![]() Step one in this process was the relocation of the terminus of Denver’s light rail system to a new stop on the old rail yard site in 2011. The redevelopment would see the building of six improved rail platforms, and their connection to other modes of local transport, along with the redevelopment of what used to be extensive rail yards to the north-west of the station. After years of planning, architects Skidmore Owings & Merrill (SOM) were commissioned to masterplan and design the redevelopment of the station into a multi-modal public transport hub of the sort which wouldn’t disgrace a public transport oriented city in mainland Europe. It took until the purchase of the station by RTD in 2001 before its revival commenced. The waiting room and ticket hall at Denver Union Station in 2006, before refurbishment. Features included some rather smart benches, and chandeliers which were latterly replaced with flourescent tube panels as the station’s fortunes declined. Inside, compared to many union stations, the decoration was quite understated, with a colour scheme of various browns. ![]() This is in the Beaux Arts style popular at many American railroad stations, and now dominates the look of the station building, with the 1894 parts forming lower wings on either side. However, it eventually proved not to be quite grand enough, and the centre part was rebuilt as a larger ticket hall in 1914. After previous structures caught fire, a new station was built in 1894 in Romanesque style. The existing Union Station building is grand, but architecturally a bit of a muddle. It is formed of double-deck coaches, many of which feature sleeping compartments and which are complemented by a high quality restaurant car, as well as an observation car. This is one of Amtrak’s wonderful Superliner services, which takes several days to complete its journey. The only trains to serve the station in recent years have been the two California Zephyr services (one each way) per day, on the Chicago to San Francisco route. Photo by Daniel Wright via this flickr album Much photographed is its illuminated “Travel by Train” sign, erected in the 1950s in an (unsuccessful) attempt to stem the post-war decline in railroad passenger traffic. Local transport authority RTD has planned a network of four commuter rail lines, plus other light rail lines, under the FasTrack project umbrella, with the first two due to open in 2016.Īt the heart of this new network is Denver Union Station, a famous local landmark. Denver is just the latest city to turn to commuter rail in its attempt to relieve road congestion and provide a more sustainable alternative to car use. It’s a model that is slowly becoming more popular again. Photo by Daniel Wright via this flickr albumĭespite the sudden and massive decline in long-distance railroad usage as Americans switched to cars in the post-Second World War boom, many cities retained commuter rail networks, connecting them to other settlements in their economic hinterlands. The 2014-built train hall at Denver Union Station. One such success story comes from the Mile High City of Denver, Colorado, which is now in the final stages of opening/reopening its thoroughly modernised Union Station. And when I say local rail, I mean at the state level, so the distances covered by ‘local’ trains in America wouldn’t disgrace those on inter-city routes in many European countries. Partly the explanation is that while national rail might be staggering along apparently in imminent fear of collapse, local rail seems to be doing quite nicely in some places. In contrast, many of its stations are either incredibly well-maintained historic survivors, or impressive new constructions. Yet somehow it carries on despite delays on services which can run into the hours, rather than the minutes, and trains which run once a day, calling at many cities in the middle of the night. The national state operator Amtrak lurches from one financial or operational crisis to the next, providing long-distance services that often seem of more interest to tourists than American citizens. It can be hard work trying to get your head around developments on America’s passenger railways.
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