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'''Los Angeles Union Station''' ('''LAUS''') is a major passenger rail terminal and transit station in ]. Located in the northeast corner of ], Union Station is a hub for national ] and ] passenger trains, ] commuter trains, the ] ], ], ] Lines, & the ]. There are also several other bus services. '''Los Angeles Union Station''' (or '''LAUS''', formerly the '''Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal''' or '''LAUPT''') is a major passenger ] in ], ]. The station offers rail services for ] and ] and ]; in addition ]/] services using the ] ], ], ] and ] using the ]. ] operate from the ] and from which is located at the eastern edge of the station and others on the north side of the station.


Opened in May 1939, Union Station is known as the "Last of the Great ]" built in the ], but, even with its massive and ornate waiting room and adjacent ticket concourse, it is considered small in comparison to other ]s.<ref name=Frm1>{{cite book | last =Matthew R. Poole | first = | title =Frommer's Los Angeles 2011 | publisher =] | year =2010 | location = | pages =30 | isbn =0470626194}}</ref><ref name=mr1>{{cite book | last =Matthew R. Poole | first = | title =Travel Los Angeles for Smartphones and Mobile Devices| publisher =] | year =2007 | location = | pages = | isbn =1605010367}}</ref> It was formerly designated the '''Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal''' (LAUPT), but its former owner, ], officially changed the name to Los Angeles Union Station.<ref name=mr1/> Opened in May 1939, it is known as the "Last of the Great Railway Stations" built in the ] and the building with it's massive and ornate waiting room and adjacent ticket concourse is on the ]. Since February 2011 it is in the ownership of the ].

In February 2011, the ] Board approved the purchase of Union Station from Catellus/Prologis for $75 million. The deal was closed on April 14, 2011.<ref>http://thesource.metro.net/2011/02/24/metro-to-purchase-los-angeles-union-station/</ref><ref>http://thesource.metro.net/2011/04/14/metro-tonight-officially-becomes-new-owner-of-los-angeles-union-station/</ref>

== History ==
In 1926, a measure was placed on the ballot giving Los Angeles voters the choice between the construction of a vast network of ] or the construction of a much smaller Union Station to consolidate different railroad terminals. The election would take on racial connotations and become a defining moment in the development of Los Angeles.<ref>{{Cite book | last = Axelrod | first = Jeremiah | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Inventing Autopia: Dreams and Visions of the Modern Metropolis in Jazz Age Los Angeles | publisher = University of California Press | year = 2009 | location = Berkeley, CA | pages = 193 | url = | doi = | id = | isbn = 978-0-520-25285-1 }}</ref>
The proposed Union Station was located in the heart of what was Los Angeles' original ]. Reflecting the prejudice of the era, the conservative ], a lead opponent of elevated railways, argued in editorials that Union Station would not be built in the “midst of Chinatown” but rather would “forever do away with Chinatown and its environs.”

Voters narrowly approved demolishing much of Chinatown to build Union Station by a narrow 51 to 48 percent.<ref>{{Cite book | last = Bottles | first = Scott | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Los Angeles and the Automobile: The Making of the Modern City | publisher = University of California Press | year = 1987 | location = Berkeley, CA | pages = 156 | url = | doi = | id = | isbn = 978-0520057951}}</ref>

]'s combined '']/]'' at Union Station in 1966.]]
The station originally served the ], ], and ], as well as the ] and ] (LARy). It saw heavy use during ], but later saw declining patronage due to the growing popularity of air travel and automobiles.

Union Station is once again heavily visited, due to the number of rail and bus connections available at the station.

;Historic designations
* ], 1980<ref name=nris/>
* Los Angeles Historic&ndash;Cultural Monument #101


== Location == == Location ==
]
Union Station is located in the northeastern corner of Downtown Los Angeles, on the property bounded by ], ], Vignes Street, and the ]. It is across Alameda Street from L.A.'s historic ] and ]. The historic ] building is on the opposite side of the Chavez Avenue underpass. ] and ] are a short distance away. Union Station is located in the northeastern corner of Downtown Los Angeles, on the property bounded by ], ], Vignes Street, and the ]. It is across Alameda Street from L.A.'s historic ] and ]. The historic ] building is on the opposite side of the Chavez Avenue underpass. ] and ] are a short distance away.


