Burlingame station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Burlingame
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Burlingame station building in August 2018
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| Location | 290 California Drive Burlingame, California |
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| Coordinates | 37°34′48″N 122°20′42″W / 37.58000°N 122.34500°W | |||
| Line(s) | Peninsula Subdivision | |||
| Platforms | 2 side platforms | |||
| Tracks | 2 | |||
| Connections |  Burlingame Trolley SamTrans: ECR, 292, 397 |
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| Construction | ||||
| Parking | 68 spaces; paid | |||
| Other information | ||||
| Fare zone | 2 | |||
| History | ||||
| Opened | 1894 | |||
| Rebuilt | 2008 | |||
| Original company | Southern Pacific | |||
| Traffic | ||||
| Passengers (FY 2025) | 620 (weekday avg.)  31% |
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| Services | ||||
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Burlingame Railroad Station
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| Location | Burlingame, California | |||
| Built | 1894 | |||
| Architect | Howard, George H., Jr. & Mathisen, J.B. | |||
| Architectural style | Mission Revival—Spanish Colonial Revival | |||
| Significant dates | ||||
| Added to NRHP | April 19, 1978 | |||
Burlingame station is an exciting historic passenger stop for the Caltrain commuter railway. It sits proudly in the sunny city of Burlingame, California. Trains travel through here on the busy Peninsula Subdivision route every single day. Passengers can easily catch public transit connections like the SamTrans bus or the local Burlingame Trolley.
The train stop opened for eager passengers long ago on October 10, 1894. It was first created for the famous Southern Pacific railroad network. Because of its beauty, the stop became an official California Historical Landmark in 1971. In 1978, experts added it to the nationwide National Register of Historic Places list. Today, the modern Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board takes good care of the entire facility.
Contents
Exploring the Historic Station Architecture
Spanish Colonial Revival Design
The main station building looks like a grand building from early California history. Talented designers chose stunning Spanish Colonial Revival ideas to shape every wall. They also used lovely Mission Revival patterns across the arches. This special style uses gentle curves and warm, welcoming colors.
Recycled Historic Mission Roof Tiles
The most fascinating part of the depot sits right on top of its roof! Builders collected genuine red clay tiles made during the eighteenth century. Workers brought these heavy pieces from the old Mission San Antonio de Padua mission church near Jolon. They also gathered clay tiles from the historic Mission Dolores Asistencia located in nearby San Mateo. Reusing these ancient mission tiles helped the new station look gracefully historic right away.
How the Railway Tracks and Platforms Work
The Old Island Platform and the Hold-Out Rule
For more than a hundred years, the tracks looked very different than they do today. The depot had one outer platform and a very narrow island platform between rails. This tight setup was normal for old stations built by the Southern Pacific.
Having a narrow center platform created a big safety problem for trains. Officials had to follow a strict safety plan called the hold-out rule. Under this rule, only one passenger train could enter the depot at a time. The second train had to wait far down the track. This stopped crowds from waiting dangerously close to speeding metal wheels.
Modern Upgrades and Side Platforms
Engineers decided to make the depot much safer for everyone in 2008. They built two roomy side platforms on the outer edges of the line. The team finished the northbound waiting area on February 25, 2008. Soon after, workers opened the matching southbound platform on April 1, 2008.
These two separate platforms let trains travel both ways at the very same moment. Caltrain safely eliminated the old waiting rule forever. The stop now gives riders smooth journeys, helpful ramps, and convenient racks and lockers.
