San Bernardino Santa Fe Depot

San Bernardino Santa Fe Depot
Location	1170 West Third Street San Bernardino, CA 92410[1] United States
Coordinates	34°06′15″N 117°18′35″W / 34.10417°N 117.30972°W / 34.10417; -117.30972Coordinates: 34°06′15″N 117°18′35″W / 34.10417°N 117.30972°W / 34.10417; -117.30972
Owned by	San Bernardino Associated Governments
Line(s)	BNSF Railway Cajon / San Bernardino Subdivisions
Platforms	1 side platform (Amtrak) 3 island platforms (Metrolink)
Tracks	1 (Amtrak) 6 (Metrolink)
Connections	Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach; 19A (to Hemet)[2] and 19B (to Indio)[3]
Construction
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Station code	SNB (Amtrak)
History
Opened	15 July 1918
Rebuilt	2004
Traffic
Passengers (2017)	12,035[4]  3.94% (Amtrak)
Services
Preceding station   Amtrak   Following station Riverside toward Los Angeles Southwest Chief Victorville toward Chicago Metrolink San Bernardino–Downtown Terminus Inland Empire–Orange County Line Riverside–Downtown toward Oceanside Rialto toward Los Angeles Union Station San Bernardino Line San Bernardino–Downtown Terminus
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Passenger and Freight Depot
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location	San Bernardino, California
Built	1918
Architect	W.A. Mohr; Cresmer Manufacturing Co.
Architectural style	Mission Revival/Moorish Revival/Spanish Colonial Revival
NRHP reference #	01000025 [5]
Added to NRHP	2 February 2001
Location
San Bernardino Santa Fe Depot Location within southern California Show map of southern California San Bernardino Santa Fe Depot San Bernardino Santa Fe Depot (California) Show map of California

The San Bernardino Santa Fe Depot (Amtrak designation San Bernardino, Metrolink designation San Bernardino Depot) is a Mission Revival Style passenger rail terminal in San Bernardino, California, United States. It currently serves one Amtrak (Southwest Chief) and two Metrolink lines (Inland Empire–Orange County Line and San Bernardino Line). The depot is a historical landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Passenger and Freight Depot.^[6]

Early history

Through its subsidiary California Southern Railroad, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (ATSF) first built a two-and-a-half-story wooden structure on the site in 1886 to replace a converted boxcar that had been used as a temporary station.^[7] The 1886 building was mostly destroyed in a fire on 16 November 1916.^[8]

Architecture and design

Trackside of the San Bernardino Santa Fe Depot

Local politicians requested ATSF to build a new station on a much larger scale than the previous. The new station, designed by architect W.A. Mohr, cost $800,000 (equivalent to $13,016,000 in 2017) to build and was officially opened on 15 July 1918. At that time, it was the largest railway station west of the Mississippi River. The San Bernardino Sun wrote "Santa Fe's Station to be the finest in the west." A few years after the depot's opening, an extension was added that included a Harvey House and living quarters.^[8]

The historic depot is built in the Mission Revival Style with Moorish Revival and Spanish Colonial Revival features. Utilizing hollow clay blocks, a red tile roof and stucco exterior, the depot was designed to withstand fire. Four domed towers are built around a large center lobby with polished tile walls and floor. The interior includes handcrafted high beams, coffered ceilings and decorative column capitals.^[8]

Decline and renovation

The station saw heavy use throughout the 20th century. But like with many railroad stations, there was a gradual decline in usage with the advent of automobiles, buses and air travel. The Harvey House closed in the 1950s. In 1971, ATSF transferred its passenger service to Amtrak. Metrolink began service to the station in the early 1990s.^[9]

Trackside of the original San Bernardino Santa Fe Depot, 1915

In 1992, San Bernardino Associated Governments (SANBAG) purchased the historic depot from Santa Fe. While Amtrak and Metrolink stopped using the depot in favor for a much smaller newer structure on the west side of the older one, SANBAG acquired over $15 million from federal and local grants and funds to begin an extensive restoration of the historic depot beginning in 2002. In 2004, SANBAG and Metrolink moved some of their offices there. After renovations are complete, SANBAG will share ownership with the City of San Bernardino and both agencies intend on leasing space in it.^[10] The historic depot waiting area, along with a new snack shop, opened again for Amtrak and Metrolink passengers on 2 May 2008.^[11] A new elevator, platforms, tracks, and an overpass were built in March and April 2017 as part of the Downtown San Bernardino Passenger Rail Project, an extension of Metrolink service to the San Bernardino Transit Center.^[12]

Services

Platforms and tracks

Former services

	Former services
Amtrak
Fullerton toward Los Angeles		Desert Wind Discontinued in 1997		Victorville toward Chicago
Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe
Rialto toward Los Angeles		Main Line Via Pasadena, Pomona		Cajon toward Chicago Dearborn Station
Pomona Major stations toward Los Angeles				Barstow Major stations toward Chicago Dearborn Station
Colton Crossing toward Los Angeles		Main Line Via Fullerton, Riverside		Cajon toward Chicago Dearborn Station
Riverside – Downtown Major stations toward Los Angeles				Barstow Major stations toward Chicago Dearborn Station
Terminus		Redlands Loop		Redlands Terminus
				Arrowhead toward Redlands
Colton Crossing toward San Jacinto		San Jacinto Branch		Terminus

References

External links

• Media related to San Bernardino Santa Fe Depot at Wikimedia Commons
• Amtrak – Stations – San Bernardino, CA
• Amtrak California station information
• San Bernardino at the Metrolink website
• San Bernardino Amtrak Station (USA Rail Guide -- TrainWeb)
• San Bernardino (SNB)--Great American Stations (Amtrak)