Union Station (Phoenix, Arizona)

Phoenix Union Station was constructed in 1923 by the Santa Fe and the Arizona Eastern (Southern Pacific) Railroads. The Station is one of the best examples of Mission Revival architecture, along with Brophy College Preparatory, in Phoenix. The Mission Revival style, a popular building style between 1890 and the 1920s, was typified by such Union Station features as stucco wall finishes, arcades, red tiled roofs, curvilinear gables, massive piers, and impost moldings. According to the "Phoenix Historic Building Survey" by the Phoenix City Council, September 1979: ; Historic Name: Union Station of the Southern Pacific and Santa Fe Railroads ; Description : A large Mission Revival railroad station with a central two-story waiting room structure between long, low arcaded wings. Red-tiled, gabled roofs are terminated by high parapet walls that are shaped with the familiar curves of the Mission Revival at the ends of the wings and in entrance pavilions at both the railroad and street sides of the central pavilion. In keeping with the character of the Mission Revival there are few other decorative details. : The waiting room is a high, beamed space with original wooden furnishings and particularly fine ceiling light fixtures. There have been some alterations in the waiting room, and the arcaded wings which were originally open as passenger waiting areas have been enclosed. A microwave transmitting tower next to the central pavilion is out of harmony with the structure ... ; Significance: : Union Station was a joint venture between the Southern Pacific and Santa Fe Railroad Companies and was designed by their architect, Peter Kiewit. Dedicated on September 30, 1923, the building was proclaimed a "Monument to the progressiveness and prosperity of the valley and a testimony of the confidence in the future of the Salt River Valley and Phoenix." : A milestone in Phoenix's development, Union Station ushered in tourism on a grand scale and promoted greater national visibility. == History ==

Rob Bohannan presented this history at ARPA's dedication of the clock and plaque donated by ARPA members, January 11, 1992. Used with permission: In 1995, the last full year Amtrak stopped at Union Station, 21,495 passengers boarded or alighted here. Since Amtrak left in 1996, the Olympic Torch train has stopped here twice, and tourist trains like the GrandLuxe (formerly American Orient Express) have also occasionally used Union Station. In 2000, the Arizona Department of Transportation and the Arizona Rail Passenger Association presented "Transpo 2000," an exposition of a modern Talgo trainset at Union Station. Historic designations • National Register of Historic Places #NPS 85003056 • Phoenix City Register == Current services ==

freight train passing through Union Station in October 2021 No regular passenger trains call at Union Station. However, as recently as 2010, there were efforts to bring back passenger rail service to Phoenix. The facility was used until 2020 for a data center for Sprint, which was a Southern Pacific subsidiary. The building was sold in 2020 and the new owners propose it to be a food hall or other event space, as a centerpiece of a larger project. Amtrak operates the Sunset Limited three times a week from the town of Maricopa, which is in Pinal County south of downtown Phoenix. A private company, White's Taxi Shuttle, operates a taxi service to the Phoenix metro area; there is Amtrak Thruway service to and from Maricopa with stops in Tempe and Phoenix (including Sky Harbor airport). The Sunset Limited also directly serves Tucson, and many Phoenix passengers travel to Tucson as an alternative to boarding the train in Maricopa (Greyhound operates frequent daily motorcoach service between Phoenix and Tucson; the Tucson Greyhound depot is about east of the Tucson Amtrak station). Amtrak's Southwest Chief train route operates through Flagstaff daily, and Amtrak provides guaranteed through-ticketed Amtrak Thruway connecting shuttle service via Airport Shuttle of Phoenix or Arizona Shuttle from Metrocenter Mall (in north central Phoenix) and the town of Camp Verde (in Yavapai County) to and from the trains at Flagstaff. The nearest Valley Metro Rail station, the Downtown Phoenix Hub, is half a mile away. , passenger rail service between Phoenix and Tucson is in the planning phase. Future extensions of the route could reach to Los Angeles. By 2035, Amtrak has proposed to have rail service connecting 16 stations in Arizona. In June 2023, Amtrak submitted a grant application requesting $716 million for various long distance proposals. Among them is to bring Sunset Limited service back to Phoenix. == Notes ==