Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Anaheim, CA
The front of the ARTIC in 2014
Other names	Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC)
Location	2626 East Katella Avenue Anaheim, California 92806 United States
Coordinates	33°48′12″N 117°52′39″W / 33.80333°N 117.87750°W / 33.80333; -117.87750
Owned by	City of Anaheim
Operated by	Anaheim Arena Management
Line(s)	SCRRA Orange Subdivision
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	2
Train operators	Metrolink Amtrak
Bus stands	13
Bus operators	OCTA, Anaheim Resort Transportation, Greyhound, Megabus, Flixbus Tres Estrellas de Oro
Construction
Structure type	67,000 square feet (6,200 m2), three-floor terminal
Parking	1082
Bicycle facilities	Bike racks and 12 lockers
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Station code	Amtrak code: ANA
History
Opened	December 6, 2014 (2014-12-06)
Traffic
Passengers (FY2017)	287,415  1.67% (Amtrak)
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station Fullerton toward San Luis Obispo Pacific Surfliner Santa Ana toward San Diego Preceding station Metrolink Following station Fullerton toward Los Angeles Union Station Orange County Line Orange toward Oceanside
Former / future services Preceding station California High-Speed Rail Following station Future service Los Angeles towards Merced or San Francisco Phase I Terminus Former service (Anaheim–Stadium station) Preceding station Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Following station Fullerton toward Los Angeles Surf Line Orange toward San Diego

The Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC) is a super cool building in Anaheim, California. It's a huge hub where you can catch different types of transportation. Think of it as a giant meeting point for trains and buses!

ARTIC serves as a train station for Amtrak (which runs long-distance trains) and Metrolink (which runs commuter trains for people traveling to work or school). It's also a busy bus station for many companies like the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), Anaheim Resort Transportation (ART), Greyhound, Megabus, Flixbus, and Tres Estrellas de Oro.

This amazing station opened in 2014. It replaced an older, smaller train stop nearby. The building was designed by a famous architecture company called HOK. Its entrance is a giant glass wall, about 120 feet tall! The roof is made of special air-filled plastic pillows that let sunlight shine through. At night, these arches light up with many different colors, making ARTIC look like a glowing spaceship!

ARTIC is located in an area called the Platinum Triangle, very close to the Anaheim Resort. This means it's near popular places like Disneyland Resort, the Honda Center, and Angel Stadium. You can even get there by bike using the Santa Ana River Trail.

When ARTIC first opened, people expected about 10,000 riders each day. At first, it was closer to 2,400 on a normal weekday, but more people used it during concerts or sports events. By 2019, between 4,200 and 5,500 people were passing through ARTIC daily.

Getting Around ARTIC

ARTIC has two main platforms for trains. When you're waiting for a train, you'll see ticket machines and a station agent who can help you.

• Northbound trains (going towards Los Angeles or San Luis Obispo) will arrive on one side.
• Southbound trains (going towards San Diego or Oceanside) will arrive on the other side.

The train doors will open on the right side of the platform. There's a bridge on the third floor that connects the main building to the train platforms, so you can easily get to your train.

A Look Back at Anaheim's Train History

The platforms at the previous station in 2007

The previous Anaheim train station building

Trains have been coming to Anaheim for a long time! Back in 1875, the Southern Pacific Railway built a line here. Then, in 1887, the Santa Fe Railway added a line that went all the way to San Diego. By 1921, Anaheim had several train stations.

Eventually, some of these older train services stopped. But train service started again in 1984 when Anaheim opened a new station for Amtrak's San Diegan train. In 1986, an even newer station was built closer to Anaheim Stadium, and it was called Anaheim–Stadium. The San Diegan train later changed its name to the Pacific Surfliner in 2000, which is what it's called today.

Metrolink train service also began in Anaheim. In 1990, a service called the Orange County Commuter started, running between Los Angeles and San Juan Capistrano. In 1994, this became Metrolink's Orange County Line. Another Metrolink line, the Inland Empire–Orange County Line, doesn't stop at ARTIC but at a nearby station called Anaheim Canyon. Before ARTIC opened, about 500 Metrolink and 400 Amtrak passengers used the old Anaheim station every day.

What's Around ARTIC?

ARTIC is located on about 16 acres of land, close to two major freeways: State Route 57 and Interstate 5.

• The Honda Center, where you can watch sports and concerts, is right across the street.
• Angel Stadium, home of the Angels baseball team, is also very close by. You can even walk there through an underpass!
• You can easily reach ARTIC by bike, as it connects to the Santa Ana River Trail. The station also has bike racks and lockers to keep your bike safe.
• If you're heading to Disneyland Resort, you can catch an Anaheim Resort Transportation (ART) bus from ARTIC.

Besides local buses, ARTIC also offers long-distance bus services:

• Megabus started offering trips to cities like Los Angeles, San Jose, Oakland, and San Francisco from ARTIC in 2014.
• Greyhound, another big bus company, also moved its operations to ARTIC.
• Tres Estrellas de Oro started offering trips to Tijuana and Guadalajara, Mexico, from ARTIC in 2016.

The Amazing Design of ARTIC

The station from the platforms at night

ARTIC is a truly unique building! It's made with a special steel-framed structure and has a curved shell covered with a material called ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE). This ETFE roof system is like a giant, air-filled plastic pillow that covers about 200,000 square feet! It lets soft sunlight fill the inside of the building during the day.

At night, the building lights up with 1,354 energy-efficient lights that glow through the plastic pillows, making the arched roof change colors. It's a spectacular sight!

The main entrance is a huge 120-foot-tall glass wall that leads into a big lobby with ticket counters. Outside, there's a plaza that leads to 13 bus stops. The second floor has space for offices and even two restaurants. On the third floor, there's a small lobby and a bridge that takes you to the stairs or elevators, which go down to the train tracks.

Some people have mentioned that the walk from the main building to the train platforms is a bit long, but the design itself is very impressive.

The interior of the Anaheim Station at night

ARTIC is also very eco-friendly! It was given a special award called LEED Platinum certification, which means it's a top-tier green building. It also won the 2015 Public Works Project of the Year award.

The building uses smart ways to stay cool or warm. It has a special system that only cools or heats the lower part of the building (about 12 to 15 feet above the floor) where people are. The ETFE roof and special glass vents at the ends of the building help keep the temperature comfortable by allowing natural airflow. Plus, 20% of the building's power comes from solar panels on the parking structures, and many recycled materials were used to build it.

An artist named Mikyoung Kim created a cool piece of public art for ARTIC. It's a holographic experience built into the grand staircase in the main lobby. The images change depending on the time of day and other conditions, making it a dynamic and interesting display.

Future Plans for ARTIC

ARTIC is set to become even more important in the future!

• It's planned to be the eastern end of a new streetcar system. This streetcar could connect ARTIC to different places in the Anaheim Resort and Platinum Triangle areas, making it even easier to get around.
• ARTIC is also the proposed location for a California High-Speed Rail station. This means super-fast trains could stop here, connecting Anaheim to other major cities in California.
• There are also plans for a California-Nevada Interstate Maglev train, which would use magnets to float above the tracks and travel at very high speeds. Anaheim is named as its southern end point.

During the 2028 Summer Olympics, ARTIC will be a key station for people traveling to and from the Olympic events held in Anaheim. The station is right across from the Honda Center, which will host indoor volleyball games!

Images for kids

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  Lobby on the main floor