.gif)
Riverside (Amtrak station)
Encyclopedia
Riverside or Riverside-Downtown is a train station in Riverside
, California
, United States
that opened in 1993. It is served by one Amtrak
intercity rail line and three Metrolink
commuter rail lines, as well as Riverside Transit Agency
buses and Amtrak Thruway coach service. The station is referred to as "Riverside" by Amtrak and as "Riverside-Downtown" by Metrolink.
added a stop in Riverside in April 2002, after 18 years of not stopping at Riverside.
provides one train per day in each direction through the station, one to Los Angeles and one to Chicago, which boards from the station's South platform. In conjunction with the California Department of Transportation, Amtrak California
also provides Thruway Motorcoach service to Bakersfield, with connections to the San Joaquins
for the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento
.
The station is a hub for Metrolink commuter rail, with three lines serving the station on weekdays, and two on weekends. (The San Bernardino line provides limited service to Riverside on weekends, along with the IE-OC line.) Trains traveling to and from Orange County board from the South platform, which is accessible via a bridge over the tracks. All weekend trains board on the South platform, across the bridge.
Neither Metrolink nor Amtrak agents are on site. Tickets for Metrolink may be purchased from the ticket vending machines located on all platforms. All Amtrak services require advanced reservations, but tickets can be picked up from Metrolink's ticket machines once reservations have been made either online or via telephone.
The Riverside Transit Agency
provides free connecting transit service to Metrolink (but not Amtrak) passengers at the station on routes 1 and 16. The station is also a key link in the agency's CommuterLink express bus system, with routes 208, 210, and 212 providing connections to Temecula, Banning and Hemet respectively. These routes are also free with a valid Metrolink ticket or pass.
Of the 73 California stations served by Amtrak, Riverside was the 54th-busiest in FY2010, boarding or detraining an average of approximately 30 passengers daily.
Riverside, California
Riverside is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, and the county seat of the eponymous county. Named for its location beside the Santa Ana River, it is the largest city in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area of Southern California, 4th largest inland California...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
that opened in 1993. It is served by one 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...
intercity rail line and three Metrolink
Metrolink (Southern California)
Metrolink is a commuter rail system serving Los Angeles and the surrounding area of Southern California; it currently consists of six lines and 55 stations using of track....
commuter rail lines, as well as Riverside Transit Agency
Riverside Transit Agency
Riverside Transit Agency is a joint powers agency that provides public transportation in western Riverside County, California, United States. It operates more than 300 vehicles on 36 local fixed routes, eight long-distance "CommuterLink" express bus routes, and Dial-A-Ride service. RTA was...
buses and Amtrak Thruway coach service. The station is referred to as "Riverside" by Amtrak and as "Riverside-Downtown" by Metrolink.
History
The current station opened on June 14, 1993, returning rail service to Riverside following the closure of the Santa Fe depot in 1984. The original depot, built in 1927, still stands a few blocks north of the current station. The Southwest ChiefSouthwest Chief
The Southwest Chief is a passenger train operated by Amtrak on a 2256-mile BNSF route through the Midwestern and Southwestern United States. It runs from Chicago, Illinois, to Los Angeles, California, passing through Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and California...
added a stop in Riverside in April 2002, after 18 years of not stopping at Riverside.
Current services
The Southwest ChiefSouthwest Chief
The Southwest Chief is a passenger train operated by Amtrak on a 2256-mile BNSF route through the Midwestern and Southwestern United States. It runs from Chicago, Illinois, to Los Angeles, California, passing through Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and California...
provides one train per day in each direction through the station, one to Los Angeles and one to Chicago, which boards from the station's South platform. In conjunction with the California Department of Transportation, 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...
also provides Thruway Motorcoach service to Bakersfield, with connections to the San Joaquins
San Joaquins
The San Joaquin is a passenger train operated by Amtrak as part of the Amtrak California network in California's Central Valley. Twelve trains a day run between its southern terminus at Bakersfield and Stockton, where the route splits to Oakland or Sacramento...
for the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento
Sacramento
Sacramento is the capital of the state of California, in the United States of America.Sacramento may also refer to:- United States :*Sacramento County, California*Sacramento, Kentucky*Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta...
.
The station is a hub for Metrolink commuter rail, with three lines serving the station on weekdays, and two on weekends. (The San Bernardino line provides limited service to Riverside on weekends, along with the IE-OC line.) Trains traveling to and from Orange County board from the South platform, which is accessible via a bridge over the tracks. All weekend trains board on the South platform, across the bridge.
Neither Metrolink nor Amtrak agents are on site. Tickets for Metrolink may be purchased from the ticket vending machines located on all platforms. All Amtrak services require advanced reservations, but tickets can be picked up from Metrolink's ticket machines once reservations have been made either online or via telephone.
The Riverside Transit Agency
Riverside Transit Agency
Riverside Transit Agency is a joint powers agency that provides public transportation in western Riverside County, California, United States. It operates more than 300 vehicles on 36 local fixed routes, eight long-distance "CommuterLink" express bus routes, and Dial-A-Ride service. RTA was...
provides free connecting transit service to Metrolink (but not Amtrak) passengers at the station on routes 1 and 16. The station is also a key link in the agency's CommuterLink express bus system, with routes 208, 210, and 212 providing connections to Temecula, Banning and Hemet respectively. These routes are also free with a valid Metrolink ticket or pass.
Of the 73 California stations served by Amtrak, Riverside was the 54th-busiest in FY2010, boarding or detraining an average of approximately 30 passengers daily.