Fresno station (California High-Speed Rail) explained

Fresno
Opened:April 1872
Rebuilt:October 1889
Closed:April 1, 1971
Original:Central Pacific Railroad
Opening:2030 (California High-Speed Rail)
Status:under construction
Other Services Header:Future Services
Other Services2 Header:Former Services
Coordinates:36.7331°N -119.7937°W
Map Type:USA California
Alternativemap:Relief map of California.png
Nrhp:
Embed:yes
Southern Pacific Depot
Built:1889
Coordinates:36.7325°N -119.7925°W
Map Label:Fresno Depot
Added:March 21, 1978
Refnum:78000665

Fresno is a California High-Speed Rail station being constructed in Fresno, California. The first purpose-built high speed rail station in the United States,[1] it is part of the system's Initial Construction Segment. The facility is located in Downtown Fresno at H Street between Fresno and Tulare Streets, and is being built as an expansion of the adjacent historic Fresno Southern Pacific Depot.

The station is about 7 blocks south from the existing Fresno Amtrak station. The high-speed rail line runs along the right-of-way of the Union Pacific Railroad at this location.[2]

History

Southern Pacific Railroad

This was the site of the first station established in Fresno.[3] In April 1872, the Central Pacific Railroad built a simple wood frame depot.

By 1888 the station had come under the ownership of Southern Pacific (SP), who wished to expand the facility. The City of Fresno rejected initial plans for a new station building, forcing SP to redesign and submit a new blueprint in the Queen Anne style of architecture, one of two such stations in California.[4] The new Depot opened in October 1889 and consolidated much of the company's freight operations in the Valley.

Expansions and remodels occurred in the 1900s: more freight space was added on the south side of the building some time between 1914 and 1929, offices were built on the north side in 1930, and the waiting room was remodeled in 1945. The Depot hosted named trains such as the Sacramento Daylight and San Joaquin Daylight.

The station was closed on May 1, 1971, as Amtrak assumed most intercity rail operations in the United States and the Central Valley was left out of the initial system. When services were resumed in Fresno in 1974, they used the Santa Fe Passenger Depot on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway line, about to the northeast.

The station was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 21, 1978. It is additionally listed on the City of Fresno Local Register of Historic Resources.

California High-Speed Rail

The groundbreaking ceremony for the California High-Speed Rail system was held at the station site on January 6, 2015.[5] In July 2015, it was estimated that construction of the station building itself would commence in 2017 or 2018[6] and was expected to spur new development in Downtown Fresno.[7] In October 2016, the plans called for the station to occupy about 120,000 square feet and cost about $80 million, with the planning work being finished by the end of 2019.[8]

Several existing industrial and office buildings in the vicinity had to be demolished to make way for the station and tracks.[9] At the end of January 2017, demolition was begun on a former Greyhound bus terminal dating from the 1950s that occupied the site of the future high-speed rail station.[10]

In June 2023, the CHSRA received a $20 million federal grant for restoration of the station building and construction of a plaza. The $33.2 million project budget also includes $11.2 million in CHSRA funds.[11]

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Resnik. Max. 6 things to know about the high-speed rail project. 3 June 2017. KCRA. 2 June 2017.
  2. Web site: Fresno Station. California High-Speed Rail Authority. 2015-10-28.
  3. Web site: History of Fresno . City of Fresno . 11 December 2020 . February 2, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220202111954/https://www.fresno.gov/darm/historic-preservation/history-of-fresno/ . dead .
  4. News: Historical Perspective: Southern Pacific Railroad depot . 11 December 2020 . Fresno Bee . 21 August 2011.
  5. News: Siders . David . 2015-01-06 . Groundbreaking at Fresno for California high-speed rail . Sacramento Bee . 2015-10-28.
  6. News: Lurie . George . 2015-07-10 . Rail Authority: Fresno station construction could begin by 2017 . 2016-05-16 . The Business Journal . March 4, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304200436/http://www.thebusinessjournal.com/news/transportation/18459-rail-authority-fresno-station-construction-could-begin-by-2017 . dead .
  7. News: Fresno officials get ready for downtown High Speed Rail station. ABC30 Fresno. 2015-10-28. 2015-10-14. Johnson. Brian.
  8. News: High-speed rail agency delays decision on Fresno station design. Sheehan. Tim. 2016-10-09. Fresno Bee. 2016-10-11.
  9. News: Sheehan . Tim . 2015-08-24 . High-speed rail continues to gobble up Fresno buildings . Fresno Bee . 2015-10-28.
  10. News: Demolition begins on Fresno's former Greyhound bus station. Sheehan. Tim. 2017-01-30. Fresno Bee. en. 2017-02-01.
  11. NEWS RELEASE: High-Speed Rail Authority Receives $20 Million From Federal Government to Revitalize Historic Fresno Train Depot . June 28, 2023 . California High-Speed Rail Authority.