Union station
Encyclopedia
A union station is the term used for a train station
where tracks and facilities are shared by two or more railway compan
ies, allowing passengers to connect conveniently between them. The term 'union station' is used in North America
and 'joint station' in Europe.
Historically, a union station was used by all passenger trains serving the city. Today, this is not necessarily true. In Chicago, Illinois, for example, commuter trains
use four different terminals, while the city's Union Station handles all intercity traffic.
, a union station is usually owned by a separate corporation
whose shares are owned by the different railways which use it, so that the costs and benefits of its operations are shared proportionately among them. This contrasts with the system of trackage rights
or running rights, where one railway company owns a line or facility, but allows another company to share it under a contract
ual agreement. However, the company that owns the union station and associated trackage does assign trackage rights to the railroads that use it. Many of the jointly-owned stations were built by terminal railroad
s. Examples include the Ogden Union Railway & Depot Company, jointly owned by Southern Pacific and Union Pacific to manage the Ogden Union Station in Ogden, Utah, and the Denver Terminal Railway Company, representing the Denver & Rio Grande Western, Chicago Burlington & Quincy, Union Pacific, Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe, Colorado & Southern and Chicago Rock Island & Pacific railways, which managed the station in Denver, Colorado.
, railways have historically been owned and operated by state enterprises. Where only one railway company exists, there is no need for a "joint station". However, before nationalisation many companies existed and sometimes they had "joint stations". In some cases this persists today. "Joint stations" are often found near borders where two state-owned railway companies meet, for example, Basel
Badischer Bahnhof.
, before the railways were nationalised in 1948, the term used was joint station. This term has occasionally been revived since the railways were returned to the private sector in the 1990s, but is not as familiar or as well-understood as "union station" in the United States. One of the problems is that the station effectively has to have a landlord, though ticketing arrangements may be separate. In some cases this is the residuary national owner of the track, Network Rail
.
, the equivalent term Gemeinschaftsbahnhof is used in administrative language only. The term Hauptbahnhof corresponds to Central Station
and means the most important and usually most frequently used station of a city.
(part of the territory of the Czech Republic
today) some stations were called the "společné nádraží" (the common station) before the state took over the private railway companies. "Praha-Smíchov společné nádraží" is to this day the functional name of the second station built in 1872 by the same investor near the first station Smíchov
of the Pražská západní dráha (Prague Western Railroad). The new station served as the main marshalling yard of Prague
. Three routes flowed into it: Pražská spojovací dráha (the Prague Connecting Railroad, 1872), the extension of Buštěhradská dráha from Hostivice
(1872) and Pražsko-duchcovská dráha (the Railroad Prague
– Duchcov
, 1873). Nowadays the "společné nádraží" forms an unremarkable separate platform of the station Praha-Smíchov, known in timetables as "Praha-Smíchov severní nástupiště" (the northern platform).
"Společné nádraží" was built 1845–1848 at Brno
.
"Společné nádraží" was at Železná Ruda
as well, station at border Bavaria
– Austro-Hungarian Empire. It was in operation 1878–1938.
Nowadays the largest stations are called "hlavní nádraží" (main station).
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
where tracks and facilities are shared by two or more railway compan
Railway company
A railway company or railroad company is an entity that operates a railroad track and/or trains. Such a company can either be private or public...
ies, allowing passengers to connect conveniently between them. The term 'union station' is used in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and 'joint station' in Europe.
Historically, a union station was used by all passenger trains serving the city. Today, this is not necessarily true. In Chicago, Illinois, for example, commuter trains
Regional rail
Commuter rail, also called suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates between a city center, and the middle to outer suburbs beyond 15km and commuter towns or other locations that draw large numbers of commuters—people who travel on a daily basis...
use four different terminals, while the city's Union Station handles all intercity traffic.
North America
In North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, a union station is usually owned by a separate corporation
Corporation
A corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
whose shares are owned by the different railways which use it, so that the costs and benefits of its operations are shared proportionately among them. This contrasts with the system of trackage rights
Trackage rights
Trackage rights , running rights or running powers is an agreement whereby a railway company has the right to run its trains on tracks owned by another railway company....
or running rights, where one railway company owns a line or facility, but allows another company to share it under a contract
Contract
A contract is an agreement entered into by two parties or more with the intention of creating a legal obligation, which may have elements in writing. Contracts can be made orally. The remedy for breach of contract can be "damages" or compensation of money. In equity, the remedy can be specific...
ual agreement. However, the company that owns the union station and associated trackage does assign trackage rights to the railroads that use it. Many of the jointly-owned stations were built by terminal railroad
Terminal Railroad
Terminal Railroad or Terminal Railway may refer to:*Terminal railroad, a railroad that operates a terminal facility*Terminal Railway Alabama State Docks*Terminal Railway of Buffalo, predecessor of the New York Central Railroad...
s. Examples include the Ogden Union Railway & Depot Company, jointly owned by Southern Pacific and Union Pacific to manage the Ogden Union Station in Ogden, Utah, and the Denver Terminal Railway Company, representing the Denver & Rio Grande Western, Chicago Burlington & Quincy, Union Pacific, Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe, Colorado & Southern and Chicago Rock Island & Pacific railways, which managed the station in Denver, Colorado.
Major Union Stations in North America (still in use)
- Indianapolis, 1850
- Washington, D.C.Union Station (Washington, D.C.)Washington Union Station is a train station and leisure destination visited by 32 million people each year in the center of Washington, D.C. The train station is served by Amtrak, MARC and Virginia Railway Express commuter rail services as well as by Washington Metro subway trains and local buses...
