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Lynchburg (Amtrak station)
Encyclopedia
Lynchburg-Kemper Street Station is a passenger rail and bus
station located at 825 Kemper Street in the city of Lynchburg
, in the U.S.
Commonwealth of Virginia
. The facility currently houses the local operations for intercity transportation vendors Amtrak
and Greyhound Lines
.
.
In April, 2002, the city of Lynchburg celebrated the opening of the newly restored Kemper Street Station. The restoration allowed the facility to take on the new role of intermodal
station, housing both rail and bus services. Amtrak operations were moved to the ground-floor platform
level, left vacant since the station no longer serviced freight trains. This allowed for Greyhound Lines
to establish a bus terminal in the vacated street-level passenger facility, thus centralizing Lynchburg's primary services for intercity passenger travel under one roof.
The restored station features brick construction with arched windows and accents of painted metal. An arched sign over Kemper Street near Park Avenue reads "Kemper Street Station". Of note are the numerous lights which illuminate the station's exterior. These are of particular importance to the station since most of the trains serving Lynchburg are scheduled either late in the evening or in the early morning, often before sunrise.
, which owns both the track and the adjacent platforms.
Amtrak's Crescent
is a long-distance, overnight service operating daily between New York City and New Orleans, LA
. The Crescent stops at Lynchburg-Kemper Street Station on its northbound and southbound runs. This train had previously serviced Lynchburg during the old Southern Railway days, when it was known as the Southern Crescent. For many years, the Crescent was the only passenger train serving Lynchburg.
October, 2009 saw the introduction of Northeast Regional daily round-trip service between Lynchburg and Boston, MA. The route to Lynchburg was extended from its previous southern terminus in Washington, DC. This extension is operated through a partnership between Amtrak and the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation
, under the guise of Amtrak Virginia.
Amtrak's station code for Lynchburg is LYH. The station features restrooms, an enclosed waiting area, and a ticket office staffed by Amtrak personnel according to the station's schedule. Services from this location include checked baggage
assistance and a Quik-Trak ticketing kiosk.
supplies intercity bus
service from its street level passenger terminal at Lynchburg-Kemper Street Station. Street level access is located along Kemper Street on the side of the station facing away from the railway platform, which is two stories below at the bottom of the hillside. The company also offers their "Greyhound PackageXpress" shipping service from the Kemper Street terminal.
Valley Metro
operates the Smart Way Connector bus service to serve as a bus-to-rail connection between Lynchburg-Kemper Street Station and both the Roanoke
and New River Valley
s. Providing two daily round trips, service commenced on July 19, 2011, and is being undertaken to serve in part to gauge support for a potential Amtrak extension to Roanoke
.
Connections for local buses operated by the Greater Lynchburg Transit Company
(GLTC) are available at street level GLTC bus stops adjacent to Lynchburg-Kemper Street Station.
Lynchburg-Kemper Street Station will be a transfer hub for the TransDominion Express
if plans for the proposed passenger rail project in Virginia
come to fruition. TransDominion Express, or TDX, would link areas like Bristol
and Roanoke
in the west of the state with areas in the east like Richmond
, as well as Charlottesville
and Washington, D.C.
to the north. The plan has been under consideration for more than a decade.
The Greater Lynchburg Transit Company
has selected the immediate area of Kemper Street Station as its top choice of sites upon which to build the new transfer center for their network of public buses. Specifically, they are interested in a property directly across Kemper Street from the station, which would provide the greatest ease of intermodal connections between GLTC buses and Amtrak or Greyhound services. The project is awaiting final government approval and funding, and is expected to be completed around 2013.
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
station located at 825 Kemper Street in the city of Lynchburg
Lynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 75,568 as of 2010. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the banks of the James River, Lynchburg is known as the "City of Seven Hills" or "The Hill City." Lynchburg was the only major city in...
, in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Commonwealth of Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. The facility currently houses the local operations for intercity transportation vendors 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...
and 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...
.
