Berkeley station (Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Berkeley
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The former ATSF station in Berkeley, June 2018
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| Location | 1310 University Avenue Berkeley, California |
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| Coordinates | 37°52′10.94″N 122°17′11.21″W / 37.8697056°N 122.2864472°W | ||||||||||
| Owned by | Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (1904–1989) Catellus Development Corporation (1989–2001) Berkeley Montessori School (2001–present) |
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| History | |||||||||||
| Opened | May 1904 | ||||||||||
| Closed | c. 1950s | ||||||||||
| Former services | |||||||||||
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The Berkeley station was once a busy railroad station in Berkeley, California. It was used by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (ATSF) from 1904 until the 1950s. You can find it on University Avenue, between Acton and Chestnut Streets. Today, the old station building is home to The Berkeley School.
Contents
A Historic Train Station
The Berkeley station first opened its doors in May 1904. This happened when the ATSF railway line was made longer. It stretched from Richmond all the way to Oakland. The trains used tracks that once belonged to the California and Nevada Railroad.
Passenger Trains Stop Running
After many years, passenger trains stopped using the Berkeley station around the 1950s. But the building still had a purpose! It was then used as a bus depot for about ten years.
New Life for the Station Building
In 1978, the city of Berkeley bought the land where the train tracks used to be. However, the station building itself stayed with the ATSF railway company.
The old station building was then changed into a restaurant. It served food to people until the year 2000.
From Restaurant to School
In 2001, the Berkeley Montessori School bought the building. They turned it into a private school. It's pretty cool that an old train station is now a place where kids learn!
That same year, the building was named a City of Berkeley Landmark. This means it's an important historical building.
A Path for Everyone
Even though the old train tracks were removed, the area didn't stay empty. A new linear park and rail trail were built where the tracks once were. This new path opened in 2013, giving people a great place to walk and bike.
