For the second time in the past few years a passenger station is expanding. Seattle King ST. station was a few years ago to cover Sounder and additional Cascades trains.
Now Metrolink has announced a restoration of LAX Uniion Station's platform 7 and the reactivation of tracks 13,14, 15. These were taken out of service over 35 years ago when AMTRAK started. The work will include a canopy (new?) and access ramps and steps. Work starts Mar 2011 and will take a year. After these are finished one platform at a time will be taken out of service to redo the canopys (was not clear if that is included in the year's work or is add on. Some tracks and platforms were lost for the light rail terminal added there. Metrolink's site
http://www.metrolinktrains.com/metrolink_at_work/?id=9
says it is for both them and AMTRAK.
Yes, it's for both Metrolink and Amtrak, and also it's very preliminary preparation for the HSR which is coming in a few years (the starter segment breaks ground next year).
Also huge news in Los Angeles transportation - Metro, our local transit agency, will be buying Union Station from its current owner. Yes, now that Walthers made the HO scale version available, our transit agency has bought the 1:1 scale version. This would open up more possibilities to the station as a transit hub, especially in light of increased rail transit, commuter rail, Amtrak and eventually high speed rail service using the station.
As one who uses Union Station I could not be more pleased! My hope is that nothing is done to hurt [destroy] the character of the terminal/station. In LA every politician and "tree hugger" wants to leave their mark on "improving" LA.
Maybe some one can post some pictures. (KP?). It would be great to have before during and after picture album./
Hooray!!! I remember the station from the 60's till Amtrak took over it was always a treat to take a drive and watch the likes of the Super Chief , El Capitan, City of Los Angeles and the Coast Starlight depart or arrive! It was also a Joy to Board these trains or the San Diegan and see the sites too. The last Time I was there was December of 1999 and even then some restoration was going on and a sign i spotted on the door to the old Fred Harvey Resturant said to be reopened in the near future! I cannot wait to see what they have done to the Depot when I arrive on the Sunset Limited in June of this year Maybe restoration of the Glendale and Pasadena Stations will be next!
I don't know about a Harvey restaurant but there is one called Traxx in the terminal near the main entrance that is very well recommended for the quality of its menu. Also the Glendale depot was restored some time ago but is not used as a station anymore. The Pasadena station has been moved back from the rails a bit and turned into a restaurant next to what is now the Gold Line Del Mar station. Northeast of LA the Gold line closely follows the route of the old Santa Fe line that carried the Super Chief.
Part of the HSR work will be turning LA Union Station into a through station instead of a stub-end station.
Jack
What worries me is the canopy work.
I sure hope they do not destroy the classic look of the LAUPT butterfly canopies with some modern ugly design.
Matt from Anaheim, CA and Bayfield, COClick Here for my model train photo website
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