History
Kemper Street Station was built in 1912 by the Southern Railway to house their passenger and freight operations in the Lynchburg area. A three-story structure built into a hillside, the top floor fronts Kemper Street while on the opposite side the track level ground floor fronts the rail platforms. Originally included but later removed was an elevated walkway extending from a street level passenger lobby across the tracks. Stairs descended from the walkway to the platforms, two stories below. A freight depot was located in the ground floor. As it was not the city's only railway facility, the "Kemper Street" name was used to clearly identify it among Lynchburg's other train stations. Over many decades to follow, the station was a stop for Southern Railway passenger trains. When Southern Railway discontinued passenger services in 1979, the operation of their passenger routes and stations, including Kemper Street Station, was relinquished to AmtrakAmtrak
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...
.
Restoration
After years of continued use and neglect the signs of disrepair at the station were becoming increasingly apparent. The Lynchburg City Council determined that renovations would be necessary to save the city-owned facility and ensure its future use. They spearheaded a redevelopment project budgeted at over $3 million, funding for which was provided by the city, commonwealth, and federal government sources including Amtrak. Extensive work began in 2000 to update the facility, but with an emphasis on maintaining period lighting and finishes, and preserving the station's historic character.In April, 2002, the city of Lynchburg celebrated the opening of the newly restored Kemper Street Station. The restoration allowed the facility to take on the new role of intermodal
Intermodal passenger transport
Intermodal passenger transport involves more than one mode of transport of passengers. Some modes of transportation have always been intermodal; for example, most major airports have extensive facilities for automobile parking and have good rail or bus connections to the cities nearby. Urban bus...
station, housing both rail and bus services. Amtrak operations were moved to the ground-floor platform
Railway platform
A railway platform is a section of pathway, alongside rail tracks at a train station, metro station or tram stop, at which passengers may board or alight from trains or trams. Almost all stations for rail transport have some form of platforms, with larger stations having multiple platforms...
level, left vacant since the station no longer serviced freight trains. This allowed for 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...
to establish a bus terminal in the vacated street-level passenger facility, thus centralizing Lynchburg's primary services for intercity passenger travel under one roof.
The restored station features brick construction with arched windows and accents of painted metal. An arched sign over Kemper Street near Park Avenue reads "Kemper Street Station". Of note are the numerous lights which illuminate the station's exterior. These are of particular importance to the station since most of the trains serving Lynchburg are scheduled either late in the evening or in the early morning, often before sunrise.
Services
Rail
The year 2012 will mark the 100 year anniversary of passenger train service at Lynchburg-Kemper Street Station. Today, as the only passenger train station still operating in Lynchburg, it is serviced by four Amtrak trains daily. The rail line upon which the station is situated belongs to Southern Railway's corporate descendant, Norfolk Southern RailwayNorfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...
, which owns both the track and the adjacent platforms.
Amtrak's Crescent
Crescent (Amtrak)
The Crescent is a passenger train operated by Amtrak in the eastern part of the United States. It runs daily from Pennsylvania Station in New York City to New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal in New Orleans, Louisiana as train 19 and returns, on the same route, as train 20. Most of the route of...
is a long-distance, overnight service operating daily between New York City and New Orleans, LA
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
. The Crescent stops at Lynchburg-Kemper Street Station on its northbound and southbound runs. This train had previously serviced Lynchburg during the old Southern Railway days, when it was known as the Southern Crescent. For many years, the Crescent was the only passenger train serving Lynchburg.
October, 2009 saw the introduction of Northeast Regional daily round-trip service between Lynchburg and Boston, MA. The route to Lynchburg was extended from its previous southern terminus in Washington, DC. This extension is operated through a partnership between Amtrak and the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation
Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation
Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation is an agency of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States.According to its web site, the state agency's mission is "to improve the mobility of people and goods while expanding transportation choices in the Commonwealth."The three...
, under the guise of Amtrak Virginia.
Amtrak's station code for Lynchburg is LYH. The station features restrooms, an enclosed waiting area, and a ticket office staffed by Amtrak personnel according to the station's schedule. Services from this location include checked baggage
Checked baggage
Checked baggage refers to items of luggage delivered to an airline or train for transportation in the hold of an aircraft or baggage car of a passenger train, which means it is inaccessible to the passenger during the flight/ride....
assistance and a Quik-Trak ticketing kiosk.
