Texarkana Union Station is a historic train station in the Texarkana metropolitan area serving Amtrak, the United States' national passenger rail system. The Arkansas-Texas border bisects the structure; the eastern part, including the waiting room and ticket office, are in Texarkana, Arkansas, but the western part is in Texarkana, Texas, meaning stopped trains span both states. The station was built in 1928 and was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1978. Today it is the second busiest Amtrak station in Arkansas.[3]
Texarkana Union Station
Texarkana station platform in February 2017 for Amtrak. The union station is on the right.
Texarkana Union Station was constructed and operated by Union Station Trust, a subsidiary organization created as a joint effort between the Missouri-Pacific, Texas & Pacific, Cotton Belt and Kansas City Southern railroads. E. M. Tucker, chief architect for Missouri Pacific, designed the building with a track layout and overhead concourse reminiscent of the style he had used when rebuilding Little Rock Union Depot after a 1921 fire.
The present structure replaced an earlier Texarkana station on the same site, and was opened for business on April 17, 1930, with a large celebration and dedication held on May 12, 1930, according to Missouri Pacific Lines Magazine, June 1930. The station and the federal courthouse anchor the south and north ends of State Line Avenue, the dividing line between Arkansas and Texas. In 1876, Congress mandated that the Texarkana railroad station would straddle the state line, and the building has entrances and exits into both states. Missouri Pacific and Texas and Pacific, the two carriers with the most passenger trains serving Texarkana Union Station, were able to operate through the facility without a backup move. Kansas City Southern and Cotton Belt passenger trains both made back-up moves to access the station.
Provisions were made in the original station design for a restaurant, but as a result of the Great Depression, the only food service was provided by a snack bar and news stand.
The station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.[2]
Texas Eagle (originally Eagle; only one currently in service)
Mail and express service
Postal cancellation applied to letters worked by the Texarkana, Arkansas, Terminal RPO in November 1924.
Old Amtrak sign at the side entrance of Texarkana Union Station on the southwest corner of Front and Pine Streets in Arkansas.
During the heyday of private railroad passenger train service, Texarkana served as a major distribution point for mail and express, and a large Terminal Railway Post Office was located in and adjacent to the station. In addition, express cars originating at such distant points as New York City were routed to Texarkana, where the shipments were sorted for transportation in different trains to their final destination.
Potter, Janet Greenstein (1996). Great American Railroad Stations. ISBN0-471-14389-8.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Texarkana Union Station.
Texarkana, AR – Amtrak
Texarkana, AR – Station history at Great American Stations (Amtrak)
Amtrak Texas Eagle Stations - Texarkana, AR
Texarkana Amtrak Station (USA Rail Guide -- Train Web)
Flickr Photo
February 26, 2023
texarkana, union, station, historic, train, station, texarkana, metropolitan, area, serving, amtrak, united, states, national, passenger, rail, system, arkansas, texas, border, bisects, structure, eastern, part, including, waiting, room, ticket, office, texark. Texarkana Union Station is a historic train station in the Texarkana metropolitan area serving Amtrak the United States national passenger rail system The Arkansas Texas border bisects the structure the eastern part including the waiting room and ticket office are in Texarkana Arkansas but the western part is in Texarkana Texas meaning stopped trains span both states The station was built in 1928 and was added to the U S National Register of Historic Places in 1978 Today it is the second busiest Amtrak station in Arkansas 3 Texarkana Union StationTexarkana station platform in February 2017 for Amtrak The union station is on the right General informationLocation100 East Front StreetTexarkana ArkansasUnited StatesOwned byJeff SandefurPlatforms1 side platformTracks2ConnectionsTexarkana Urban Transit DistrictConstructionParkingYesBicycle facilitiesYesDisabled accessYesOther informationStation codeAmtrak TXAHistoryOpened1930PassengersFY 20213 135 1 Amtrak ServicesPreceding station Amtrak Following stationMarshalltoward Los Angeles or San Antonio Texas Eagle Hopetoward ChicagoFormer servicesPreceding station Amtrak Following stationMarshalltoward Laredo or Houston Inter American Malverntoward ChicagoPreceding station Missouri Pacific Railroad Following stationTerminus Texarkana St Louis Homantoward St LouisPreceding