The ], located on the east side of Union Station, hosts several connecting bus lines, including Metro Rapid and Metro Local lines, as well as downtown DASH shuttles, many municipal bus lines, FlyAway express bus service to ], and ] campus shuttles. The Transit Plaza is named after ], former RTD board member who was an advocate for public transportation.
== Architecture ==
]
Union Station was partially designed by the father and son team of John Parkinson and Donald B. Parkinson, or ], assisted by a group of supporting architects, including the famous Jan van der Linden. The Parkinsons also designed ]. Their firm designed many landmark Los Angeles buildings from the late 19th century onward. The structure combines Dutch Colonial Revival Style architecture (the suggestion of the Dutch born Jan von der Linden), ], and ] style, with architectural details such as eight-pointed stars.


The Gateway Transit Center includes the station itself, Patsaouras Transit Plaza, and the western terminus of the El Monte Busway, as well as Metro's headquarters building.
]
Enclosed garden patios are on either side of the waiting room, and passengers exiting the trains were originally directed through the southern garden. The lower part of the interior walls is covered in ] marble, and the upper part is covered with an early form of acoustical tile. The floor in the large rooms is ] tile with a central strip of inlaid marble (including travertine, somewhat unusual in floors since it is soft).


10 of Union Station's 12 outdoor tracks are shared by Amtrak, Amtrak California and Metrolink.
Attached to the main building to the south is the station restaurant designed by southwestern architect ] (the last of the "]" restaurants to be constructed as a part of a passenger terminal). Although now usually padlocked and stripped of many interior furnishings, the topology of its rounded central counter, streamlined booths, and inlaid floor patterns remain. The influential sci-fi film '']'' used shots of the waiting area as the 2019 police department.
Approximately 100 large trains depart Union Station per weekday. Of the 73 California stations served by Amtrak, Los Angeles was the busiest in FY2010, boarding or detraining an average of approximately 4200 passengers daily.<ref name="http://www.amtrak.com Amtrak"/>

==Services==


== Long-distance and commuter rail == === Long-distance and commuter rail {{Anchor|Amtrak}}===
{{Infobox Station {{Infobox Station
| style=Amtrak | style=Amtrak
Line 139: Line 123:
}} }}


] and ] serve the station. Both Metrolink and Amtrak trains provide direct rail service to and from ] - the region's only direct rail connection between an airport and downtown.{{Citation needed|date=January 2011}}

=== Amtrak {{Anchor|Amtrak}}===
10 of Union Station's 12 outdoor tracks are shared by Amtrak, Amtrak California and Metrolink.
Approximately 100 large trains depart Union Station per weekday. Of the 73 California stations served by Amtrak, Los Angeles was the busiest in FY2010, boarding or detraining an average of approximately 4200 passengers daily.<ref name="http://www.amtrak.com Amtrak"/>

==== Intercity services ====
Amtrak offers four long distance trains out of Los Angeles: Amtrak offers four long distance trains out of Los Angeles:
* '']'', to ] via ] * '']'', to ] via ]
Line 152: Line 129:
* '']'', to ]. * '']'', to ].


Los Angeles is a stop on the '']'' regional line running from ] in the south to ] in the north, the only multiple-times-daily Amtrak service to Los Angeles.
'''Thruway Motorcoach Services'''
* Amtrak offers Thruway Motorcoach Service at Los Angeles Union Station, buses board from the north side of the station, and not through the Patsaouras Transit Plaza.


=== Metro Rail {{Anchor|Metro Rail}}===
Routes:
* Los Angeles/Las Vegas


The station forms the main hub for ] services and six of Metrolink's seven lines call at the station. Approximately 300 Metro Rail trains depart Union Station every weekday.
==== Amtrak California regional services ====

Los Angeles is a stop on the '']'' regional line running from ] in the south to ] in the north, the only multiple-times-daily Amtrak service to Los Angeles.
The ] and the ] have their eastern terminus at Union Station and share an underground level with two tracks below Union Station.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metro.net/riding_metro/purple_line.htm|title=Purple Line station information}}</ref> There are two entrances: one is located at Union Station's main entrance on the west side of the complex, facing Alameda Street, and the other is located at the Patsaouras Transit Plaza on the east side of the complex.