Bus
Greyhound LinesGreyhound 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...
supplies intercity bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
service from its street level passenger terminal at Lynchburg-Kemper Street Station. Street level access is located along Kemper Street on the side of the station facing away from the railway platform, which is two stories below at the bottom of the hillside. The company also offers their "Greyhound PackageXpress" shipping service from the Kemper Street terminal.
Valley Metro
Valley Metro (Roanoke)
Valley Metro, the operational name for the Greater Roanoke Transit Company, is a local government-owned urban-suburban bus line based in Roanoke, Virginia with First Transit providing the general and assistant general managers. The staff is employed by Southwest Virginia Transit Management Company...
operates the Smart Way Connector bus service to serve as a bus-to-rail connection between Lynchburg-Kemper Street Station and both the Roanoke
Roanoke Valley
The Roanoke Valley in southwest Virginia is an area adjacent to and including the Roanoke River between the Blue Ridge Mountains to the east and the Appalachian Plateau to the west...
and New River Valley
New River Valley
The New River Valley is a region in the eastern United States along the New River in the Commonwealth of Virginia . The valley comprises the counties of Montgomery , Pulaski, Floyd, Giles and the independent City of Radford...
s. Providing two daily round trips, service commenced on July 19, 2011, and is being undertaken to serve in part to gauge support for a potential Amtrak extension to Roanoke
Roanoke, Virginia
Roanoke is an independent city in the Mid-Atlantic U.S. state of Virginia and is the tenth-largest city in the Commonwealth. It is located in the Roanoke Valley of the Roanoke Region of Virginia. The population within the city limits was 97,032 as of 2010...
.
Connections for local buses operated by the Greater Lynchburg Transit Company
Greater Lynchburg Transit Company
The Greater Lynchburg Transit Company is the non-profit, publicly owned company responsible for providing bus service for Lynchburg, Virginia, since its creation in 1974. The GLTC sets and is responsible for both the general policies as well as the selection of the management company responsible...
(GLTC) are available at street level GLTC bus stops adjacent to Lynchburg-Kemper Street Station.
Future service
Amtrak Virginia, the partnership between Amtrak and the Commonwealth of Virginia which is sponsoring the Northeast Regional service extension to Lynchburg, is a pilot program with funding allocated for three years. The status of the Northeast Regional extension after three years will depend upon the identification of a dedicated funding source.Lynchburg-Kemper Street Station will be a transfer hub for the TransDominion Express
Transdominion Express
thumb|450px|right|Map of proposed stations and routes of Virginia Transdominion ExpressThe Transdominion Express is a proposed passenger rail transportation project in Virginia in the United States....
if plans for the proposed passenger rail project in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
come to fruition. TransDominion Express, or TDX, would link areas like Bristol
Bristol, Virginia
Bristol is an independent city in Virginia, United States, bounded by Washington County, Virginia, Bristol, Tennessee, and Sullivan County, Tennessee....
and Roanoke
Roanoke, Virginia
Roanoke is an independent city in the Mid-Atlantic U.S. state of Virginia and is the tenth-largest city in the Commonwealth. It is located in the Roanoke Valley of the Roanoke Region of Virginia. The population within the city limits was 97,032 as of 2010...
in the west of the state with areas in the east like Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
, as well as Charlottesville
Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville is an independent city geographically surrounded by but separate from Albemarle County in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the queen consort of King George III of the United Kingdom.The official population estimate for...
and Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
to the north. The plan has been under consideration for more than a decade.
The Greater Lynchburg Transit Company
Greater Lynchburg Transit Company
The Greater Lynchburg Transit Company is the non-profit, publicly owned company responsible for providing bus service for Lynchburg, Virginia, since its creation in 1974. The GLTC sets and is responsible for both the general policies as well as the selection of the management company responsible...
has selected the immediate area of Kemper Street Station as its top choice of sites upon which to build the new transfer center for their network of public buses. Specifically, they are interested in a property directly across Kemper Street from the station, which would provide the greatest ease of intermodal connections between GLTC buses and Amtrak or Greyhound services. The project is awaiting final government approval and funding, and is expected to be completed around 2013.