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Amtrak to return to Denver Union Station Feb. 28
My only visit to Denver Union Station was in 1979, and it struck me as being a beautiful building that had declined into a dark, grim cave. I am happy that Denver kept the building and has turned it into a useful transit hub, as have St. Paul, Minn, Meridian, Miss., and probably some other cities that I don’t know about. These sorts of projects show real progress for cities and mass transit.
I’m glad Amtrak will be moving back to Union Station. When we traveled last summer we had to wait in the drab temporary station and to spot the train on the stub track they had to back it in at about 2 mph. Then we had to cross a city street to board the train. It worked but I’m glad that’s over. Congrats to Denver.
I got a pre-opening tour last week.
The two tracks for AMTRAK are 900’ and 1000’. No trains over 11 cars. No place to set off private cars.
It still requires a back up move to enter and it is a stub end.
A lot of form but short on function. My personal opinion, of course.
Ira Schreiber
Past President
Colorado Rail Passenger Association
I’m so glad Denver rehabilitated this beautiful old building rather than allowing it to deteriorate further or knocking it down. That would have been a real shame.
A great project that will make use of intercity and local public transportation much more viable. And the station will include a hotel, restaurants and other shops. A new gem in the crown of downtown Denver. The last twelve months have been a banner year for major train station restoration and revitalization: King Street Station, Seattle; St. Paul Union Station and Denver Union Station. All will be served by light rail. Seattle is currently served by commuter rail and light rail (two blocks away) and streetcar later this year; St. Paul will have light rail; Denver has light rail and in 2016 commuter rail. All have extensive bus transit connections.
A great project that will make use of intercity and local public transportation much more viable. And the station will include a hotel, restaurants and other shops. A new gem in the crown of downtown Denver. The last twelve months have been a banner year for major train station restoration and revitalization: King Street Station, Seattle; St. Paul Union Station and Denver Union Station. All will be served by light rail. Seattle is currently served by commuter rail and light rail (two blocks away) and streetcar later this year; St. Paul will have light rail; Denver has light rail and in 2016 commuter rail. All have extensive bus transit connections.
From its inception many years ago, the California Zephyr has always backed in (except when Amtrak operated it into Cheyenne and the cars ran backwards between Denver and Cheyenne)–unless it had to detour over Tennessee Pass. That’s the way the tracks are laid.
We’ll be traveling to Denver in May and look forward to coming back into Union Station again. The old station had a large model railroad in the basement. Does anyone know if it being re-built??
Dave Richardson
A grand project.
We loved to take the Zephyr to that grand station in the past and have missed it. We always got off there heading westbound in the morning hours. Glad it will be in operation when we pass through it eastbound in early April!
I’m happy to read that old stations are being restored. To bad it took the destruction of Penn. Station NYC to help save the others.
Looking forward to this project finishing in 2016. With the Zephyr the first to return to the station, we see “light at the end of the tunnel.” Next will be two commuter rail projects. Exciting times are ahead.
It will be nice to this project completed. Have not been there for awhile.
It will be nice to be able to board trains again at Union Station, the temporary station was inconvenient for people that rode the bus to downtown Denver and then took the Mall Shuttle to Union Station. The mall shuttle did not go anywhere near the temporary Amtrak depot. Unfortunately for those who use light rail to get to Denver, the new light rail station is further from Amtrak than it was in the past.
As for the model railroad layouts in the basement. They are gone for good. The model railroad groups were told to find other locations and to leave Union Station as the owners had other uses for the basement. Too bad, but guess that is the way life goes. I do not know about either the O gauge or HO gauge clubs and whether they found a place to relocate to, but there is an N gauge club in the Forney Museum (new location) that is recreating the Moffat Route from Denver to Moffat Tunnel. That group has started recently, but seems to be making good progress and has its mainline laid along with some of the yards they are planning.
As for destroying Union Station, that would not have happened, because it was declared a National Landmark a decade or so ago.
Unfortunately the planners of the new Denver Union Station complex removed the light rail connection to a location 2 1/2 blocks away from Amtrak and future commuter rail and never seriously considered locating Denver’s intercity bus station there. What could have been a truly fine intermodal transportation center was ruined by real estate profiteers and their supporters at city hall.
Unfortunately the planners of the new Denver Union Station complex removed the light rail connection to a location 2 1/2 blocks away from Amtrak and future commuter rail and never seriously considered locating Denver’s intercity bus station there. What could have been a truly fine intermodal transportation center was ruined by real estate profiteers and their supporters at city hall.
I look forward to the opening of this grand building, but it is
not what was promides to those of us who worked for it and
other Regional Transit Authority projects, i.e. a “transit hub;”
It is first a real estate development with several buiilding partially blockin a view of the station. It includes a hotel
Occupying most of the station named for a “visionary” developer acc’d to the Denver Post. Among shortages in addition to those named in letters above, it has no tracks heading south and little capacity for high speed rail in the
future. Once again those who vote and poll strongly for better rail passeenger service have got the shaft while certain
money interests have mined the gold.
directly south
It
Never believe a politician, keep a close eye on city hall and always follow the money trail to get a good idea of the true impact of a project.
Me and wife look forward to stopping thru and being able see the new station in july.Thanks Amtrak and Denver and all the people involved.