The light-rail ] passes through Union Station between Pasadena and East Los Angeles using Tracks 1 and 2 of Union Station's 14 outdoor tracks. Platforms are accessible from the main passenger tunnel via staircase and elevator. The art installation, entitled ''Images of Commonality/Nature and Movement'', was created by Beth Thielen.
; Thruway Motorcoach Services

Amtrak California offers Thruway Motorcoach Service at Los Angeles Union Station. Buses board from the north side of the station, and not through the Patsaouras Transit Plaza. Connections to Amtrak California's ] line are provided through bus services to and from ]. Connections to ferry services to Catalina Island and the cruise ship terminals are provided by bus services to Long Beach & San Pedro.
{{s-rail-start|noclear=yes}}
Routes:
{{s-rail|title=LACMTA}}
* Los Angeles/Bakersfield
{{s-line|system=LACMTA|line=Red|previous=Civic Center|rows2=2}}
* Los Angeles/Bakersfield (via Santa Clarita-Newhall Metrolink)
{{s-line|system=LACMTA|line=Purple|previous=Civic Center|hide2=yes}}
* Los Angeles/Long Beach & San Pedro
{{s-line|system=LACMTA|line=Gold|previous=Little Tokyo/Arts District|next=Chinatown}}
* Los Angeles/Santa Barbara
{{end}}
* San Diego/Bakersfield (via Los Angeles)
* Santa Ana/Bakersfield (via Los Angeles)
* Van Nuys to Los Angeles


Service (total of arrivals and departures) as of November 8, 2010:
=== Metrolink {{Anchor|Metrolink}}===
Union Station is the "heart" of Metrolink's operations, acting as the major hub for the system and providing connections between six of Metrolink's seven lines. Service (total of arrivals and departures) as of November 8, 2010:


* 128 trains daily, Monday-Friday * 128 trains daily, Monday-Friday
Line 193: Line 166:
** 4 on the Orange County Line ** 4 on the Orange County Line


=== Bus rapid transport===
{{-}}

== Local rail and bus transit ==
{{Infobox LACMTA station {{Infobox LACMTA station
| name = Union Station | name = Union Station
Line 230: Line 201:
| services = | services =
}} }}
The '''Gateway Transit Center''' includes Union Station, Patsaouras Transit Plaza, and the western terminus of the El Monte Busway, as well as Metro's headquarters building. The transit center is served by three ] lines (Red, Purple, and Gold), as well as several BRT and non-BRT bus routes.


Metro Silver Line service hours are approximately from 4:15 AM until 1:45 AM Monday- Friday & 5:00 A.M.- 1:45 A.M. Saturdays/ Sundays & Holidays .
=== Metro Rail {{Anchor|Metro Rail}}===
]

Union Station hosts light rail and heavy rail trains on separate levels. Approximately 300 Metro Rail trains depart Union Station every weekday.

Two heavy rail lines have their eastern terminus at Union Station: the ] and the ]. These lines share an underground level with two tracks below Union Station.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metro.net/riding_metro/purple_line.htm|title=Purple Line station information}}</ref> The subway level has two entrances: one is located at Union Station's main entrance on the west side of the complex, facing Alameda Street, and the other is located at the Patsaouras Transit Plaza on the east side of the complex.

The light-rail ] passes through Union Station between Pasadena and East Los Angeles. This line uses Tracks 1 and 2 of Union Station's 14 outdoor tracks. The platforms are at the same level as the other outdoor tracks, beside those of Metrolink and Amtrak. Platforms are accessible from the main passenger tunnel via staircase and elevator. The art installation, entitled ''Images of Commonality/Nature and Movement'', was created by Beth Thielen.


{{s-rail-start|noclear=yes}} {{s-rail-start|noclear=yes}}
{{s-rail|title=LACMTA}} {{s-rail|title=LACMTAML}}
{{s-line|system=LACMTA|line=Red|previous=Civic Center|rows2=2}} {{s-line|system=LACMTAML|line=Silver|previous= Civic Center|note=(with interim stops) |next=Los Angeles County – USC Medical Center}}
{{s-line|system=LACMTA|line=Purple|previous=Civic Center|hide2=yes}}
{{s-line|system=LACMTA|line=Gold|previous=Little Tokyo/Arts District|next=Chinatown}}
{{end}} {{end}}


