Fremont-Centerville (Amtrak station)

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Station statistics
Centerville ACE / Amtrak Station
Amtrak platform, looking east.
Address	37620 Fremont Blvd.
Lines	Capitol Corridor, Altamont Commuter Express
Connections	AC Transit, Thruway Motorcoach
Platforms	2 250 foot asphalt, side
Tracks	one
Parking	free
Other information
Opened	September 1910
Rebuilt	June 1999
Accessible
Code	FMT
Owned by	City of Fremont
Traffic

Passengers (2006)	26,611 ▼ 4.8% (Amtrak)

The Centerville Depot is a train station in Fremont, California.

[edit] History

Centerville's first Southern Pacific Railroad station was nothing more than a boxcar, functioning in that capacity from May of 1909 to September of 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 USD. The station was a busy one during its early years, handling both freight and passenger traffic, including two to three daily milk trains. 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 continued to ship 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.

On June 4, 1993, Amtrak 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.

[edit] Services

Amtrak serves the station daily; the Altamont Commuter Express only serves the station on weekdays. AC Transit has a bus stop across the street, but Thruway Motorcoach buses stop right at the station.

The station is not staffed by railroad agents, but does include a cafe at the west end.

The station's platform is too short for most trains, and Fremont Boulevard is often blocked by stopped trains. Some passengers even board from the road.

Preceding station	Amtrak	Following station
Santa Clara-Great America toward San Jose	Capitol Corridor	Hayward toward Auburn
Preceding station	Altamont Commuter Express	Following station
Santa Clara-Great America toward San Jose	ACE	Pleasanton toward Stockton