Hartford Union Station facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hartford
Hartford Union Station in December 2017
Location	One Union Place, Hartford, Connecticut United States
Coordinates	41°46′08″N 72°40′54″W / 41.76889°N 72.68167°W / 41.76889; -72.68167
Owned by	Greater Hartford Transit District
Line(s)	New Haven–Springfield Line
Platforms	1
Tracks	1
Bus stands	15
Connections	CTtransit
Construction
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Station code	HFD (Amtrak)
History
Opened	1889
Rebuilt	1914, 1987
Traffic
Passengers (2019)	172,178  14.3% (Amtrak)
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station Berlin toward New Haven Hartford Line Windsor toward Springfield Berlin toward Norfolk, Newport News or Roanoke Northeast Regional Berlin toward New Haven Valley Flyer Windsor toward Greenfield Meriden toward Washington, D.C. Vermonter Windsor Locks toward St. Albans Preceding station ConnDOT Following station Sigourney Street toward Downtown New Britain CTfastrak Terminus Berlin toward New Haven Union Station Hartford Line Windsor toward Springfield
Former services Preceding station Amtrak Following station Berlin toward Washington, D.C. Montrealer Springfield toward Montreal Berlin toward Atlantic City Atlantic City Express 1991-1995 Windsor toward Springfield
Hartford Union Station
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Area	3 acres (1.2 ha)
Built	1889
Architect	George Keller
Architectural style	Richardsonian Romanesque
NRHP reference No.	75001932
Added to NRHP	November 25, 1975

Hartford Union Station is a busy train station in Hartford, Connecticut, USA. It's a key stop on the New Haven–Springfield Line. Many different trains use this station, including Amtrak trains like the Hartford Line, Northeast Regional, Valley Flyer, and Vermonter. It also serves local commuter trains.

The station building is very old and has a special style called Richardsonian Romanesque. It was designed by George Keller and built in 1889. After a fire in 1914, it had to be rebuilt. The inside was updated again in 1987. This historic building has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1975.

Station Design and Look

The station entrance

Hartford Union Station is located on the western edge of downtown Hartford. It sits on a three-acre block between Union Place and Spruce Street. The station is also near Church and Asylum streets.

The main building is between the train tracks and Union Place. It's a three-story rectangular building. It's made of rough Portland brownstone. There are also two smaller, two-story wings on the north and south sides. The main building has a flat roof. The wings have sloped roofs with dormer windows.

The front of the building faces east. A wide set of steps leads up to the main entrance. Above the entrance, you can see large arched openings. Above these arches is a cool flower-shaped design. The second floor has similar but smaller arches. The middle section has "1914" carved into it.

Inside the station, there used to be four train tracks. Now, there is only one track. The station also has a train shed with iron roofs. These roofs are supported by spiral-shaped iron brackets.

The inside of the station has been updated over time. It's mostly an open space with stairs. These stairs lead up to the elevated train tracks. The floor is made of red tiles. There are offices on the north and south sides of the station.

Station History

The station in 1912

Hartford Union Station was first built in 1889. It served several different railroad companies. These included the Hartford and New Haven Railroad and the New York and New England Railroad. Sadly, a big fire in 1914 destroyed much of the building. It had to be rebuilt completely.

In 1975, the station was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's an important historical site.

Today, the station has one track and a platform. Amtrak removed a second track and platform in the 1990s. This was done to lower maintenance costs. Also, the old structure could not safely support more than one train at a time.

A part of the platform was made higher in 2016. This makes it easier for people with disabilities to get on trains. It's part of the Hartford Line project. This new platform has a special edge that can flip up. This allows wider freight trains to pass by. The Hartford Line commuter train service started on June 16, 2018.

A special bus system called CTfastrak also started service here. This began on March 28, 2015. It took many years of planning and construction to build.

There are plans to possibly change the highway and rail line nearby. This is part of the I-84 Hartford Project. If this happens, new platforms might be built. However, Union Station would still be used for buying tickets and waiting for trains.

Train and Bus Services

Train Services

An Amtrak Shuttle (now Hartford Line) at Hartford in 2005

Hartford Union Station is located in the middle of the New Haven–Springfield Line. This line is not electric. Amtrak runs about sixteen trains each day through Hartford.

Four different Amtrak services stop at Hartford:

• The Vermonter
• The Valley Flyer
• Some Northeast Regional trains
• The Hartford Line

The Hartford Line also offers commuter rail service. These trains are run by both Amtrak and ConnDOT (CTrail).

Bus Services

Union Station is a major hub for buses too. It's the end point for CTfastrak. This is a special bus system that runs between the station and New Britain. It's operated by Connecticut Transit. There are many local and express bus routes that use this station.

CTTransit's Hartford Division provides many local and express bus services. These buses connect the station to various parts of the city.

You can also catch long-distance buses here. Greyhound and Peter Pan offer bus trips to other cities from Union Station.

• Amtrak – Stations – Hartford Union Station