station St Louis Southwestern Railway Following stationRedwatertoward Gatesville Main Line Genoatoward St LouisTexarkana Union StationU S National Register of Historic PlacesTexarkana Union StationShow map of ArkansasTexarkana Union StationShow map of TexasTexarkana Union StationShow map of the United StatesLocationState Line and Front St Texarkana TexasCoordinates33 25 12 N 94 2 33 W 33 42000 N 94 04250 W 33 42000 94 04250 Coordinates 33 25 12 N 94 2 33 W 33 42000 N 94 04250 W 33 42000 94 04250Arealess than one acreBuilt1928 1928 ArchitectE M Tucker A B ButterworthArchitectural styleRenaissanceMPSHistoric Railroad Depots of Arkansas MPSNRHP reference No 78000611 2 Added to NRHPNovember 19 1978 Contents 1 History 2 Filming 3 Named trains serving Texarkana Union Station 4 Mail and express service 5 See also 6 References 6 1 Citations 6 2 Further reading 7 External linksHistory EditTexarkana Union Station was constructed and operated by Union Station Trust a subsidiary organization created as a joint effort between the Missouri Pacific Texas amp Pacific Cotton Belt and Kansas City Southern railroads E M Tucker chief architect for Missouri Pacific designed the building with a track layout and overhead concourse reminiscent of the style he had used when rebuilding Little Rock Union Depot after a 1921 fire The present structure replaced an earlier Texarkana station on the same site and was opened for business on April 17 1930 with a large celebration and dedication held on May 12 1930 according to Missouri Pacific Lines Magazine June 1930 The station and the federal courthouse anchor the south and north ends of State Line Avenue the dividing line between Arkansas and Texas In 1876 Congress mandated that the Texarkana railroad station would straddle the state line and the building has entrances and exits into both states Missouri Pacific and Texas and Pacific the two carriers with the most passenger trains serving Texarkana Union Station were able to operate through the facility without a backup move Kansas City Southern and Cotton Belt passenger trains both made back up moves to access the station Provisions were made in the original station design for a restaurant but as a result of the Great Depression the only food service was provided by a snack bar and news stand The station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 2 Filming EditIn 1976 the station was used for multiple locations in Charles B Pierce s movie The Town That Dreaded Sundown Named trains serving Texarkana Union Station EditThe following are notable cases of trains making stop in past years at Union Station Missouri Pacific Railroad and Texas and Pacific Railway Sunshine Special Texas Eagle Texan Westerner Kansas City Southern Flying Crow Southern Belle Cotton Belt Lone Star Morning Star Amtrak Inter American Texas Eagle originally Eagle only one currently in service Mail and express service Edit Postal cancellation applied to letters worked by the Texarkana Arkansas Terminal RPO in November 1924 Old Amtrak sign at the side entrance of Texarkana Union Station on the southwest corner of Front and Pine Streets in Arkansas During the heyday of private railroad passenger train service Texarkana served as a major distribution point for mail and express and a large Terminal Railway Post Office was located in and adjacent to the station In addition express cars originating at such distant points as New York City were routed to Texarkana where the shipments were sorted for transportation in different trains to their final destination See also Edit Arkansas portalList of Amtrak stations National Register of Historic Places listings in Miller County Arkansas National Register of Historic Places listings in Bowie County TexasPortals National Register of Historic Places Trains United States TexasReferences EditCitations Edit Amtrak Fact Sheet Fiscal Year 2021 State of Arkansas PDF Amtrak August 2022 Retrieved September 27 2022 a b National Register Information System National Register of Historic Places National Park Service November 2 2013 Amtrak State of Arkansas factsheet Fiscal Year 2019 page 1 https www amtrak com content dam projects dotcom english public documents corporate statefactsheets ARKANSAS19 pdf Further reading Edit Potter Janet Greenstein 1996 Great American Railroad Stations ISBN 0 471 14389 8 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Texarkana Union Station Texarkana AR Amtrak Texarkana AR Station history at Great American Stations Amtrak Amtrak Texas Eagle Stations Texarkana AR Texarkana Amtrak Station USA Rail Guide Train Web Texarkana Union Station Cotton Belt Railway website OAG Travel Information Texarkana Union Station Flickr Photo Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Texarkana Union Station amp oldid 1114671224, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
