Gilroy station facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gilroy
Gilroy station in July 2018
Location	7150 Monterey Street Gilroy, California
Coordinates	37°00′15″N 121°34′00″W / 37.00417°N 121.56667°W / 37.00417; -121.56667
Owned by	Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board
Line(s)	UP Coast Subdivision
Platforms	1 side platform
Tracks	1
Connections	LTA: Caltrain Shuttle MST: 55, 86 Greyhound VTA: 68, 84, 85, 86, 121, 168, 185
Construction
Parking	471 spaces
Bicycle facilities	10 lockers
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Fare zone	Fare zone 6
History
Opened	April 8, 1869 July 1, 1992
Closed	April 30, 1971
Rebuilt	1998
Original company	Southern Pacific
Traffic
Passengers (2018)	252 (weekdays)  22.7%
Services
Preceding station Caltrain Following station San Martin toward San Francisco Limited Peak hours only Terminus Local Peak hours only
Former services Preceding station Southern Pacific Railroad Following station San Martin toward San Francisco Coast Line Watsonville Junction toward Los Angeles
Gilroy Southern Pacific Railroad Depot
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
NRHP reference No.	100004192
Added to NRHP	July 12, 2019

The Gilroy train station is a special place in Gilroy, California. It's where the Caltrain trains stop. It's the very last stop on the Caltrain line towards the south. Trains only come here on weekdays during busy times, like when people go to work or school. In the morning, trains go towards San Francisco, and in the evening, they come back to Gilroy.

The station building was built a long time ago in 1913 by a company called the Southern Pacific Railroad. It was fixed up and made new again in 1998. Soon, another train service called Amtrak's Capitol Corridor might also start stopping here. Because it's so old and important, the station was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2019. Its official historic name is the Gilroy Southern Pacific Railroad Depot.

Station History: A Journey Through Time

Early Days of the Southern Pacific

The very first Gilroy station opened on April 8, 1869. It was built by the Santa Clara & Pajaro Valley Railroad. This first station looked a lot like the old station you can still see in Santa Clara.

In 1882, some important parts for trains were added. These included a water tower, a turntable (which helps turn trains around), and a building for three train engines.

A New Building for Gilroy

The original station was replaced in 1917. The new building was much bigger and had two stories. It was built in a beautiful style called Italian Renaissance. It used local redwood wood and was covered in a special cement plaster. This new station was built by the Southern Pacific Railroad.

Around 1929, fewer trains started stopping at the station. The engine house closed in 1934, but the turntable was still used until the 1950s. The last regular train service to the station was called the Del Monte. It stopped running on April 30, 1971. After that, other Amtrak trains, like the Coast Starlight, would pass by but didn't stop.

Caltrain Service Begins

The special Garlic Train at Gilroy in 2018

On July 1, 1992, Caltrain started offering service to Gilroy. At first, there were two round trips each day that came all the way from San Jose Diridon station. This means trains went to Gilroy and then back again twice a day.

In February 1994, Caltrain added more trips. They started having four round trips each day. This happened because a new area was built next to the station where trains could rest and wait.

Station Restoration and Updates

In 1998, the city of Gilroy worked to make the station building look new again. This project cost $2.8 million and created the Gilroy Transit Center. This new center included not just the restored station, but also parking lots for cars and a bus area. One of the waiting rooms in the station was even reopened for people using Greyhound buses.

However, in July 2005, Caltrain reduced its service to Gilroy. They went back to having only three round trips each day.

The Famous Garlic Train

Even before Caltrain started regular service in 1992, there was a special train. This train ran only on the weekend of the Gilroy Garlic Festival. It was a limited-stop train that went from San Francisco to Gilroy. Buses would then take people from the station to the festival.

This special "Garlic Train" service stopped in 2002. This was because Caltrain temporarily stopped all weekend trains for a big project. When weekend service started again in 2004, the Garlic Train didn't come back right away. However, the "Garlic Train" finally started running again for the 2013 Garlic Festival!

In 2019, the station was officially recognized as an important historical place. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places as the Gilroy Southern Pacific Railroad Depot.

Future Plans for Gilroy Station

More Train Services Coming

There are exciting plans for the Gilroy station's future! Money has been set aside to extend Caltrain service even further south to Salinas station. After that, Amtrak's Capitol Corridor service is also planned to stop at Gilroy. To make this happen, the train track at Gilroy station that currently ends will be extended to connect back to the main train line.

High-Speed Rail in Gilroy

The planned California High-Speed Rail system will also have a station in Gilroy. This is a very fast train system that will connect major cities in California. There are two main ideas for where the high-speed rail station could be built in Gilroy. One idea is to use the existing Gilroy station. The other idea is to build a new station in an undeveloped area northeast of the city center. In 2020, the High Speed Rail Authority said they prefer to build the station at the existing Gilroy station.

Bus Connections

The Gilroy station is a busy place where you can catch many different buses. These buses can take you to places nearby or even to other cities.

• Greyhound
• Monterey–Salinas Transit: Bus routes 55, 86
• San Benito County Transit: Caltrain Shuttle
• Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority: Bus routes 68, 84, 85, 86, 121, 168, 185