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Amtrak Great Stations Portland, Oregon |
Portland, Or / Jun 2016 / RWH
Portland Union Station
ortland Union Station was constructed in 1896 and has been in continuous operation since that time. Originally constructed as part of the Northwest Pacific Terminal Company, it was owned jointly by the Northern Pacific, Union Pacific and Southern Pacific railroads. The centerpiece of the Romanesque and Queen Anne architecture is the 150-foot clock tower with its four-sided Seth Thomas clock that makes this landmark easily distinguishable. By 1922, every railroad passenger train serving Portland utilized Union Station. Today, Portland Union Station is situated in an area that boasts a variety of businesses and attractions which makes it an excellent arrival/departure point for people interested in the “The City of Roses.” Portland Union Station was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
Between 1927 and 1930, the station’s interior received a major redesign. The main waiting hall was completely opened up by eliminating the cast iron columns and an entire mezzanine level. Italian marble was added to the walls and the floor. Dormers were added to the exterior to permit more natural light to enter the station. In 1948, the blue and gold neon “Go by Train” and “Union Station” lights on the exterior were installed and are operational today.
In 1987, the Portland Development Commission (PDC) purchased Union Station and 31 acres of former rail yards. A rehabilitation of the station occurred shortly after this acquisition including restoration of the painted flower patterns of the waiting room’s ornate ceilings, reopening the 1920s era phone booths and repairing the red metal tile roof. The most recent change in 2003 was the addition of a central plaza at the main entryway containing an island planted with local and native plants. The access to the station was changed, a new street was built and a Thruway Bus boarding area was established. Today, the rail yard has become a residential and commercial district. Union Station has anchored one end of the downtown Portland Transit Mall since 1994.
1974 Amtrak timetable map / collection
Portland, Or / Jun 2016 / RWH
Click to see Portland Union Station plotted on a Google Maps page
Portland
- name:Portland Union Station
- station code:PDX
- location:800 Northwest Sixth Avenue, Portland
- owner:City of Portland
- operators:Amtrak, Portland Streetcar
- platforms:1 side, 2 island
- tracks:5 through
- opened:Feb 1896, NP Terminal Company
- style:Romanesque Revival
- architect:Van Brunt & Howe
- rebuilt:1930, 1988
- Nat Reg Historic Places:1975
- notes:
- owned by Portland's development commission, Prosper Portland
- routes:
- Cascades | Coast Starlight | Empire Builder
Jun 2016 / RWH
postcard / collection
he opening of this magnificent building, the finest west of St. Louis, is the culmination of many years of thought and study. The original scheme for a new station in this city was a part of the Northern Pacific Company's plan at the time that road was built.
The idea of building the depot was temporarily abandoned at the time Villard secured his connection with the road. Many years were then allowed to elapse before the question of building the station was again revived. About seven years ago it was taken up by the Northern Pacific Terminal Company, which set architects to work and has carried the undertaking to a successful and satisfactory completion. The first studies and plans of the architects underwent numerous modifications, owing to the changed conditions of the yard and variations of the general scheme.
The piling and foundations were put in about 1890, but it was not until the summer of 1892 that the final conclusion was reached in regard to the superstructure. This delay grew out of embarrassments caused by the unsatisfactory financial condition of the various roads, namely the receivership troubles of the Northern Pacific Railroad Company, followed by those of the Union Pacific and the later complications with the Northern Pacific.
The style of the station and annex is Italian Renaissance. The structures are of pressed brick, with gray sandstone trimmings and panels of stucco. The whole has been built at an outlay exceeding $300,000, $60,000 of which was expended on work underground in piling and foundation.
The Oregonian newspaper / February 1896
Portland, Or / Jun 2016 / RWH
Jun 2016 / RWH
Google Maps
iscover Portland, a city known for its hipster vibe, eco-friendly approach, and unique neighborhoods. Explore diverse communities that cherish arts, the environment, local food, microbrews, green spaces, and music. Famous for its beautiful parks, landmarks like the White Stag Sign, and 12 bridges across the Willamette River, Portland is aptly nicknamed the "City of Roses" due to its ideal rose-growing climate.
Union Station, a multi-modal hub in central Portland, connects passenger rail, light rail, buses, streetcars, taxis, and shuttles. While you're here, consider biking as your mode of transport, with bike share options available at Union Station.
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Portland, Or / Jun 2016 / RWH
Portland, Or / Jun 2016 / RWH
postcard / collection
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Portland, OR
Portland, Or / Jun 2016 / RWH
Portland, Or / Jun 2016 / RWH
Portland, Or / Jun 2016 / RWH
Portland, Or / Jun 2016 / RWH
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postcard / collection
eastbound #28
Portland, Or / Jun 2016 / RWH
Portland, Or / Jun 2016 / RWH
Portland, Or / Jun 2016 / RWH
Portland, Or / Jun 2016 / RWH
The Amtrak Cascades is a passenger train route in the Pacific Northwest, operated by Amtrak in partnership with the U.S. states of Washington and Oregon. It is named after the Cascade mountain range that the route parallels. The 460-mile corridor runs from Vancouver, British Columbia, through Seattle, Washington, and Portland, Oregon, to Eugene, Oregon.
As of December 2023, seven round trips operate along the corridor each day: one Vancouver–Seattle, one Vancouver–Seattle–Portland, three Seattle–Portland, and two Seattle–Portland–Eugene. No train travels the entire length of the corridor. For trains that do not travel directly to Vancouver or Eugene, connections are available on Amtrak Thruway bus services. Additionally, Amtrak Thruway services offer connections to other destinations in British Columbia, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington not on the rail corridor.
The Cascades primarily uses freight tracks that are owned by BNSF Railway in Washington and British Columbia, and the Union Pacific Railroad in Oregon. In British Columbia, Canadian National Railway operates the tracks between the Vancouver terminus and the New Westminster Bridge for BNSF, and it operates the bridge itself for the Canadian federal government. Sound Transit owns a short section of tracks in Washington on the Point Defiance Bypass.
Amtrak #90253
Amtrak #90253
Portland, Or / Jun 2016 / RWH
Amtrak #90253
painted in Cascades paint scheme
Portland, Or / Jun 2016 / RWH
Portland, Or / Jun 2016 / RWH
Portland, Or / Jun 2016 / RWH
Jun 2016 / RWH
Lagniappe
Always Go By Train
Portland, Or / Jun 2016 / RWH
Neon Universe
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You See Right Through Me
Portland, Or / Jun 2016 / RWH
Eastbound Empire
Portland, Or / Jun 2016 / RWH
Links / Sources
- Amtrak's Portland page
- Great American Stations Portland page
- Wikipedia article for Portland Union Station
