Fremont station (also known as Fremont–Centerville station) is a train station located in the Centerville area of Fremont, California, United States. The station is served by

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 ...

Capitol Corridor The ''Capitol Corridor'' is a passenger train route in Northern California operated by Amtrak between San Jose, in the Bay Area, and Auburn, in the Sacramento Valley. The route is named after the two points most trains operate between, San J ...

commuter rail Commuter rail, or suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting Commuting, commuters to a Downtown, central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter towns. Generally commuter r ...

intercity rail Inter-city rail services are express passenger train services that run services that connect cities over longer distances than commuter or regional trains. There is no precise definition of inter-city rail; its meaning may vary from country ...

service and the

Altamont Corridor Express The Altamont Corridor Express (also known as ACE, formerly Altamont Commuter Express) is a commuter rail service in California, connecting Stockton and San Jose during peak hours only. ACE is named for the Altamont Pass, through which it runs ...

(ACE) commuter rail service. The station has two platforms serving the two tracks of the Niles Subdivision. Most trains use the longer west platform (Platform 1).

History

North side of Fremont-Centerville station, July 2018

Centerville's first Southern Pacific Railroad station was nothing more than a

boxcar A boxcar is the North American ( AAR) term for a railroad car that is enclosed and generally used to carry freight. The boxcar, while not the simplest freight car design, is considered one of the most versatile since it can carry most ...

, functioning in that capacity from May 1909 to September 1910. In that month the current wooden structure was opened. It was one of sixty Type 23 stations built by Southern Pacific, and its cost was under $5,000

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(equivalent to $ in ).Great American Stations
Accessed 2 February 2013. The station was a busy one during its early years, handling both freight and passenger traffic, including two to three daily

milk train Rail terminology is a form of technical terminology. The difference between the American term ''railroad'' and the international term ''railway'' (used by the International Union of Railways and English-speaking countries outside the United Sta ...

s. By the mid-1920s, automobile traffic began to grow, and the milk trains were discontinued. Passenger service ended on March 29, 1940. The

Railway Express Agency Railway Express Agency (REA), founded as the American Railway Express Agency and later renamed the American Railway Express Inc., was a national package delivery service that operated in the United States from 1918 to 1975. REA arranged trans ...

continued shipping to and from the station until 1958. The station was completely closed on September 30, 1961. The station changed hands many times in the following decades, becoming a furniture store, a spice store, a toy store, and an electronics store at different times. Its condition deteriorated, however, and in 1991 it was abandoned. The Depot Diner, located at the west end of the depot, contains the historic "creamery" counter and chairs from Cloverdale Creamery (which closed in 2000). Fremont Flowers (which in 1956 opened in the depot) moved the original diner chairs and counter to the depot. The owner of the flower shop also owns the Depot Diner. On June 4, 1993,

restored service to the depot. In December of that year, it was acquired by the city. On March 15, 1995, the station was moved from the south side of the tracks to the north side of the tracks; it was also rotated 180 degrees to allow for more parking space. The station was restored between October 1998 and June 12, 1999. The cost of these projects was over $900,000. The station now appears as it did in 1910. On November 23, 2002, a platform and shelter was built on the south side of the tracks. It is called the Bill Ball Plaza, named after a former mayor of Fremont. Funding was allocated via SB 1 to extend the station platform. A 2016-released Vision Plan called for ''Capitol Corridor'' trains to be rerouted over the Coast Subdivision, which is used by less freight service. Fremont station would be replaced by a new station on the border of Fremont and Newark on the Coast Subdivision.

References

External links

Fremont, CA – ACE
{{Amtrak California stations Amtrak stations in Alameda County, California Altamont Corridor Express stations in Alameda County, California Buildings and structures in Fremont, California Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach stations in Alameda County, California Bus stations in Alameda County, California Former Southern Pacific Railroad stations in California Railway stations in the United States opened in 1910 Railway stations in the United States opened in 1993 Railway stations closed in 1940