Santa Fe Depot (Oklahoma City)

Santa Fe Depot

The station building in 2013. At left are the elevated platforms.
Location 100 South E.K. Gaylord Boulevard
Oklahoma City, OK 73102
Coordinates 35°27′55″N 97°30′46″W / 35.4653°N 97.5128°W / 35.4653; -97.5128Coordinates: 35°27′55″N 97°30′46″W / 35.4653°N 97.5128°W / 35.4653; -97.5128
Owned by City of Oklahoma City
Line(s)
  Heartland Flyer
Platforms 1 side platform
Tracks 1
Construction
Parking Yes
Bicycle facilities Yes
Disabled access Yes
Other information
Station code OKC
History
Opened 1934, reopened 1999[1]
Closed 1979
Rebuilt 1999
Traffic
Passengers (2016) 44,551[2] Decrease 2.5%
Services
Preceding station   Amtrak   Following station
toward Fort Worth
Heartland FlyerTerminus
  Former services  
Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe
Britton
toward Newton
Newton – Purcell
Moore
toward Purcell

Santa Fe Depot, also known as the Santa Fe Transit Hub, is a historic train station located in downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Amtrak's Heartland Flyer makes daily round-trip service from Oklahoma City to Fort Worth, Texas. The station is the designated Intermodal Transit Hub for the region and as of 2016 is under renovation to accommodate this enhanced use. Santa Fe shares the same station ID, OKC, with the IATA code for Oklahoma City's International airport, Will Rogers World Airport.

History

The station was built in 1934 by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. It is an Art Deco structure located in downtown Oklahoma City at 100 South E.K. Gaylord Boulevard. It was served by the Santa Fe Railway's Texas Chief line, which later became the Lone Star under Amtrak. Amtrak discontinued the service in 1979. Subsequently, the station was vacant for 20 years and began to deteriorate.

In 1998, Jim Brewer, a developer responsible for creating the nearby Bricktown entertainment district, purchased the station from Santa Fe Railway and oversaw a renovation using $2 million funds provided through the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) to make it ADA-compliant and usable again. Amtrak entered an agreement with Brewer Entertainment to use the station as one of the end points of the new Heartland Flyer line, connecting to Fort Worth. Service began in 1999. Another $3.1 million renovation was completed in 2007, and additional ADA features were added with a $30,000 project following the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.[1]

Until 2010, Amtrak was operating at the station through an informal agreement made in 1998 with Brewer Entertainment. That agreement allowed the railroad to use the station rent-free, but required the state to pay for utilities and other costs associated with station operations. No official lease had been drawn up until at least 2010, when Brent Brewer locked the doors of the depot on September 27 and 29, forcing new negotiations with ODOT.[3] On 21 December 2010, it was announced that the ODOT had signed a lease of the station and parking lot for 25 months, with the option to extend the lease for up to ten years.[4]

The station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015.

Station services

Function

The City of Oklahoma City has designated the Santa Fe station as the location for intermodal transit services for the city and metropolitan area. The station will continue to serve as the primary Amtrak station for the region, but other services will be offered including Oklahoma City Streetcar, EMBARK commuter bus, future commuter rail to the suburbs of Midwest City, Del City, Edmond, Moore, and Norman, along with proposed Eastern-Flyer passenger rail (to Tulsa), possible high-speed rail, potential light rail, parking, and the possible return of inter-city bus lines. In 2015, the Santa Fe Intermodal hub was under refurbishment for the first phase of operations. Funding was made as part of the city's Metropolitan Area Projects MAPS and a TIGER grant from the United States Department of Transportation.

References

  1. 1 2 "Oklahoma City, OK (OKC)". Great American Stations. Amtrak. Retrieved January 15, 2016.
  2. ↑ "Amtrak Fact Sheet, FY2016, State of Oklahoma" (PDF). Amtrak. November 2016. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  3. ↑ Lackmeyer, Steve (October 2, 2010). "Santa Fe Train Depot promises OU-Texas fans won't face lockdown of station". NewsOK.com. Retrieved October 2, 2010.
  4. ↑ "State gains control of Oklahoma City depot". Trains Magazine. 21 December 2010. Retrieved 23 December 2010.

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