Santa Fe Passenger Depot (Fresno, California) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Santa Fe Passenger Depot Fresno, CA
Santa Fe Passenger Depot in 2009
Location	2650 Tulare Street Fresno, California United States
Coordinates	36°44′18″N 119°46′55″W / 36.73833°N 119.78194°W / 36.73833; -119.78194
Owned by	City of Fresno
Line(s)	BNSF Stockton Subdivision
Platforms	1 side platform 1 island platform
Tracks	2
Connections	Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach Greyhound Fresno Area Express Fresno County Rural Transit Agency Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System
Construction
Parking	11 short term spaces 98 long term spaces
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Station code	FNO
History
Opened	1899
Rebuilt	February 12, 2005
Original company	San Francisco and San Joaquin Valley Railroad
Traffic
Passengers (2018)	377,709  0.9% (Amtrak)
Rank	11th in California
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station Madera toward Oakland – Jack London Square or Sacramento San Joaquins Hanford toward Bakersfield
Former services Preceding station Amtrak Following station Storey until 2010 toward Oakland – Jack London Square or Sacramento San Joaquins Hanford toward Bakersfield Preceding station Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Following station Figarden toward Oakland Oakland – Barstow Calwa toward Barstow
Santa Fe Passenger Depot
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Area	1.1 acres (0.4 ha)
Architect	William Benson Storey, Jr.
Architectural style	California Mission
NRHP reference No.	76000482
Added to NRHP	November 7, 1976

The Santa Fe Passenger Depot, also known as Fresno station, is a historic train station in downtown Fresno, California. It's a busy place where people can catch trains and buses.

The station serves San Joaquins trains, which travel between cities. You can also find Greyhound buses here. Plus, there are local bus services like Fresno Area Express and Fresno County Rural Transit Agency. During certain times of the year, you can even catch a bus to Yosemite National Park from here!

History of the Santa Fe Depot

Depot circa 1910

This station was built way back in 1899. It was made for the San Francisco and San Joaquin Valley Railroad. A person named William Benson Storey designed it for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, often called Santa Fe.

The station looks a lot like the one in Stockton – San Joaquin Street Station. For many years, it was the main office for Santa Fe's Valley Division. The building was made bigger or updated nine times between 1908 and 1985.

Santa Fe stopped using the station for passengers in 1966. By the early 1990s, the building was completely closed. When train service returned to Fresno in 1974, Amtrak used a different space nearby.

The city of Fresno bought the station in 2003. It was in bad shape by then. But after a big renovation project that cost $6 million, it reopened on February 12, 2005. The station now looks much like it did in 1899!

The Santa Fe sign on the Fresno Depot

After the updates, there's a large area for passengers. There's also space available for businesses to rent. Because of its history, the Santa Fe Depot was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. This means it's a special building worth protecting.

Before 1971, when Amtrak started running most passenger trains in the U.S., Santa Fe trains used this station. This included the famous San Francisco Chief train. For a few years after Amtrak began, Fresno didn't have train service.

But in 1974, Amtrak's San Joaquin train started stopping here. At first, there was only one train each day going between Oakland and Bakersfield. Over time, more trains were added. By 2002, the San Joaquin ran many times a day.

About the Fresno Station

The station is located at 2650 Tulare Street. It's right near Santa Fe Street, across from the Fresno City Hall. The station is easy to get to from the main freeways in the city. These include California State Route 99, California State Route 41, and California State Route 180.

Fresno station is one of the busiest Amtrak stations in California. In 2018, over 377,000 passengers got on or off trains here. It has the most passengers on the San Joaquins train line. This is true if you don't count people who are just changing to a connecting bus.

Station Facilities

The station has an indoor waiting room. It's open every day from 5:30 AM to 10:00 PM. Inside, you can check your bags and get help with luggage. There's also a machine to check in automatically.

You can buy tickets from a person or use a Quik-Trak ticket machine. There are also restrooms and a payphone. If you're driving, there are 11 short-term parking spots. There are also 98 long-term parking spots.

Places to Visit Nearby

• Chukchansi Park
• Fresno City Hall
• Fresno Convention Center
• Meux Home Museum
• Saroyan Theater
• Selland Arena

Services at the Station

Train Platforms

The Santa Fe passenger depot has two train tracks. However, only one track is used regularly for passenger trains. Amtrak trains switch onto this track. This keeps the main track clear for freight trains.

There is also a very narrow platform between the tracks. This "island platform" is sometimes used if Amtrak trains cannot switch to the regular track. But passengers are not allowed to wait on this island platform.

Bus Connections

You can connect to several bus services from the station:

• Amtrak California Thruway Motorcoach:
  • Route 1B to Los Angeles (late night/early morning only)
• Fresno Area Express:
  • Route 22 – N West Ave. / East Tulare Ave.
• Fresno County Rural Transit Agency:
  • Coalinga
  • Orange Cove
  • Southeast
  • Westside
• Greyhound Lines
• Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System:
  • Highway 41 route to Yosemite National Park (operates May–September only)