City of New Orleans

ocated a few blocks north of the historic downtown, the Godbold Transportation Center — a project more than a decade in the making — opened to the public in August 2011. Prior to moving to the new facility, Amtrak passengers used a small shelter adjacent to the former Illinois Central Railroad (ICRR) depot a few blocks to the south.

The completion of a new multimodal center in Meridian, Miss., in 1997 inspired Brookhaven Mayor Bill Godbold to push for the construction of a similar facility that would provide intercity passenger rail and bus riders with a welcoming, climate-controlled waiting area and other amenities. Rather than construct a new building, the aldermen voted to rehabilitate the former municipal power plant, which was abandoned but structurally sound and located close to the tracks. The cost of transforming the industrial building into a transportation hub was estimated at $1.27 million, and it was hoped that it would spur private development on nearby parcels. Due to the site’s former industrial uses, minor environmental remediation work was required to remove soil contaminated by oil.

Jackson-based architect Michael Barranco drew up plans for the transportation center. Known for his interest in New Urbanism — a planning movement that emphasizes the creation of walkable, mixed-use communities rooted in traditional design principles — Barranco was also instrumental in the creation of the Mississippi Renewal Forum. Established in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, it brought together community and design professionals to discuss and plan for the revival of the Mississippi coast.

The resulting design called for partial demolition of the red brick power plant, which dates to 1890. The remaining portion features handsome original brickwork—including stylized architectural elements such as a water table, cornice, and pilasters—that elevated the building above its utilitarian function as a power plant. The soaring smokestack remains standing and acts as a visual reference point that also reminds visitors of the building’s industrial heritage. During the rehabilitation work, crews discovered two plaques containing information about the construction of the power plant; that at some point in the past had been covered up by a brick wall. They were removed and will be reinstalled along with a new plaque commemorating the opening of the transportation center.

Large expanses of glass on the principal elevations allow natural light to flood the waiting room, whose bright and airy atmosphere is further enhanced by high ceilings, a coat of warm yellow paint on the brick and cinderblock walls, and delicate birch veneer wood paneling installed on the wall above the ticket window. Wooden benches are a tangible link to Brookhaven’s rich railroad heritage — they were once installed in the city’s historic ICRR depot. Around the base of the building, the town’s Community Appearance Committee installed shrubs and flowers.

Trackside, construction crews built a 400’ concrete platform with tactile edging. A gabled canopy rising from brick piers protects passengers from inclement weather while they wait outside for the arrival of the train. Canopies were also installed over the station’s western and southern entrances that lead to the platform and parking lot, respectively. The design and installation of the platform was delayed for a number of years until the Federal Railroad Administration and the Canadian National Railway (which purchased the ICRR in 1998) could agree on its height.

The people of Brookhaven celebrated the opening of the train station during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on August 17, 2011. The process, which took 12 years and was shepherded by three mayors, is a testament to the persistence and patience of city leaders. The facility was named the Godbold Transportation Center in honor of former Mayor Bill Godbold, who died in 2010 before its completion. A photo of Godbold and his parents—both of whom also served as city mayor—hangs in the building. The arrival of the southbound City of New Orleans, making its first stop at the new transportation center, closed the ceremony on a high point.

Great American Stations

he Hazlehurst stop consists of a shelter on the platform adjacent to the historic 1925 depot, which was built by the Illinois Central Railroad to replace an earlier wooden structure. The depot currently houses the Hazlehurst Depot Museum and the Hazlehurst Chamber of Commerce. An Illinois Central caboose built in 1966 stands nearby. On March 31, 1858, the final spike of the New Orleans, Jackson, and Great Northern railroad was driven. The railroad (later known as the Illinois Central) was built under the supervision of General Superintendant and Chief Engineer George H. Hazlehurst. The line cut through Copiah County, the “Tomato Capital of the World,” which was ceded to the United States by the Choctaw tribe in the Doak’s Stand Treaty of 1820. George Hazlehurst surveyed and laid out the streets of Hazlehurst, requesting that the town bear his name and making it one of the oldest cities in Mississippi.