===Regional bus/coach===
<!--Restore when expanded
A number of ] operate from the station. Thruway Motorcoach Services, which is part of Amtrak board use bus stops at the north side of the station. Routes include the Los Angeles/Las Vegas service.{{fact}} Connections to Amtrak California's ] line are provided through bus services to and from ]. Connections to ferry services to Catalina Island and the cruise ship terminals are provided by bus services to Long Beach & San Pedro.
=== Metro Liner {{Anchor|Metro Liner}}===
Silver Line service hours are approximately from 5:00 AM until 1:00 AM daily.
{{S-line|system=LACMTAML|line=Silver|previous=Civic Center|note=(with interim stops)|next=Los Angeles County – USC Medical Center}}


Routes:
===Bus connections===
* Los Angeles/Bakersfield
-->
* Los Angeles/Bakersfield (via Santa Clarita-Newhall Metrolink)
* Los Angeles/Long Beach & San Pedro
* Los Angeles/Santa Barbara
* San Diego/Bakersfield (via Los Angeles)
* Santa Ana/Bakersfield (via Los Angeles)
* Van Nuys to Los Angeles


The ] is a transitway connecting Downtown Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley. Buses using the El Monte Busway, including the Metro Silver Line, stop west of Alameda St. near the El Monte Busway entrance, except line 699, which stops at Patsaouras Transit Plaza.
==Metro Liner BRT service==
Metro Silver Line service hours are approximately from 4:15 AM until 1:45 AM Monday- Friday & 5:00 A.M.- 1:45 A.M. Saturdays/ Sundays & Holidays .

{{s-rail-start|noclear=yes}}
{{s-rail|title=LACMTAML}}
{{s-line|system=LACMTAML|line=Silver|previous= Union Station |next=Los Angeles County – USC Medical Center}}
{{end}}

{{Main|El Monte Busway}}
The El Monte Busway is a transitway connecting Downtown Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley. Buses using the El Monte Busway, including the Metro Silver Line, stop west of Alameda St. near the El Monte Busway entrance, except line 699, which stops at Patsaouras Transit Plaza.
* ]: 481, 493, 497, 498, 499, 699, ] (All lines except for the Silver streak operate only during weekday rush hours.) * ]: 481, 493, 497, 498, 499, 699, ] (All lines except for the Silver streak operate only during weekday rush hours.)
* Metro Express: 485, 487, 489 * Metro Express: 485, 487, 489


=== Patsaouras Transit Plaza === Bus services from the ]:
The Patsaouras Transit Plaza, located on the east side of Union Station, hosts several connecting bus lines, including Metro Rapid and Metro Local lines, as well as downtown DASH shuttles, many municipal bus lines, FlyAway express bus service to ], and ] campus shuttles. The Transit Plaza is named after ], former RTD board member who was an advocate for public transportation.

The attached Patsaouras Transit Plaza serves the following bus lines:
* ]: 33 (Late nights) * ]: 33 (Late nights)
* ]: 439, 442 * ]: 439, 442
Line 289: Line 242:
:<nowiki>**</nowiki> Direct ] service is offered between Union Station and ]. The blue buses operate every 30 minutes between 5 am and 1 am and on the hour between 1 am and 5 am from Berth 9 of the Patsaouras Transit Plaza. The service is mainly intended for those who are able to use public transportation to get to Union Station and then transfer to the bus to complete their journey. There is, however, a parking garage available for those who wish to drive to Union Station. :<nowiki>**</nowiki> Direct ] service is offered between Union Station and ]. The blue buses operate every 30 minutes between 5 am and 1 am and on the hour between 1 am and 5 am from Berth 9 of the Patsaouras Transit Plaza. The service is mainly intended for those who are able to use public transportation to get to Union Station and then transfer to the bus to complete their journey. There is, however, a parking garage available for those who wish to drive to Union Station.


=== Other connecting buses === === Other bus services ===
The following lines stop on Cesar Chavez Ave. & Vignes St., outside of Patsaouras Transit Plaza: The following lines stop on Cesar Chavez Ave. & Vignes St., outside of Patsaouras Transit Plaza:
* ]: 40, 42, 68, 70, 71, 78, 79, 378, 485 * ]: 704, 728, 770 * ]: 40, 42, 68, 70, 71, 78, 79, 378, 485 * ]: 704, 728, 770
Line 299: Line 252:
*] provides service from Los Angeles and Santa Monica to Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose. *] provides service from Los Angeles and Santa Monica to Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose.


