Kelso Multimodal Transportation Center
Encyclopedia
The Kelso Multimodal Transportation Center is the station stop for Amtrak
rail service for Kelso, Washington
and neighboring Longview
. Greyhound Lines
provides national and regional bus service, while Community Urban Bus Service (CUBS) provides local transit. Shuttle vans, taxis
and rental cars
can also be hired at the station.
Of the eighteen Washington stations served by Amtrak, Kelso-Longview was the ninth busiest in FY10, boarding or detraining an average of about 80 passengers daily.
In 1970 the Northern Pacific Railway
merged with several other railroads to create the Burlington Northern Railroad
. The station remained in active freight service until the early 1980s when Burlington Northern suspended freight service there and transferred that service to the Portland, Oregon
hub.
The station became an Amtrak stop in 1981. The station was manned by a ticketing agent until the 1990s when the station was locked up due to vandalism.
In the mid-1990s the station underwent extensive remodeling to make it look like the passenger stations of a bygone era. The station's interior and exterior received face-lifts and rebuilds, and a 30 feet (9.1 m) clock tower was constructed outside the station. The clock can be seen from across the Cowlitz River
at the Cowlitz County Hall of Justice and as far north as the higher points in the Beacon Hill neighborhood of Kelso. The refurbished station was formally dedicated on September 23, 1995.
Between 2001 and 2004, the Kelso City Council held its meetings in the station's basement, because City Hall had been torn down to make way for a new bridge spanning the Cowlitz River.
In 1996, a steam-powered locomotive made a journey past the station on its way to Seattle.
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...
rail service for Kelso, Washington
Kelso, Washington
Kelso is a city in southwest Washington State, United States, and is the county seat of Cowlitz County. At the 2010 census, the population was 11,925. Kelso is part of the Longview, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a population of 102,410. Kelso shares its long western border...
and neighboring Longview
Longview, Washington
Longview is a city in Cowlitz County, Washington, United States. It is the principal city of the "Longview, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area", which encompasses all of Cowlitz County. Longview's population was 36,648 at the time of the 2010 census and is the largest city in Cowlitz County...
. 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...
provides national and regional bus service, while Community Urban Bus Service (CUBS) provides local transit. Shuttle vans, taxis
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
and rental cars
Car rental
A car rental or car hire agency is a company that rents automobiles for short periods of time for a fee...
can also be hired at the station.
Of the eighteen Washington stations served by Amtrak, Kelso-Longview was the ninth busiest in FY10, boarding or detraining an average of about 80 passengers daily.
History
The Kelso Train Station was originally built by the Northern Pacific Railroad. The first small depot was a wooden structure in the 100 block of Front or First Avenue. By 1906 the citizens of Kelso petitioned the Northern Pacific Railroad for a better passenger and freight depot. This was granted and a new, brick passenger and a wood freight depot was built. A grand opening reception was held February 12, 1912.In 1970 the Northern Pacific Railway
Northern Pacific Railway
The Northern Pacific Railway was a railway that operated in the west along the Canadian border of the United States. Construction began in 1870 and the main line opened all the way from the Great Lakes to the Pacific when former president Ulysses S. Grant drove in the final "golden spike" in...
merged with several other railroads to create the Burlington Northern Railroad
Burlington Northern Railroad
The Burlington Northern Railroad was a United States-based railroad company formed from a merger of four major U.S. railroads. Burlington Northern operated between 1970 and 1996....
. The station remained in active freight service until the early 1980s when Burlington Northern suspended freight service there and transferred that service to the Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
hub.
The station became an Amtrak stop in 1981. The station was manned by a ticketing agent until the 1990s when the station was locked up due to vandalism.
In the mid-1990s the station underwent extensive remodeling to make it look like the passenger stations of a bygone era. The station's interior and exterior received face-lifts and rebuilds, and a 30 feet (9.1 m) clock tower was constructed outside the station. The clock can be seen from across the Cowlitz River
Cowlitz River
The Cowlitz River is a river in the state of Washington in the United States, a tributary of the Columbia River. Its tributaries drain a large region including the slopes of Mount Rainier, Mount Adams, and Mount St. Helens....
at the Cowlitz County Hall of Justice and as far north as the higher points in the Beacon Hill neighborhood of Kelso. The refurbished station was formally dedicated on September 23, 1995.
Current services
The center serves as Amtrak station for the cities of Kelso and Longview, and also provides commercial and intercity bus service. The station stands as both the rail hub of the county and as a tribute to the rail pioneers of the Pacific Northwest.Accident
On November 11, 1993 a head-on collision of a Union Pacific train and a Burlington Northern train near Kelso killed five-railroad crew. The crash caused an explosion and a fireball was fueled by 10,000 gallons of diesel on the trains. The area is one of the busiest rail corridors in the United States with 60 trains using the two sets of track daily. The station was used as a staging area for Burlington Northern's Incident Response Unit.Station remodel
In 1994 and 1995, the station was inundated with water damage when the nearby Cowlitz River peaked over the dike at 22 feet and flooded the basement and platform area, which ultimately led to the approval of the remodel.Other events
In, 1993 a special Burlington Northern train made a stop at the station while it was carrying the company's CEO and board members on an inspection of the system. Numerous special events are held at the station each year, the most notable of which is the Kelso Christmas Celebration at which the mayor lights the Christmas tree that adorns the clock tower and Santa Claus makes a visit via the Amtrak Cascades train.Between 2001 and 2004, the Kelso City Council held its meetings in the station's basement, because City Hall had been torn down to make way for a new bridge spanning the Cowlitz River.
In 1996, a steam-powered locomotive made a journey past the station on its way to Seattle.