Fullerton Transportation Center facts for kids

The Fullerton Transportation Center is a busy train and bus station in Fullerton, California, United States.

It's a major hub where you can catch Amtrak trains like the Pacific Surfliner and Southwest Chief. You can also ride Metrolink commuter trains on the 91 Line and Orange County Line. Plus, it's a big bus station for the Orange County Transportation Authority, making it one of the most important travel spots in Orange County.

Quick facts for kids Fullerton
Fullerton Train Station, trackside
Other names	Fullerton Transportation Center
Location	120 East Santa Fe Avenue Fullerton, California United States
Coordinates	33°52′07″N 117°55′20″W / 33.868612°N 117.9223°W / 33.868612; -117.9223
Owned by	BNSF Railway and City of Fullerton
Line(s)	BNSF San Bernardino Subdivision
Platforms	2 side platforms, 1 bay platform
Tracks	4
Construction
Parking	250 spaces
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Station code	FUL (Amtrak)
History
Opened	1930 (AT&SF)
Rebuilt	1993
Original company	Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
Traffic
Passengers (2017)	399,695  3% (Amtrak)
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station Los Angeles toward San Luis Obispo Pacific Surfliner Anaheim toward San Diego Los Angeles Terminus Southwest Chief Riverside toward Chicago Preceding station Metrolink Following station Buena Park toward Los Angeles Union Station 91/Perris Valley Line West Corona toward Perris–South Orange County Line Anaheim toward Oceanside
Former services Preceding station Amtrak Following station Los Angeles Terminus Desert Wind Discontinued in 1997 San Bernardino toward Chicago Preceding station Union Pacific Railroad Following station La Habra toward East Los Angeles East Los Angeles – Anaheim Anaheim Terminus Preceding station Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Following station Buena Park toward Los Angeles Main Line Via Fullerton, Riverside Placentia toward Chicago Surf Line Anaheim toward San Diego Preceding station Pacific Electric Following station Harvard Avenue towards Pacific Electric Building Fullerton discontinued 1938 Terminus
Santa Fe Railway Passenger and Freight Depot (Fullerton, California)
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location	140 East Santa Fe Avenue, Fullerton, California
Area	1 acre (0.4 ha)
Built	1930
Architect	E. J. Herbert
Architectural style	Mission/Spanish Colonial Revival
NRHP reference No.	91002031
Added to NRHP	5 February 1992
Fullerton Union Pacific Depot
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location	100 East Santa Fe Avenue, Fullerton, California
Area	0.8 acres (0.3 ha)
Built	1923
Built by	Union Pacific Railroad
Architect	John and Donald Parkinson
Architectural style	Mission Revival style/Spanish Colonial Revival
NRHP reference No.	83003551
Added to NRHP	12 October 1983

Station History

The Fullerton Transportation Center has two old train station buildings. One was built in 1923 by the Union Pacific Railroad. The other was built in 1930 by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. Both of these buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are important historical sites.

Santa Fe Depot

The Santa Fe depot, built in 1930, is still used today. It has an Amtrak ticket office and a waiting area for passengers. There's even a cafe inside! The building looks like it's from old Spain, with its white walls, red tile roof, and fancy ironwork. This style is called Spanish Colonial Revival.

Union Pacific Depot

The Union Pacific Railroad was the third railway company to build tracks and a station in Fullerton. This helped make Fullerton a major train center for northern Orange County. The Union Pacific building, from 1923, was designed in the Mission Revival style. It was moved next to the Santa Fe depot in 1980 to keep it safe. Today, an Old Spaghetti Factory restaurant is located there.

Other Connections and Growth

In 1917, the Pacific Electric company built an electric railway to Fullerton. This allowed people to easily switch between different train systems.

In September 1983, the Orange County Transit District (now called the Orange County Transportation Authority) opened a bus station across the street. This made it even easier for people to travel by bus.

The Fullerton station became one of the first stops on the Metrolink Orange County Line when it opened in 1994. It also became one of the first stops on the 91 Line (now the 91/Perris Valley Line) in 2002.

Railroad Days Event

In the late 1990s, a group called the Fullerton Railway Plaza Association (FRPA) started working to create a railroad museum at the station. They also hosted a yearly event called "Fullerton Railroad Days." This event started in 1999 and brought in thousands of visitors. It was a fun way to learn about trains. The event was canceled in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Train Services

The Fullerton station is served by different types of trains.

• Metrolink trains: These are commuter rail services on the 91 Line and Orange County Line. They help people travel to and from work or school.
• Amtrak trains: These are longer-distance trains.
  • The Pacific Surfliner travels along the coast.
  • The Southwest Chief is a long-distance train that goes all the way to Chicago. When the Southwest Chief is heading to Los Angeles, it only lets passengers off. When it's heading to Chicago, it only picks passengers up.

Tracks and Platforms

The BNSF San Bernardino Subdivision has three tracks that run through the station.

• Trains going west use the north track and its platform.
• Trains going east use the south track and its platform.
• The middle track is only for freight trains (carrying goods).

There's also an extra track with a platform on the south side. This track is used for trains that only travel short distances, like between Fullerton and Laguna Niguel or Oceanside.

• Amtrak – Stations – Fullerton, CA
• Fullerton at the Metrolink website