Ocala Union Station

The Ocala Union Station (also known as Union Station Plaza) is a historic site in Ocala, Florida, United States. It is located at 531 Northeast First Avenue, and was built in 1917 by both the Atlantic Coast Line and Seaboard Air Line Railroads. Prior to this, ACL and SAL had separate depots in Ocala. The former ACL station was originally built by the Florida Southern Railroad, while the former SAL station was built by the Florida Transit and Peninsular Railroad.[3] On December 22, 1997, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

Ocala, FL
A frontal view of the Ocala Union Station.
Location531 Northeast First Avenue, Ocala, Florida 34770
Line(s)Thruway Motorcoach service to the Silver Meteor and Silver Star
Other information
Station codeOCA
History
Opened1917
Closed2004[1]
Former services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
Wildwood
toward Miami
 Floridian
(1971–1979)
 Waldo
toward Chicago
Palmetto Waldo
toward New York
Preceding station Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Following station
Candler
toward St. Petersburg
 Ocala District Kendrick
toward Jacksonville
Preceding station Seaboard Air Line Railroad Following station
Wildwood
toward Tampa or Miami
 Main Line Waldo
toward Richmond
Ocala Union Station
LocationOcala, Florida
Coordinates29°11′31″N 82°8′9″W
ArchitectA. M. Williamson Walkup
NRHP reference No.97001557[2]
Added to NRHPDecember 22, 1997

History

The station's ACL New York-originating trains included the West Coast Champion and Havana Special.[4] Those trains made connections in Jacksonville's Union Station for trains to Mid-Western cities, the City of Miami, Dixie Flagler, Dixie Flyer, Dixie Limited, Flamingo, Seminole, South Wind. The station was on the SAL's main line, as such it served the New York-originating Camellia, Palmland, Sunland, Silver Meteor and Silver Star.[5]

The station served in the 1970s Amtrak's Silver Meteor and Chicago-Miami Floridian.[6] In the 1980s and 1990s it served Amtrak's Silver Palm. It also served as a stop for Amtrak's Palmetto service until 2004, using the Seaboard Air Line's former tracks, now part of the Wildwood Subdivision, a segment of the CSX S Line. The former Atlantic Coast Line tracks are now part of Florida Northern Railroad. Currently Amtrak exclusively offers bus service from the station twice a day: one run to connect to the Silver Star in Lakeland and one to connect in Jacksonville. There are several intermediate stops in each direction.

Ocala's SunTran bus service still uses the station to this day. The Shuttleliner limo/van service offers several trips daily to Orlando International Airport from the station. Greyhound service will be provided at the Pilot Travel Center at 4032 W. Highway 326, two blocks east of Interstate 75.[7]

  • Sign for the station.

References
  1. "Loss of Amtrak Service Shouldn't Derail Dade City". The Tampa Bay Times. October 29, 2004. p. 161. Retrieved January 13, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  3. Mulligan, M.: "Railroad Depots of Central Florida", pages 40, 84, 117-119. Arcadia Publishing, 2008.
  4. 'Official Guide of the Railways,' June 1961, Atlantic Coast Line section
  5. 'Official Guide of the Railways, December 1954, Seaboard Air Line Railroad section, Condensed Table
  6. Amtrak Timetable July 1979, p. 28 http://www.timetables.org/full.php?group=19790729&item=0029
  7. "Greyhound leaving city, moving station to I-75/CR 326" by Susan Latham Carr (OcalaSun Monday, November 4, 2013)
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