad passenger system.
Of the 19 Texas stations served by Amtrak, Houston was the sixth-busiest in FY2010, boarding or detraining an average of approximately 50 passengers daily.
The present station, which opened to passengers on October 26, 1959, was built 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....
to replace the former Grand Central Station which was located just to the east of the current property. That station operated from September 1, 1934 until the property was sold to the U.S. Government in 1959 to become the site of the Houston main post office. Grand Central Station, in its turn, replaced the original Houston & Texas Central depot of 1886. When Amtrak was created it was one of two train stations in Houston that served Amtrak trains, the other being Union Station, which is now part of Minute Maid Park
Minute Maid Park
Minute Maid Park is a ballpark in Downtown Houston, Texas, United States that opened in 2000 to house the Major League Baseball Houston Astros....
. All Amtrak trains were moved to Southern Pacific Station by the end of July 1974, and all trains were either canceled or rerouted out of Houston except 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...
. This station continued to be owned and operated 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....
even after the creation of Amtrak, and to this day is owned and operated by the Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
since the merger of Southern Pacific and Union Pacific.
A third station, the Katy Railroad Depot, was located at the top of the Main Street viaduct, adjacent to the campus of the (UHD). It had ceased to be an active passenger station by the end of 1958 and never served Amtrak. It has now been demolished, except for part of the platform which still exists under the main street viaduct.
Intermodal Transit Center
Whenever the funding becomes available, the current Amtrak station will be replaced by the Houston Intermodal Transit CenterHouston Intermodal Transit Center
The Houston Intermodal Transit Center was a planned construction hub for local, commuter, and intercity transit in Houston . The site is located adjacent to the campus of the University of Houston–Downtown...
, located just north of downtown, on the Union Pacific Main line. It is planned to be a much larger facility, with the tracks running underground, similar to the design of Penn Station in New York.
Connections
- Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach connection to the Texas EagleTexas EagleThe 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...
at Longview - Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, TexasMetropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, TexasThe Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County is a major public transportation agency based in Houston . It operates bus, light rail, future commuter rail, and paratransit service in the city as well as most of Harris County...
(METRO) bus service - Connections to Greyhound Bus Lines service