Kelso's first train station was built for the
Northern Pacific Railroad. The first small depot was a wooden structure in the 100 block of Front or First Avenue. By 1906 the citizens of Kelso petitioned the Northern Pacific Railroad for a better passenger and freight depot. This was granted and a new, brick passenger and a wood freight depot was built. A grand opening reception was held February 12, 1912. The line was also operated by passenger trains by the
Great Northern Railway and
Union Pacific Railroad under a joint service agreement. In 1970 the
Northern Pacific Railway merged with several other railroads to create the
Burlington Northern Railroad. The station remained in active freight service until the early 1980s when Burlington Northern suspended freight service there and transferred that service to the
Portland,
Oregon hub.
Amtrak service to Kelso began on July 12, 1971, a few months after the company took over national passenger rail service. The station was staffed by a ticketing agent until the 1990s when the station was locked up due to vandalism.
Station remodel In 1994 and 1995, the station was inundated with water damage when the nearby Cowlitz River peaked over the dike at and flooded the basement and platform area, which ultimately led to the approval of the remodel. In the mid-1990s the station underwent extensive remodeling to make it look like the passenger stations of a bygone era. The interior and exterior were rebuilt to resemble historic train stations, and a clock tower was constructed outside the station. The refurbished station was formally dedicated on September 23, 1995. Greyhound service to the depot was temporarily disrupted from 2006 to 2007 after a dispute with the city over maintenance costs. ==Service==