Central Station (Los Angeles) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Los Angeles
Central Station |
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Exterior view of the Southern Pacific Depot, c. 1918
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| Location | Fifth and Central Los Angeles, California |
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| Coordinates | 34°02′32″N 118°14′22″W / 34.0423°N 118.2394°W | |
| Line(s) | Southern Pacific Railroad, Union Pacific | |
| History | ||
| Opened | December 1, 1914 | |
| Closed | 1939 (passengers) August 22, 1956 (demolished) |
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| Services | ||
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Central Station was a very important train station in Los Angeles, California. It was the main place where the Southern Pacific Railroad picked up and dropped off passengers. You could find it on Central Avenue at Fifth Street, in the eastern part of Downtown Los Angeles.
This station was a major hub for Southern Pacific's trains in Southern California. Famous trains like the Sunset Limited and Coast Daylight used to stop there. Central Station replaced an older station called Arcade Depot. Sometimes, people even called the new station by the old name.
Contents
History of Central Station
Why a New Station Was Needed
In the early 1900s, the Southern Pacific Railroad was the busiest of the three main train companies in Los Angeles. The other two were the Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad and the Santa Fe Railroad.
By 1913, Southern Pacific realized their old Arcade Depot was getting too old. They expected many more people to visit California. This was because San Francisco was hosting the Panama–Pacific International Exposition and San Diego had the Panama–California Exposition in 1915. A new, bigger station was needed to handle all the new visitors.
Opening and Early Years
Trains started using the new tracks at Central Station on December 1, 1914. The main station building itself opened a few months later, on May 2, 1915. By 1918, more than half of all train passengers in Los Angeles used Southern Pacific and Central Station.
The Union Pacific Railroad also started using Central Station in 1924. Their own main station in Los Angeles had been damaged by a fire.
Local Train Connections
Central Station wasn't just for long-distance trains. It was also a stop for two local electric train systems.
- The Pacific Electric Red Cars stopped at the station until 1950. Passengers could catch Red Cars to places like Pasadena, Long Beach, and San Pedro.
- By 1938, the Los Angeles Railway Yellow streetcar lines D, U, and 3 also stopped right in front of the station on Central Avenue.
The End of Central Station
In 1926, people in Los Angeles voted to build a new, single "union station." This new station would combine services from all the major train companies.
When the new Los Angeles Union Station was finished in 1939, all the long-distance passenger trains moved there. Pacific Electric cars continued to use Central Station for a short time, until September 1940. After that, their routes were changed to go to the Subway Terminal Building instead.
Central Station was no longer needed after that. It was torn down on August 22, 1956.
Station Design Features
The company Parkinson & Bergstrom designed Central Station. They included several important features to make the station work well for passengers and trains.
- Separate Levels: The design made sure that people walking and train tracks were on different levels. This helped keep everyone safe.
- Easy Flow for Passengers: The station was planned so that people arriving and people leaving could move easily without getting in each other's way.
- Comfort for Travelers: There were comfortable areas for passengers to wait before their trains.
- Baggage Handling: The station had good facilities to manage luggage efficiently.
- Ticket and Information: There was a convenient place to buy train tickets and a central spot to get information.
- Other Facilities: The station also included important operational areas like a power plant, a kitchen, a dining room, and offices.
