Centralia, Washington (Amtrak station)

Infobox Station
style=Amtrak
name=Centralia


image_size=
image_caption=
address=210 Railroad Avenue Centralia, WA 98531
line=
other= Twin Transit
platform=
parking=Free
passengers=21,049
pass_year=FY2007
pass_percent=12
pass_system=Amtrak
opened=1912 [cite web |title= Centralia |publisher= Washington State Department of Transportation(WSDOT) |url= http://www.amtrakcascades.com/Centralia.aspx |accessdate= 2007-02-26]
rebuilt=2002 [cite web |title= Amtrak "Cascades" Ridership and Station On-Off Information |publisher= Washington State Department of Transportation(WSDOT) |url= http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/rail/Information/Ridership/12-06%20Ridership%20and%20Station%20On-Offs%20Web%20Report.pdf |format= PDF |accessdate= 2007-02-26]
ADA=
code=CTL
owned=
zone=The Centralia Union Depot is an Amtrak station in Centralia, Washington. It is served by the "Coast Starlight" and "Amtrak Cascades" passenger trains.

The station had 21,049 boardings during Amtrak's 2007 fiscal year, an increase of 2,266 boardings from FY2006. [cite web |title= Amtrak Fact Sheet, FY2005, State of Washington |publisher= [http://www.amtrak.com Amtrak] |date= October 2006 |url= http://www.amtrak.com/pdf/factsheets/WASHINGTON05.pdf |format= PDF |accessdate= 2007-02-26] [cite web |title= Amtrak Fact Sheet, FY2006, State of Washington |publisher= [http://www.amtrak.com Amtrak] |date= December 2006 |url= http://www.amtrak.com/pdf/factsheets/WASHINGTON06.pdf |format= PDF |accessdate= 2007-02-26]

The track and platforms are owned by BNSF Railway.

Local transit connections are provided by Twin Transit.

History

The station was constructed by the Northern Pacific Railway (NP) and opened in 1912. It is the third station to have been constructed in Centralia since rail service began in 1880. [cite web|url=http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM3GY0|title=Centralia Union Depot|publisher=waymarking.com]

The large brick structure was built to accommodate a 400% population boom in the area from 1900-1914. Only 2 years after its opening, Centralia Union Depot was being served by 44 passenger trains and 17 freight trains daily. The station faced 14 hotels along Tower Avenue, as well as 5 theaters and 8 banks in the downtown core. [cite web|url=http://www.awcnet.org/conf2003/centralia2.pdf|title=Restoration of the Historic Centralia Railroad Depot|publisher=City of Centralia Community Development]

The demise of NP with its merger into Burlington Northern Railroad (BN) in 1970 and the creation of Amtrak to provide passenger rail service in 1971, coupled with increased automobile traffic on Interstate 5 saw the Centralia Union Depot deteriorate, much as the city's downtown core was experiencing economic decline. Local civic leaders recognized the problem during the mid-1980s and began a two decade project that would see the structure acquired by the city and restored as part of a larger downtown revitalization project. [cite web|url=http://www.awcnet.org/conf2003/centralia2.pdf|title=Restoration of the Historic Centralia Railroad Depot|publisher=City of Centralia Community Development]

The 1996 merger of BN to form the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway (BNSF) spurred both the city and the state Department of Transportation (Rail Branch) to negotiate with BNSF to acquire the depot. [cite web|url=http://www.awcnet.org/conf2003/centralia2.pdf|title=Restoration of the Historic Centralia Railroad Depot|publisher=City of Centralia Community Development] Following its purchase, the city began the design process for the historic restoration which took place as follows:

* Phase 1 (1996) consisted of exterior work. Stabilize structure deterioration, restore roof dormers that had been removed, install new tile roof, re-point brick exterior, new utilities, new parking lots at each end of the building. [cite web|url=http://www.awcnet.org/conf2003/centralia2.pdf|title=Restoration of the Historic Centralia Railroad Depot|publisher=City of Centralia Community Development]

* Phase 2 (2000) consisted of interior work. New floors, restored mill work and brass fittings, Amtrak ticket office, baggage room, freight room, express building, HVAC, elevator. [cite web|url=http://www.awcnet.org/conf2003/centralia2.pdf|title=Restoration of the Historic Centralia Railroad Depot|publisher=City of Centralia Community Development]

The restoration project was completed in April 2002 and celebrated in the city's "Railroad Days" festival. [cite web|url=http://www.awcnet.org/conf2003/centralia2.pdf|title=Restoration of the Historic Centralia Railroad Depot|publisher=City of Centralia Community Development]

The depot is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2007-01-23|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service]

Notes and references

External links

* [http://www4.localaccess.com/twintransit/index.htm Twin Transit website]
* [http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM3GY0 waymarking.com - Centralia Union Depot]
* [http://www.awcnet.org/conf2003/centralia2.pdf Restoration report for Centralia Union Depot]

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