Springfield station (Illinois)

Springfield station is a brick railroad depot in Springfield, Illinois, the state capital. It is at mile 185 on Amtrak's Illinois and Missouri Route. As of 2007, it is served by five daily round trips each way: the daily Texas Eagle, and four daily Lincoln Service frequencies.

Springfield, IL
A Lincoln Service train at Springfield in 2019
LocationNorth 3rd Street and Washington Street
Springfield, Illinois
United States
Coordinates39.8023°N 89.6515°W / 39.8023; -89.6515
Owned bySPCSL Corporation (subsidiary of Union Pacific)
Line(s)Union Pacific Railroad Springfield Subdivision
Platforms1 side platform
Tracks1
Construction
Disabled accessYes
Other information
Station codeAmtrak code: SPI
History
Opened1895
Passengers
2017177,241[1]  7.1%
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
Carlinville
toward St. Louis
 Lincoln Service Lincoln
toward Chicago
Carlinville
toward Los Angeles or San Antonio
 Texas Eagle
Former services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
Carlinville
toward Laredo or Houston
 Inter-American Lincoln
toward Chicago
Preceding station Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad Following station
Chatham
toward Mobile
 Main Line Sherman
toward St. Louis

History
The station building in 2005

The station was originally constructed by the Chicago and Alton Railroad in 1895 and is one of three historic railroad stations still existing in the city, along with the Lincoln Depot built by the Great Western Railroad in 1852 and Springfield Union Station built by the Illinois Central Railroad in 1898. Prior to the start up of Amtrak on May 1, 1971 it was operated by a successor company, the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad, and was served by a variety of named trains, including the Alton Limited, the Abraham Lincoln, and the Midnight Special.

Springfield was intended to be the southwestern terminus of the State House, predecessor of today's Lincoln Service. However, Amtrak extended this train to St. Louis at its own expense because the Chicago and Alton/GM&O station was not designed to turn trainsets around.

Louis Grell mural in railroad station.

The passenger station is decorated with a small mural. Painted on the wall atop the ticket office, the mural features a route map of the post-1947 Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad and the state seals of Alabama, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee.[2] The mural is the work of Louis Grell of Chicago.[3]

Springfield is applying for federal grant money to construct a new transportation hub building that could bring together Amtrak and local bus service. Estimates of the cost of this project, published in February 2007, ranged from $13 to $18 million,[4] but this was a decrease from an earlier estimate of $50.0 million.[5] One reason for the discrepancies is uncertainty over whether to try to accomplish a major relocation of railroad tracks that pass through downtown Springfield; the tracks have served the downtown area since the time of Abraham Lincoln.

In a 2010-2011 project, authorities supervised the railroad station's comprehensive refurbishment. Overhauled elements included the GM&O mural, trackside landscaping, passenger seating, handicapped accessibility, parking lot repaving and a new station roof.[6][7][8] The $714,500 project was financed by the city and Amtrak. Springfield used $571,500 obtained through the Central Area Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district that covers much of the downtown. Other stakeholders involved in the renovation included Union Pacific Railroad, which owns the track and platform, and the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, which reviewed project plans to ensure that the station's historic elements were preserved.[9]

See also

References
  1. "Amtrak Fact Sheet, FY2017, State of Illinois" (PDF). Amtrak. November 2017. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  2. "Renovation begins at Springfield Amtrak station". The State Journal-Register. April 7, 2011. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
  3. "Chicago Theatre Mural Painter". WTTW. January 27, 2015. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
  4. Tim Landis, "Planning Mode: Transportation hub could be built for $14m-$18m", "State Journal Register", February 3, 2007
  5. All aboard? by Kurt Erickson - Illinois Issues
  6. "Upgrade of Illinois passenger station to begin this summer". Trains Magazine. 14 May 2010. Retrieved 15 May 2010.
  7. "Renovation begins at Springfield Amtrak station". The State Journal-Register. 7 April 2011. Archived from the original on 9 April 2011. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
  8. Landis, Tim (17 September 2011). "Third Street Station: Dressed up depot". State Journal-Register. p. 1.
  9. Great American Stations. Accessed March 28, 2013.
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