== History ==
{{-}}
In 1926, a measure was placed on the ballot giving Los Angeles voters the choice between the construction of a vast network of ] or the construction of a much smaller Union Station to consolidate different railroad terminals. The election would take on racial connotations and become a defining moment in the development of Los Angeles.<ref>{{Cite book | last = Axelrod | first = Jeremiah | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Inventing Autopia: Dreams and Visions of the Modern Metropolis in Jazz Age Los Angeles | publisher = University of California Press | year = 2009 | location = Berkeley, CA | pages = 193 | url = | doi = | id = | isbn = 978-0-520-25285-1 }}</ref>
The proposed Union Station was located in the heart of what was Los Angeles' original ]. Reflecting the prejudice of the era, the conservative ], a lead opponent of elevated railways, argued in editorials that Union Station would not be built in the “midst of Chinatown” but rather would “forever do away with Chinatown and its environs.”

Voters narrowly approved demolishing much of Chinatown to build Union Station by a narrow 51 to 48 percent.<ref>{{Cite book | last = Bottles | first = Scott | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Los Angeles and the Automobile: The Making of the Modern City | publisher = University of California Press | year = 1987 | location = Berkeley, CA | pages = 156 | url = | doi = | id = | isbn = 978-0520057951}}</ref>

]'s combined '']/]'' at Union Station in 1966.]]
The station originally served the ], ], and ], as well as the ] and ] (LARy). It saw heavy use during ], but later saw declining patronage due to the growing popularity of air travel and automobiles.

Union Station is once again heavily visited, due to the number of rail and bus connections available at the station.

The station was placed on the ] in 1980<ref name=nris/>. It is Los Angeles Historic&ndash;Cultural Monument #101.{{when}}

It was formerly designated the '''Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal''' (LAUPT), but its former owner, ], officially changed the name to Los Angeles Union Station.<ref name=mr1/>{{when}}

In February 2011, the ] Board approved the purchase of Union Station from Catellus/Prologis for $75 million. The deal was closed on April 14, 2011.<ref>http://thesource.metro.net/2011/02/24/metro-to-purchase-los-angeles-union-station/</ref><ref>http://thesource.metro.net/2011/04/14/metro-tonight-officially-becomes-new-owner-of-los-angeles-union-station/</ref>


== Future expansion == == Future expansion ==
Line 315: Line 283:
=== California High-Speed Rail === === California High-Speed Rail ===
Union Station is planned to be a major hub for the future ] System. To accommodate the future service, three platforms with six tracks will be built on an aerial structure above the existing platforms. Upon completion, passengers will be able to get from Union Station to the planned ] in ] in 2 hours and 38 minutes. Union Station is planned to be a major hub for the future ] System. To accommodate the future service, three platforms with six tracks will be built on an aerial structure above the existing platforms. Upon completion, passengers will be able to get from Union Station to the planned ] in ] in 2 hours and 38 minutes.

== Architecture ==
]
Union Station was partially designed by the father and son team of John Parkinson and Donald B. Parkinson, or ], assisted by a group of supporting architects, including the famous Jan van der Linden. The Parkinsons also designed ]. Their firm designed many landmark Los Angeles buildings from the late 19th century onward. The structure combines Dutch Colonial Revival Style architecture (the suggestion of the Dutch born Jan von der Linden), ], and ] style, with architectural details such as eight-pointed stars.

]
Enclosed garden patios are on either side of the waiting room, and passengers exiting the trains were originally directed through the southern garden. The lower part of the interior walls is covered in ] marble, and the upper part is covered with an early form of acoustical tile. The floor in the large rooms is ] tile with a central strip of inlaid marble (including travertine, somewhat unusual in floors since it is soft).

Attached to the main building to the south is the station restaurant designed by southwestern architect ] (the last of the "]" restaurants to be constructed as a part of a passenger terminal). Although now usually padlocked and stripped of many interior furnishings, the topology of its rounded central counter, streamlined booths, and inlaid floor patterns remain. The influential sci-fi film '']'' used shots of the waiting area as the 2019 police department.

