Tempe station is a former train station in

Tempe, Arizona , settlement_type = City , named_for = Vale of Tempe , image_skyline = Tempeskyline3.jpg , imagesize = 260px , image_caption = Tempe skyline as se ...

. Previously,

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada ...

's '' Sunset Limited'' and ''

Texas Eagle The ''Texas Eagle'' is a daily passenger train route operated by Amtrak between Chicago and San Antonio in the central and western United States. Prior to 1988, the train was known as the ''Eagle''. Trains #21 (southbound) and 22 (northbound) ...

'' trains stopped at the station, but they were shifted to a more southerly route in June 1996. However, an

Amtrak Thruway Amtrak Thruway is a system of through-ticketed transportation services to connect passengers with areas not served by Amtrak trains. In most cases these are dedicated motorcoach routes, but can also be non-dedicated intercity bus services, transi ...

shuttle route connects the station to the

Maricopa station Maricopa station is an Amtrak train station in Maricopa, Arizona, United States, serving Phoenix and central Arizona. The station accommodates travelers who use the combined '' Sunset Limited'' and ''Texas Eagle'', which operates three times per w ...

on the new routing.

History

The Southern Pacific Railroad built the depot in 1924. The city of Tempe purchased the building in 1987 and renovated it. The station was served by Amtrak's '' Sunset Limited'' and ''

'' from 1987 until June 3, 1996, when Amtrak was forced to re-route the trains due to deteriorated track conditions on the secondary

Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...

line which diverged from the mainline to serve Phoenix and Tempe. Amtrak opened the

to serve Phoenix, Tempe and the greater Central Arizona area. After Amtrak left the station, Macayo's Depot Cantina, a Mexican restaurant, was built on the site, but the historic train depot was untouched. On May 1, 2017, Amtrak started a new

shuttle service (operated by Stagecoach Express) connecting Tempe station and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport to Maricopa station. In the early 2000s, the area saw the construction of several new rail lines. In 2008, the

Valley Metro Rail Valley Metro Rail (styled as METRO) is a light rail line serving the cities of Phoenix, Tempe, and Mesa in Arizona, USA. The network, which is part of the Valley Metro public transit system, began operations on December 27, 2008. In , the sys ...

line opened with light rail trains running parallel to the Union Pacific tracks, and curving east onto 3rd Avenue just north of the historic train depot. In Spring 2022, the

Tempe Streetcar The Tempe Streetcar, referred to as the Streetcar Line on regional transit maps, is a streetcar extension of Phoenix's Valley Metro Rail system. Construction began in 2017, and the line opened for service on May 20, 2022. It serves 14 stops acro ...

is expected to open, with southbound cars passing right by the station site. In January 2021, the city of Tempe approved a plan to redevelop the station site into a mixed-use development, which also will preserve and restore the train depot on the site. The development will include two towers: a 17-story office tower and a 18-story Hilton-branded hotel tower. The two towers will connect with a bridge over the light rail tracks.

References

External links

Former Tempe Southern Pacific & Amtrak Station (USA RailGuide – TrainWeb)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tempe, Arizona (Train Station)

Former Amtrak stations in Arizona Railway stations in the United States opened in 1924 Railway stations closed in 1996 1924 establishments in Arizona 1996 disestablishments in Arizona Transportation in Maricopa County, Arizona Former Southern Pacific Railroad stations Railway stations on the National Register of Historic Places in Arizona National Register of Historic Places in Maricopa County, Arizona

History

See also

References

External links