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. 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. The mural is the work of
Louis Grell of Chicago. 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. 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. ==Replacement station==