Even with it's grand scale it is considered small in comparison to other ]s.<ref name=Frm1>{{cite book | last =Matthew R. Poole | first = | title =Frommer's Los Angeles 2011 | publisher =] | year =2010 | location = | pages =30 | isbn =0470626194}}</ref><ref name=mr1>{{cite book | last =Matthew R. Poole | first = | title =Travel Los Angeles for Smartphones and Mobile Devices| publisher =] | year =2007 | location = | pages = | isbn =1605010367}}</ref>


== Film, television, video game, and music appearances == == Film, television, video game, and music appearances ==

Revision as of 14:37, 4 August 2011

"LAUS" redirects here. For other uses, see Laus (disambiguation).
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Los Angeles
Union Station
Union Station sign
General information
LocationAmtrak / Metrolink
800 North Alameda Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Metro
801 Vignes Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Owned byLos Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Line(s)
Platforms8 island platforms
Tracks14
ConnectionsSee below
Construction
Parking3,000 park & ride spaces ($6 a day)
Bicycle facilities24 bike rack spaces
20 locker spaces
AccessibleYes
History
OpenedMay 1939 (Union Station Building)
Passengers
20101,517,342 Increase 2.81% (Amtrak)
United States historic place
Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Los Angeles Union Station is located in the Los Angeles metropolitan areaLos Angeles Union Station
Location800 N. Alameda St., Los Angeles, California
Built1939
ArchitectParkinson,John & Donald B.
Architectural styleModerne, Art Deco, Mission/Spanish Revival
NRHP reference No.80000811
Added to NRHPNovember 13, 1980

Los Angeles Union Station (or LAUS, formerly the Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal or LAUPT) is a major passenger railway station in Downtown Los Angeles, California. The station offers rail services for Amtrak and Amtrak California and Metrolink; in addition light rail/subway services using the Metro Rail Red Line, Purple Line, Gold Line and bus rapid transport using the Silver Line. Bus services operate from the Patsaouras Transit Plaza and from which is located at the eastern edge of the station and others on the north side of the station.

Opened in May 1939, it is known as the "Last of the Great Railway Stations" built in the United States and the building with it's massive and ornate waiting room and adjacent ticket concourse is on the National Register of Historic Places. Since February 2011 it is in the ownership of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Location

Main entrance of Union Station

Union Station is located in the northeastern corner of Downtown Los Angeles, on the property bounded by Alameda Street, Cesar Chavez Avenue, Vignes Street, and the Hollywood Freeway. It is across Alameda Street from L.A.'s historic Olvera Street and El Pueblo de Los Angeles State Historic Park. The historic Terminal Annex building is on the opposite side of the Chavez Avenue underpass. Chinatown and Civic Center are a short distance away.

The Patsaouras Transit Plaza, located on the east side of Union Station, hosts several connecting bus lines, including Metro Rapid and Metro Local lines, as well as downtown DASH shuttles, many municipal bus lines, FlyAway express bus service to Los Angeles International Airport, and University of Southern California campus shuttles. The Transit Plaza is named after Nick Patsaouras, former RTD board member who was an advocate for public transportation.

The Gateway Transit Center includes the station itself, Patsaouras Transit Plaza, and the western terminus of the El Monte Busway, as well as Metro's headquarters building.

10 of Union Station's 12 outdoor tracks are shared by Amtrak, Amtrak California and Metrolink. Approximately 100 large trains depart Union Station per weekday. Of the 73 California stations served by Amtrak, Los Angeles was the busiest in FY2010, boarding or detraining an average of approximately 4200 passengers daily.

Services

Long-distance and commuter rail

Los Angeles Union Station
Amtrak and Metrolink station
General information
Line(s)Amtrak   Coast Starlight   Pacific Surfliner   Southwest Chief   Sunset Limited   Texas Eagle

Metrolink Lua error: expandTemplate: template "SCAX color" does not exist. Lua error: expandTemplate: template "SCAX color" does not exist. Lua error: expandTemplate: template "SCAX color" does not exist. Lua error: expandTemplate: template "SCAX color" does not exist. Lua error: expandTemplate: template "SCAX color" does not exist.

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Platforms6 island platforms
Tracks10
Construction
AccessibleYes
Other information
Station codeAmtrak code:LAX
History
Opened1971 (Amtrak service)
1992 (Metrolink service)
Passengers
20101,517,342 Increase 2.81% (Amtrak)
Services
Preceding station   Amtrak   Following station
Template:Amtrak stationstoward Template:Amtrak stationsTemplate:Amtrak linesTerminus
Template:Amtrak stationstoward Template:Amtrak stationsTemplate:Amtrak linesTemplate:Amtrak stationstoward Template:Amtrak stations
TerminusTemplate:Amtrak linesTemplate:Amtrak stationstoward Template:Amtrak stations
Template:Amtrak linesTemplate:Amtrak stationstoward Template:Amtrak stations
Template:Amtrak linesTemplate:Amtrak stationstoward Template:