Amtrak Relocating From Denver Union Station to Temporary Station on February 4
Move will allow construction of new Amtrak and RTD commuter rail station with a regional bus facility at the historic landmark
Temporary Facility at 1800 21st St.
Beginning Feb. 4, 2011 Amtrak will temporarily relocate from the historic Denver Union Station to 1800 21st St., at the intersection of 21st St. and Wewatta St., west of Coors Field in Downtown Denver’s Prospect Neighborhood.
The temporary station is completely accessible to passengers with disabilities, offers Quik-Trak® self-serve ticketing kiosks, free WiFi and vending machines with snacks and beverages. Free parking is available at the temporary station for Amtrak passengers with proper validation. Amtrak passengers are encouraged to plan to be picked up and dropped off at the temporary location. Approximately 15 short-term parking spaces are available at the lot on the east side of the station, and 25 long-term parking spots are available on the west side of the station under the 20th Street viaduct. The temporary station is served by a RTD bus stop just steps from the door.
The move is necessary to accommodate construction of the new commuter rail station at Denver Union Station that will serve Amtrak and the East, Gold, North Metro and Northwest Rail commuter rail lines. When improvements are complete, Denver Union Station will be the centerpiece of the Regional Transportation District’s FasTracks transit expansion program and will serve as a multimodal hub for the region. Amtrak will return to Union Station in the spring of 2014.
In addition to the eight-track Amtrak and RTD commuter rail station, the $484 million Denver Union Station redevelopment project includes a 22-bay regional bus facility, new light rail station for current and future light rail lines, extension of the 16th Street Mall Shuttle and several public plazas to integrate transit services with adjacent neighborhoods. Amtrak operates two trains daily through Denver—the westbound California Zephyr departing at 8:05 a.m. and the eastbound California Zephyr departing at 7:10 p.m. The California Zephyr runs between Chicago and Emeryville, coursing through the plains of Nebraska to Denver, across the Rockies to Salt Lake City, and then through Reno and the Sierras to Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay.
Amtrak passengers also use Amtrak Thruway Motorcoaches at Denver to connect with the Amtrak Southwest Chief at Raton, N.M. That service will also be transferred to the temporary station at 1800 21st St.
Last year, 128,410 Amtrak passengers used the Denver station. For more information, Amtrak customers locally can call 303-825-2583 or the toll-free Amtrak contact centers at 800- USA-RAIL.