Great American Stations

he Jackson station and connecting freight house were built by the Illinois Central Railroad in 1927 after the railroad was elevated through downtown. In 1976, the station waiting room was renovated in conjunction with the nation’s bicentennial for the American Freedom Train tour. In 2003 the city of Jackson acquired the building from Canadian National (the successor to Illinois Central) and began a $20 million renovation of the 60,000-square foot multi-floor brick building, reopening it as the Union Station Multimodal Transportation Facility.

Amtrak was relocated to the former freight house section of the building, joining Greyhound and Jatran, the city’s bus network. The former passenger waiting room, ticket counter and other areas were converted into commercial office and event rental spaces. The project’s architects, Dale and Associates, received a 2005 Mississippi AIA Merit Award for the completed station. The renovation of the Georgian Revival structure included masonry repointing, wooden window repair, replacing the tile roof, and upgrades to the interior. An Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) grant and Jackson Redevelopment Authority funds financed the project. The station project was one of the first renewal efforts in downtown; dozens of buildings have since been rehabilitated, including the historic Hotel King Edward, which had closed in 1966.

Great American Stations

assengers at Yazoo City use a shelter on the platform. Amtrak began serving Yazoo City and Greenwood in 1995, when the City of New Orleans was rerouted westward between Jackson and Memphis. In fall 2023, Amtrak completed a $3.4 million accessibility enhancement project at the Yazoo City station. Amtrak, working with the city, made improvements that included the construction of a new 300-foot-long concrete platform meeting the specifications of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Other upgrades included the installation of a new passenger shelter, new lighting, railings and upgrades to the parking lot.

The community was named by the French explorer Robert La Salle. “Yazoo” is said to be a Native American word meaning “River of Death.” In Yazoo City, rolling hills meet fertile delta flatlands. The city was founded in 1824 and was originally named Hannan’s Bluff. It was later renamed Manchester, then Yazoo City in 1839. In 1849, it became the Yazoo County seat.

Great American Stations

he Greenwood depot was built in 1917-18 by the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley Railroad, an Illinois Central Railroad subsidiary. On August 10, 1917, the Greenwood Enterprise reported, “The new station will be one of the handsomest on the lines of the Illinois Central Railroad in a town the size of Greenwood, and will far surpass any station on the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley or Illinois Central lines between Memphis and New Orleans.”

Composed of dark red brick with a hipped roof, the one-story depot cost an estimated $60,000. Situated just southeast of downtown, it replaced a late-19th century gabled wooden depot that had vertical board and batten walls. This earlier structure was moved to make way for the new station building and was repurposed for freight handling.

The depot stretches out along the tracks, its horizontal massing emphasized by a belt course that wraps around the building at the level of the window sills, while a decorative course of soldier bricks (with the long, narrow sides exposed) runs above the windows and entryways. Trackside, a projecting bay with windows on three sides enabled the station master to monitor activity up and down the rail line.

Passenger functions were located on the north end, where large windows allowed natural light to brighten the waiting room. To the south, spaces were used for baggage, parcel and freight services, as indicated by the small windows, placed high on the wall for security, and the wide doors on both the street and track sides of the building that let carts be easily moved between the depot and train.

Studying historic images, dormer windows once punctuated the roof, and an integrated canopy supported by slender columns covered much of the platform, protecting passengers and parcels from inclement weather and the strong summer sun. These elements were later removed.

In April 2022, Amtrak and the community celebrated completion of a $5.4 million project to improve accessibility and the customer experience at the Greenwood station. Work included construction of a new concrete platform that correctly matches the train height and a renovated waiting room with restroom, drinking fountains and new bench seating.

Today, the depot falls within the boundaries of Greenwood’s Railroad Historic District, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. Amtrak began serving Greenwood and Yazoo City in 1995, when the City of New Orleans was rerouted westward between Jackson, Mississippi, and Memphis.

Great American Stations