St. Petersburg (Amtrak station)
Encyclopedia
The St. Petersburg Amtrak Station was a passenger train depot which serving the city of St. Petersburg, Florida
. It is located northwest of downtown at 3601 31st Street North.
, and was the third station in the city's history built to serve Atlantic Coast Line passenger trains. It replaced a 1913 downtown St. Petersburg facility, following the city's request that rail service be relocated away from the downtown area.
, formed by the merger of Atlantic Coast Line with rival company Seaboard Air Line Railroad
. The two formerly independent passenger operations were consolidated at this location, resulting in the closure of St. Petersburg's Seaboard Air Line Station.
assumed operation of most of the nation's passenger rail service. Assigned station code STP, the St. Petersburg Amtrak Station was serviced by trains such as the Floridian
and the Silver Meteor
. In 1984, rail service to St. Petersburg came to an end following abandonment of the rail lines by owner CSX. Operations continued from the St. Petersburg station for Amtrak's Thruway Motorcoach bus service, linking passengers to rail connections in Tampa and Orlando
. The station served as a boarding location for the bus service until the 1990s, when the station was closed.
Amtrak continues to offer Thruway Motorcoach service for St. Petersburg and all of Pinellas County
through a station located in Clearwater, Florida
. The Clearwater-St. Petersburg Station retains the STP Amtrak code previously used by the 1963 St. Petersburg station.
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
. It is located northwest of downtown at 3601 31st Street North.
Atlantic Coast Line
The station was built in 1963 by the Atlantic Coast Line RailroadAtlantic Coast Line Railroad
The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was an American railroad that existed between 1900 and 1967, when it merged with the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, its long-time rival, to form the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad...
, and was the third station in the city's history built to serve Atlantic Coast Line passenger trains. It replaced a 1913 downtown St. Petersburg facility, following the city's request that rail service be relocated away from the downtown area.
Seaboard Coast Line
By 1968, the station's operations came under the banner of the Seaboard Coast Line RailroadSeaboard Coast Line Railroad
The Seaboard Coast Line Railroad was a former Class I railroad company operating in the Southeastern United States beginning in 1967. Its passenger operations were taken over by Amtrak in 1971...
, formed by the merger of Atlantic Coast Line with rival company Seaboard Air Line Railroad
Seaboard Air Line Railroad
The Seaboard Air Line Railroad , which styled itself "The Route of Courteous Service," was an American railroad whose corporate existence extended from April 14, 1900, until July 1, 1967, when it merged with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, its longtime rival, to form the Seaboard Coast Line...
. The two formerly independent passenger operations were consolidated at this location, resulting in the closure of St. Petersburg's Seaboard Air Line Station.
Amtrak
The station's service under Seaboard Coast Line continued until 1971, when 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...
assumed operation of most of the nation's passenger rail service. Assigned station code STP, the St. Petersburg Amtrak Station was serviced by trains such as the Floridian
Floridian (Amtrak)
The Floridian was an Amtrak route that ran from Chicago to Miami and St. Petersburg, Florida. Its route mainly followed that of several former Louisville and Nashville Railroad passenger trains, including the Humming Bird...
and the Silver Meteor
Silver Meteor
The Silver Meteor is a 1389-mile passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the Silver Service brand, running from New York City, New York, south to Miami, Florida, via the Northeast Corridor to Washington, D.C., thence via Richmond, Virginia; Fayetteville, North Carolina; North Charleston, South...
. In 1984, rail service to St. Petersburg came to an end following abandonment of the rail lines by owner CSX. Operations continued from the St. Petersburg station for Amtrak's Thruway Motorcoach bus service, linking passengers to rail connections in Tampa and Orlando
Orlando (Amtrak station)
The Orlando Amtrak station lies south of Downtown Orlando, about a mile south of the old stations at Church Street and Central Boulevard. It was built in 1926 by M. A. Griffith and W. T. Hadlow for the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in the Spanish Mission style, and used by the Seaboard Coast Line...
. The station served as a boarding location for the bus service until the 1990s, when the station was closed.
Today
Today, the former St. Petersburg station has been renovated for use by a pharmaceutical company.Amtrak continues to offer Thruway Motorcoach service for St. Petersburg and all of Pinellas County
Pinellas County, Florida
Pinellas County is a county located in the state of Florida. Its county seat is Clearwater, Florida, and its largest city is St. Petersburg. This county is contained entirely within the telephone area code 727, except for some sections of Oldsmar, which have the area code 813...
through a station located in Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater is a city located in Pinellas County, Florida, US, nearly due west of Tampa and northwest of St. Petersburg. In the west of Clearwater lies the Gulf of Mexico and in the east lies Tampa Bay. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 108,787. It is the county seat of...
. The Clearwater-St. Petersburg Station retains the STP Amtrak code previously used by the 1963 St. Petersburg station.