Little Rock Union Station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Little Rock Union Station
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| Location | 1400 West Markham Street Little Rock, AR 72201 United States |
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| Coordinates | 34°45′02″N 92°17′13″W / 34.75056°N 92.28694°W | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Owned by | BSR Trust, LLC | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Line(s) | Union Pacific Railroad | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Platforms | 1 side platform | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tracks | 1 passing siding and 2 through tracks | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Construction | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Parking | 20 long term and 20 short term dedicated parking spaces | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Disabled access | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Station code | Amtrak code: LRK | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | 1921 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Closed | 1992 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Traffic | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Passengers (2017) | 20,574  12.2% |
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| Services | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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MoPac Station
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| Location | Little Rock, Arkansas, USA | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Built | 1911 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Architect | E. M. Tucker/MoPac | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| NRHP reference No. | 77000270 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Added to NRHP | June 17, 1977 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | |||||||||||||||||||||||
 Little Rock Union Station
Location in Arkansas
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Little Rock Union Station, also called Mopac Station, is a train station in Little Rock, Arkansas, United States. It is used by Amtrak, which is the main passenger train system in the country.
Contents
History of Little Rock Union Station
Building the Station
The current Little Rock train station opened on August 1, 1921. It was built by the Missouri Pacific Railroad. A big fire had destroyed the old station on April 7, 1920.
The builders used parts of the old station that survived the fire. This included the foundations, some outside walls, and the clock tower. The station is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is an important historical building.
Why "Union Station"?
Even though it's called "Union Station," this specific building was mostly used by only one railroad: the Missouri Pacific.
However, earlier stations on this same spot were used by more than one railroad. These included the Memphis and Little Rock Railroad and the St. Louis Southwestern Railroad. The first station here was made of wood in 1874. A brick station opened in 1909 but burned down in 1920.
Inside the Station
The main entrance to Union Station was on Markham Street. On this level, you would find waiting rooms, the ticket office, and a restaurant.
The top two floors had offices for the railroad's train dispatchers. These people managed where trains went. There were also offices for freight and passenger services. The Pullman Company had offices here too. They were in charge of the sleeping and dining cars on passenger trains.
The basement level was where the train tracks were. It had areas for mail and baggage. Passengers got to the tracks using an open walkway. This walkway had stairs and shelters over the tracks. This part of the station was from the 1908 building and survived the 1920 fire.
Train Routes from Little Rock
Little Rock was an important meeting point for Missouri Pacific trains. Trains went northeast to St. Louis. They also went east to Memphis Union Station.
Westbound trains traveled to cities like Dallas, Fort Worth, and El Paso. Other trains went to San Antonio and Galveston through Houston. You could even take a train directly to Hot Springs.
Some famous trains that passed through Little Rock included:
- Southerner (from St. Louis and Memphis to El Paso, San Antonio, and Houston)
- Sunshine Special (from St. Louis and Memphis to Mexico City)
- Texas Eagle (from St. Louis and Memphis to El Paso and Mexico City)
Changes Over Time
End of Missouri Pacific Service
The Missouri Pacific Railroad stopped its passenger service to Little Rock on May 1, 1971. This was when Amtrak took over most passenger train operations in the United States.
Station Updates
The old shelters and walkway over the tracks were taken down in October 1973. This happened just before Amtrak started a new passenger route through Little Rock.
Amtrak continued to use the original waiting room and ticket office until July 1992. After that, the waiting area and ticket offices moved. They were relocated to a newly updated part of the station on the track level.
