Pomona, CA (POS)

Named after the ancient Roman goddess of fruit, Pomona blossomed into a prosperous agricultural center in the late 19th century; since the 1920s it has hosted the annual Los Angeles County Fair.

100 West Commercial Street
Pomona, CA 91768

Station Hours

Annual Ticket Revenue (FY 2023): $156,562
Annual Station Ridership (FY 2023): 1,315
  • Facility Ownership: City of Pomona
  • Parking Lot Ownership: City of Pomona
  • Platform Ownership: Union Pacific Railroad
  • Track Ownership: Union Pacific Railroad

Alex Khalfin
Regional Contact
governmentaffairsoak@amtrak.com
For information about Amtrak fares and schedules, please visit Amtrak.com or call 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245).

The Amtrak station at Pomona consists of a platform near the historic depot, which was built in 1940 to replace an early Southern Pacific Railway structure that sat on the main lines running from Los Angeles to New Orleans and Salt Lake City. The building, designed in the popular Mission Revival style, includes a central tower and arcade which are covered in tan stucco and capped with red tile roofs. The station is also served by Metrolink commuter rail service, which provides connections to Los Angeles on its Riverside Line, as well as city buses. A few years ago, the city, which owns the station, constructed a pedestrian bridge over the tracks; it is also popular with rail fans that enjoy watching and photographing the passing Union Pacific freight trains.

The area today occupied by Pomona was originally part of the grazing lands associated with the 18th century Spanish colonial mission of San Gabriel. After Mexico won its independence from Spain, two soldiers who had fought in the war were granted many thousands of acres in the area in 1837. For many decades they worked the land, raising crops and grazing cattle, and today one can tour the 1850s adobe home of Don Ygnacio Palomares, one of the two original rancho owners.

After California was admitted to the United States in 1850, settlers began to migrate from the east; the movement became especially strong after the Civil War, driven by the arrival of the railroads. In the late 1870s, the Southern Pacific built its main line through the area, and a group of land speculators in Los Angeles purchased and subdivided the land around the tracks– the town of Pomona was born. A decade later, the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad would also build a line to the north of the settlement, increasing options for moving people and goods.

For the classically minded, the city’s name indicates its history: Pomona was the ancient Roman goddess of fruit, and the name was suggested by a horticulturalist who won the city naming contest. By the 1880s, the area resembled a large citrus grove, thanks to water moved in by aqueduct. In addition to citrus, grapes and olives were also major crops. The railroads would carry Southern California’s produce across the country in wooden crates with colorful labels that many art collectors covet.

In 1888, the city was incorporated and blossomed into a prosperous agricultural and commercial center for the eastern San Gabriel Valley. Even today, it still hosts the world’s largest county fair on the grounds of the Fairplex. Visitors to the Fairplex may find the Southern California Chapter of the Railway and Locomotive Historical Society, established in Pomona in 1953. The organization maintains a vintage 1895 Santa Fe depot, locomotives, and rolling stock for the train enthusiast. The city also is home to the California State Polytechnic University, known for its engineering and architecture programs, as well as agricultural research—an important center for one of the state’s most vital industries.

Platform only (no shelter)

Features

  • ATM not available
  • No elevator
  • No payphones
  • No Quik-Trak kiosks
  • No Restrooms
  • Unaccompanied child travel not allowed
  • No vending machines
  • No WiFi
  • Arrive at least 30 minutes prior to departure
  • Indicates an accessible service.

Baggage

  • Amtrak Express shipping not available
  • No checked baggage service
  • No checked baggage storage
  • Bike boxes not available
  • No baggage carts
  • Ski bags not available
  • No bag storage
  • Shipping boxes not available
  • No baggage assistance

Parking

  • Same-day parking is available; fees may apply
  • Overnight parking is available; fees may apply
  • Indicates an accessible service.

Accessibility

  • No payphones
  • Accessible platform
  • No accessible restrooms
  • No accessible ticket office
  • No accessible waiting room
  • No accessible water fountain
  • Same-day, accessible parking is available; fees may apply
  • Overnight, accessible parking is available; fees may apply
  • No high platform
  • No wheelchair
  • Wheelchair lift available

Hours

Station Waiting Room Hours
No station waiting room hours at this location.
Ticket Office Hours
No ticket office at this location.
Passenger Assistance Hours
No passenger assistance service at this location.
Checked Baggage Service
No checked baggage at this location.
Parking Hours
No parking at this location.
Quik-Track Kiosk Hours
No Quik-Trak kiosks at this location.
Lounge Hours
No lounge at this location.
Amtrak Express Hours
No Amtrak Express at this location.