Santa Fe Depot (Oklahoma City) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Santa Fe Depot
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The station building in 2013. On the left are the raised train platforms.
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| Location | 100 South E.K. Gaylord Boulevard Oklahoma City, OK 73102 |
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| Coordinates | 35°27′55″N 97°30′46″W / 35.4653°N 97.5128°W | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Owned by | City of Oklahoma City | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Platforms | 1 side platform | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tracks | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Connections | Oklahoma City Streetcar | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Construction | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Parking | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bicycle facilities | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Disabled access | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Station code | OKC | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | 1934, reopened 1999 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Closed | 1979 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rebuilt | 1999 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Traffic | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Passengers (2017) | 47,644  6.94% |
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| Services | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Santa Fe Depot, also known as the Santa Fe Transit Hub, is a historic train station. You can find it in downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Amtrak's Heartland Flyer train offers daily trips from Oklahoma City to Fort Worth, Texas and back. This station is the main spot for different types of transportation in the area. Since 2016, it has been updated to handle more services. The Santa Fe Depot shares the same code, OKC, with Oklahoma City's airport, Will Rogers World Airport.
Contents
History of the Santa Fe Depot
The Santa Fe Depot was built in 1934 by a train company called the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. It is an Art Deco building, which means it has a cool, modern design from that time. The station is located at 100 South E.K. Gaylord Boulevard in downtown Oklahoma City.
Trains like the Santa Fe Railway's Texas Chief and the Kansas Cityan/Chicagoan used to stop here. Later, the Texas Chief became the Lone Star under Amtrak.
When the Station Closed and Reopened
Amtrak stopped its train service at the station in 1979 when it ended the Lone Star route. After that, the station was empty for 20 years and started to fall apart.
In 1998, a person named Jim Brewer bought the station. He was a developer who helped create the nearby Bricktown area, which is a popular place for fun and entertainment. Mr. Brewer helped fix up the station using $2 million from the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT). This money helped make the station ready for people with disabilities, following the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Amtrak then agreed to use the station again. It became the starting point in the north for the new Heartland Flyer train line. This new line connected Oklahoma to the national train system once more. Train service began again in 1999. More renovations were finished in 2007, and extra features for people with disabilities were added in 2009.
For a while, Amtrak used the station without a formal agreement. In 2010, a new lease was signed with ODOT. This made sure Amtrak could keep using the station for many years.
The station was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2015. This means it is an important historical building. On December 14, 2018, the Oklahoma City Streetcar also started service at the station.
Services at the Station
The Santa Fe Depot offers several services for travelers:
- The station is open daily from 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM, and from 9:40 PM to 11:40 PM.
- There is an enclosed waiting area where you can stay warm or cool.
- Restrooms are available during station hours.
- An ATM is also on site.
How the Station is Used Today
The city of Oklahoma City has chosen the Santa Fe station to be a central spot for many types of transportation. It will continue to be the main Amtrak station for the area. But other services will also be offered here. These include the Oklahoma City Streetcar and EMBARK commuter buses.
In the future, there might be commuter trains to nearby towns like Midwest City, Del City, Edmond, Moore, and Norman. There are also plans for a "Eastern-Flyer" passenger train to Tulsa, and possibly even high-speed trains. The station might also get light rail and more parking. It could even see the return of bus lines that travel between cities.
In 2015, the Santa Fe Intermodal Hub started its first phase of renovations. Funding for these improvements came from the city's Metropolitan Area Projects MAPS plan and a special grant from the United States Department of Transportation.
- Amtrak – Stations – Oklahoma City, OK