, 1908 - WinnipegUnion Station (Winnipeg)Union Station is the inter-city railway station for Winnipeg, Manitoba.It is a grand beaux-arts structure situated near The Forks in downtown Winnipeg. It was built by the Canadian Northern Railway, National Transcontinental, and Grand Trunk Pacific Railway...
, 1911 - ChicagoUnion Station (Chicago)Union Station is a major train station that opened in 1925 in Chicago, replacing an earlier 1881 station. It is now the only intercity rail terminal in Chicago, as well as being the city's primary terminal for commuter trains. The station stands on the west side of the Chicago River between Adams...
, 1925 - TorontoUnion Station (Toronto)Union Station is the major inter-city rail station and a major commuter rail hub in Toronto, located on Front Street West and occupying the south side of the block bounded by Bay Street and York Street in the central business district. The station building is owned by the City of Toronto, while the...
, 1927 - Los AngelesUnion Station (Los Angeles)Los Angeles Union Station is the main railway station in Los Angeles, California. The station has rail services by Amtrak and Amtrak California and Metrolink; light rail/subways are the Metro Rail Red Line, Purple Line, Gold Line. Bus rapid transport runs on the Silver Line...
, 1939
Other Union Stations in North America
- Alexandria, Virginia, 1905
- Salt Lake City, UtahSalt Lake City Union Pacific DepotThe Salt Lake City Union Pacific Depot is a spacious building on the western edge of downtown Salt Lake City, Utah. Built from 1908 to 1909, it harkens back to a more prosperous era in the history of American railroad travel...
, 1909 (Oregon Short Line and San Pedro, Los Angeles & Salt Lake) - Salt Lake City, Utah, 1911 (Denver & Rio Grande Western and Western Pacific)
- Kansas City, MissouriUnion Station (Kansas City, Missouri)Union Station Kansas City in Kansas City, Missouri, is one of many union stations in the United States.-History:Around the turn of the 20th century, the Kansas City Terminal Railway, a company controlled by the *12 railroads serving Kansas City, decided that a new location was needed for the train...
, 1914 - Denver, Colorado, 1914
- Ogden, Utah, 1924
- Miami, FloridaMiami Central StationMiami Central Station, also called Miami Airport Station, is a rapid transit, commuter rail, intercity rail, and intercity bus union station currently under construction in Miami, Florida, United States, in the Grapeland Heights neighborhood....
, 2012
Europe
In most countries in EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, railways have historically been owned and operated by state enterprises. Where only one railway company exists, there is no need for a "joint station". However, before nationalisation many companies existed and sometimes they had "joint stations". In some cases this persists today. "Joint stations" are often found near borders where two state-owned railway companies meet, for example, Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
Badischer Bahnhof.
United Kingdom
In the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, before the railways were nationalised in 1948, the term used was joint station. This term has occasionally been revived since the railways were returned to the private sector in the 1990s, but is not as familiar or as well-understood as "union station" in the United States. One of the problems is that the station effectively has to have a landlord, though ticketing arrangements may be separate. In some cases this is the residuary national owner of the track, Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
.
Germany, Austria and Switzerland
In GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, the equivalent term Gemeinschaftsbahnhof is used in administrative language only. The term Hauptbahnhof corresponds to Central Station
Central Station
-Railway stations:A central station is generally the principal passenger railway station of major towns and cities which have multiple stations, or a station owned by a railway with "Central" in its name, such as the English Great Central Railway....
and means the most important and usually most frequently used station of a city.
Bohemia and Moravia
In BohemiaBohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
(part of the territory of the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
today) some stations were called the "společné nádraží" (the common station) before the state took over the private railway companies. "Praha-Smíchov společné nádraží" is to this day the functional name of the second station built in 1872 by the same investor near the first station Smíchov
Smíchov
Smíchov is a district of Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, and is part of Prague 5. It is located on the west bank of the Vltava river....
of the Pražská západní dráha (Prague Western Railroad). The new station served as the main marshalling yard of Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
. Three routes flowed into it: Pražská spojovací dráha (the Prague Connecting Railroad, 1872), the extension of Buštěhradská dráha from Hostivice
Hostivice
Hostivice is a town in the Czech Republic, a suburb on the west border of Prague. Its population is about 6,500. It is close to the international airport Praha-Ruzyně and on the main road from Prague to Karlovy Vary .-External links:...
(1872) and Pražsko-duchcovská dráha (the Railroad Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
– Duchcov
Duchcov
Duchcov is a town in the Teplice District in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has a population exceeding 9,000 and is located at the foot of the Ore Mountains....
, 1873). Nowadays the "společné nádraží" forms an unremarkable separate platform of the station Praha-Smíchov, known in timetables as "Praha-Smíchov severní nástupiště" (the northern platform).
"Společné nádraží" was built 1845–1848 at Brno
Brno
Brno by population and area is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, the largest Moravian city, and the historical capital city of the Margraviate of Moravia. Brno is the administrative centre of the South Moravian Region where it forms a separate district Brno-City District...
.
"Společné nádraží" was at Železná Ruda
Železná Ruda
Železná Ruda is a town in the Pilsen Region of the Czech Republic. It is located in the Šumava Mountains, close to the border with Bavaria and the German town Bayerisch Eisenstein. It has been one of the important sports and touristic centres of the Šumava Mountains...
as well, station at border Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
– Austro-Hungarian Empire. It was in operation 1878–1938.
Nowadays the largest stations are called "hlavní nádraží" (main station).