Berkeley station (Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway) explained

Berkeley
Style:Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
Address:1310 University Avenue
Berkeley, California
Coordinates:37.8697°N -122.2864°W
Owned:Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (1904–1989)
Catellus Development Corporation (1989–2001)
Berkeley Montessori School (2001–present)
Other Services Header:Former services

Berkeley station was the name of an Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (ATSF) railroad station in Berkeley, California from 1904 to the 1958. It is located on University Avenue between Acton and Chestnut Streets. The station building is today occupied by The Berkeley School.

The station opened on May 16, 1904 as the ATSF was extended from its previous terminus in Richmond to a new end of the line at the Oakland depot (actually located in Emeryville) over the former California and Nevada Railroad.[1] Passenger train operations between Oakland and Richmond ceased after June 15, 1958, but the depot continued in service until about the mid 1960s with Santa Fe bus service connecting to the trains at Richmond.[2]

The city of Berkeley acquired the railroad's right of way within the city limits in 1978, but the Berkeley depot was retained by ATSF. The station building was then converted to a restaurant called the Santa Fe Bar and Grill[3] and functioned in that capacity until 2000. In 2001, it was purchased by the Berkeley Montessori School and redeveloped into a private school.[4] That same year, the building was designated a City of Berkeley Landmark.[5] [6] While the adjacent railbed was removed soon after the city's purchase, the replacement linear park and rail trail did not open until 2013.[7]

Notes and References

  1. News: How the Santa Fe made its way to Oakland . 20 November 2023 . Oakland Tribune . Newspapers.com . May 16, 1904 . 3.
  2. News: Santa Fe Passenger Terminal Shifts to Richmond Tomorrow . 20 November 2023 . Oakland Tribune . Newspapers.com . June 15, 1958 . 52.
  3. News: The Rise and Fall of a Star: How the King of California Cuisine Lost an Empire. Kim Severson. Kim Severson. September 29, 1999. San Francisco Chronicle. 2018-06-09.
  4. Wheeler . Stephen . Santa Fe Right-Of-Way: Analysis Report . 9 December 2020 . City Planning 116 Studio . . Spring 2003.
  5. Web site: City of Berkeley Designated Landmarks . City of Berkeley . 9 December 2020 . 15 November 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201115115818/https://www.cityofberkeley.info/uploadedFiles/Planning_and_Development/Level_3_-_LPC/COB_Landmarks_updated%20April%202015.pdf . dead .
  6. Web site: Santa Fe Railway Depot . Berkeley Historical Plaque Project . 9 December 2020.
  7. News: Taylor . Tracey . Can Berkeley be most bike-friendly city in the country? . 9 December 2020 . . 9 May 2013.