Tampa Union Station facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tampa, FL
Location	601 Nebraska Avenue Tampa, FL 33602
Owned by	City of Tampa
Line(s)	Silver Star
Platforms	3 island platforms
Tracks	6
Connections	Thruway Motorcoach   HART buses
Construction
Bicycle facilities	Yes
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Station code	TPA
History
Opened	1912
Rebuilt	1998
Traffic
Passengers (2018)	108,783  1.62%
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station Reverses direction Silver Star Lakeland toward Miami or New York
Former services Preceding station Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Following station Terminus Main Line Ybor City toward Richmond Preceding station Amtrak Following station Clearwater toward St. Petersburg Floridian Lakeland toward Chicago Lakeland toward Miami Palmetto (2002–2004) Dade City toward New York Preceding station Seaboard Air Line Railroad Following station Terminus Main Line Sulphur Springs toward Richmond
Union Railroad Station
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Historic plaque
Location in Florida Show map of Florida Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Tampa, Florida  United States
Built	1912
Architect	J.F. Leitner, W.C. Hobbs Company
Architectural style	Italian Renaissance Revival
NRHP reference No.	74000640
Added to NRHP	June 5, 1974

Tampa Union Station (TUS) is a historic train station in Tampa, Florida. It was designed by Joseph F. Leitner and opened on May 15, 1912. The station was built to bring together passenger services from different railroad companies in one place. These companies included the Atlantic Coast Line, the Seaboard Air Line, and the Tampa Northern Railroad. The station is located at 601 North Nebraska Avenue.

In 1974, Tampa Union Station was added to the National Register of Historic Places in the U.S. This means it's an important historical site. In 1988, the City of Tampa also made it a local landmark. The station closed in 1984 because it was in bad shape. For a while, Amtrak passengers used a small, temporary building nearby.

Tampa Union Station was fixed up and reopened to the public in 1998. Today, it serves as an Amtrak station for the Silver Star train line. It also offers bus services, called Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach, to other Florida cities. These cities include Orlando, Lakeland, St. Petersburg, Bradenton, Sarasota, Port Charlotte, and Fort Myers.

When the Silver Star train leaves Tampa, it actually goes backward for about 40 miles (64 km) to Lakeland. From there, it continues its journey to either Miami or New York.

Station Design and Features

Union Station in 1922

The station was first built with eight train tracks. Today, only one track, called "Track 3," is used regularly. "Track 2" is sometimes used for special trains or private rail cars. In November 2020, Amtrak added a new, higher platform with a roof to make it easier for everyone to get on and off trains.

Building this new platform changed the way the tracks were set up. Tracks 4, 5, and 6 were removed. However, there are plans to put them back if more trains are needed in the future. Some other tracks are still there but are not used. You can still see the original concrete barriers at the end of some tracks. Next to these barriers are concrete planters with "TUS" (for Tampa Union Station) carved into them.

The station has a main building with a waiting room. It also has a building that used to hold a restaurant and handle luggage. There was once a separate building for packages and freight, but it was taken down in the 1970s.

When the station first opened, the waiting room was divided. This was due to laws at the time that separated people based on their race. There were separate entrances for different groups of passengers. These separation laws were common in the South. Over time, these laws were challenged and eventually changed. By the mid-1950s, federal rules began to end this separation in train stations. Full equality in public spaces came later.

The property also has a train wash and a facility for repairing train cars. Amtrak added these in the 1980s. However, they are mostly not used today.

Who Manages the Station?

The City of Tampa's Real Estate Division is in charge of managing Tampa Union Station. The city rents out parts of the building to different groups. For example, an office on the second floor was once used by the Pullman Company. Part of the old luggage building, which used to be a restaurant, is now rented by a local real estate company.

In 2008, a special fund was set up to help take care of Tampa Union Station. This fund gets money from private donors. The money from this fund helps the City of Tampa pay for the station's upkeep. People are still working to raise more money for this fund.

Also in 2008, a group called "Friends of Tampa Union Station" was started. This group is made up of volunteers. They work to protect and promote Tampa Union Station as both a historic landmark and an important place for transportation. They work with the City of Tampa and other rail passenger groups.

Bringing the Station Back to Life

In 1991, a nonprofit group called Tampa Union Station Preservation & Redevelopment Inc. (TUSP&R) took ownership of the station. They got a loan from CSX, a freight railroad company that is connected to the station's original owners. TUSP&R raised over $4 million to fix up the building. They got money from grants and loans from places like the Florida Department of Transportation and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

The restoration work was finished in 1998 by Rowe Architects Incorporated. After the repairs, the station reopened for Amtrak passengers and the public. That same year, CSX gave the station to the City of Tampa as a gift.

During the restoration, workers found many old documents. These papers were from the Pullman Company, the Tampa Union Station Company, and the Seaboard Air Line Railroad. Volunteers from TUSP&R carefully organized these documents. They saved them by sending them to the University of South Florida Library and the Newberry Library in Chicago.

Honoring the Station's History

In 2009, James E. Tokley, Sr., who was Tampa's official Poet Laureate, wrote a poem about the station. It was called "The Epic of Union Station." Mr. Tokley read his poem at the station on May 9, 2009. This was part of the National Train Day celebrations held there.

On May 12, 2012, Tampa Union Station celebrated its 100th birthday. On that day, it was officially added to the National Register of Historic Railroad Landmarks. This honor was given by the National Railway Historical Society (NRHS). Officials from the NRHS presented a special plaque to the station to mark this important event.

The "Friends of Tampa Union Station" group is still active today. They continue to organize a "Train Day" event at the station every May.

Getting Around from the Station

You can connect to other transportation options from Tampa Union Station:

• Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach (bus services)
• Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART) buses: Routes #2, #9, & #12.

Images for kids

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  Historic plaque