Burlington station (Iowa) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Burlington, IA
Burlington station in June 2014.
Location	300 South Main Street Burlington, Iowa 52601 United States
Owned by	BNSF Railway
Platforms	1 side platform, 1 island platform
Tracks	3
Connections	Burlington Urban Service (B.U.S.)
Other information
Station code	BRL
History
Rebuilt	March 28, 1944
Traffic
Passengers (2018)	8,668  2.82% (Amtrak)
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station Mount Pleasant toward Emeryville California Zephyr Galesburg toward Chicago
Former services Preceding station Amtrak Following station Mount Pleasant toward Los Angeles Desert Wind Discontinued in 1997 Galesburg toward Chicago Preceding station Burlington Route Following station West Burlington toward Denver Main Line Gladstone toward Chicago Terminus Burlington – Quincy Carman toward Quincy Burlington – St. Louis Wever toward St. Louis Preceding station Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad Following station Sperry toward Minneapolis Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Northern Railway Terminus
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Station
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location in Iowa Show map of Iowa Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	300 S Main Street, Burlington, Iowa
Area	2.9 acres (1.2 ha)
Built	1944 (1944)
Architect	Holibard & Root
Architectural style	Moderne
NRHP reference No.	01001540
Added to NRHP	February 4, 2002

The Burlington station is a train station in Burlington, Iowa, United States. It is served by Amtrak, which is the national passenger train system. You can find the station at 300 South Main Street.

The station is open all day, every day. However, there are no Amtrak workers or ticket machines there. You need to buy your tickets before you arrive or from a conductor on the train. The station is also a main spot for the Burlington Urban Service (B.U.S.). This is a local bus system. People can switch to any bus route here.

History of the Burlington Train Station

The Burlington station was designed by a famous company called Holabird and Root. They were based in Chicago. The station was built for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (CB&Q). It was finished in 1944. This happened after a fire destroyed the old station in January 1943.

A Cool Mid-Century Design

The station shows off a cool style called "streamlined mid-century modern". This look became popular in the 1930s. The building has two stories and is made of strong concrete. Its outside walls are covered with light brown stones from Wisconsin. These stones are laid in a unique pattern.

The lower floor was for train and bus passengers. The top floor had offices for railroad managers. There were also places for train workers to rest.

Inside the Station

The waiting room has two stories. Its walls are covered with buff-colored stone from Montana. The floors are made of tough terrazzo. There are also black marble decorations.

On one wall, the CB&Q railroad listed its big achievements in Burlington. For example, they tested George Westinghouse's air brakes there in 1887.

The California Zephyr train at Burlington in 1995.

Taking Care of the Station

In 1993, there was a big flood. After the flood, the city bought the building in 1994. They started fixing it up. This included repairing the roof and putting in new windows.

A group called "Friends of the Depot" was also formed. They help the city take care of the station. They also come up with ideas for new uses for the building. In 2011 and 2012, volunteers painted the outside of the station. They also sealed the windows. Amtrak even donated over $1,000 to help with these efforts.

• Amtrak – Stations – Burlington, IA