Galesburg station (Amtrak)

"Galesburg station" redirects here. For the old Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway and Amtrak station on Broad Street in Galesburg, see Santa Fe Railway Depot (Galesburg, Illinois). For The former Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad depot on the same site, see Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad Depot (Galesburg, Illinois).
Galesburg

The station house.
Location 225 South Seminary Street
Galesburg, IL 61401
Coordinates 40°56′41″N 90°21′50″W / 40.9446°N 90.3640°W / 40.9446; -90.3640Coordinates: 40°56′41″N 90°21′50″W / 40.9446°N 90.3640°W / 40.9446; -90.3640
Owned by City of Galesburg
Line(s)
  California Zephyr
  Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg
  Southwest Chief
Platforms 1 side platform, 1 island platform
Tracks 3
Connections Burlington Trailways,[1] Galesburg Transit
Construction
Parking Yes
Bicycle facilities Yes
Disabled access Yes
Other information
Station code GBB
History
Opened 1984[2]
Traffic
Passengers (2014) 100,871[3] Decrease 2.7%
Services
Preceding station   Amtrak   Following station
toward Emeryville
California Zephyr
toward Chicago
toward Los Angeles
Southwest Chief
toward Quincy
Carl Sandburg
toward Chicago
Illinois Zephyr
Location
Location of the Galesburg Amtrak Station.
Location within Illinois

Galesburg is an Amtrak intercity train station in Galesburg, Illinois, United States. The station was originally built in 1984, after the razing of the large depot just south of the current site. It is located north of the large BNSF Classification yard. Just south the Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg diverge via the Quincy main line which bypasses the yard on the east side. The California Zephyr and the Southwest Chief continue to the southwest side of Galesburg near Knox College.

There are three tracks with one island platform and one side platform. Trains to California normally arrive on the track closest to the depot, known as track one. Trains between Quincy and Chicago arrive on track two and platform on the island platform as trains divert from the main line just south of the station and eventually on to the Brookfield Subdivision.[4][5] In the early 2010s, the island platform received a yellow tactile warning strip that complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The project was funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 at an estimated cost of $75,000.[2] The side platform already had a tactile warning strip.

It is the main area for Galesburg Railroad Days when it runs during the last weekend of June as bus tours of the rail yards originate from here. A GE Evolution Series locomotive is also put on a side track for visitors to look at.[6] The Galesburg Railroad Museum is next to the property.

Trails & Rails and APRHF Rail Rangers program

Between May 18, 2013 and July 19, 2015, volunteer rangers with the National Park Service provided commentary for train passengers between Chicago, Illinois and La Plata, Missouri on Amtrak's Southwest Chief, including through Galesburg. This Trails & Rails program was a partnership between Amtrak, the National Park Service, Texas A&M University, and the American Passenger Rail Heritage Foundation (APRHF) in La Plata, Missouri. Volunteers were on board for two round-trips per week during the busy summer and winter holiday travel periods. Despite volunteers no longer being on the train, the reference manual used by Trails & Rails volunteers is still available for passengers at Outside The Rails. After the National Park Service ended its partnership with the APRHF in July 2015, the APRHF launched its Rail Rangers program, which continues to provide a similar service on private railroad car excursions across the Midwestern United States, including through Galesburg on the BNSF line.

Connections

A westbound California Zephyr arriving on track 1 
View down former CB&Q tracks towards Quincy. Trains to Quincy divert from the main line at this point. 
View down the tracks towards Chicago 
View of the platforms from the station house 
An eastbound Illinois Zephyr train arrives on track 2 
A Pullman sleeping car at the Galesburg Railroad Museum 

References

  1. 1 2 "Illinois/Missouri Routes Timetable" (PDF). November 8, 2010. Retrieved January 3, 2011.
  2. 1 2 Great American Stations. Retrieved January 30, 2011
  3. ↑ "Amtrak Fact Sheet, FY2014, State of Illinois" (PDF). Amtrak. November 2014. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  4. ↑ Google (December 17, 2010). "Galesburg station (Amtrak)" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved December 17, 2010.
  5. ↑ "Illinois State Rail Plan: Chapter 4" (pdf). Illinois Department of Transportation. November 2012. Retrieved July 14, 2014.
  6. ↑ 2010 Schedule

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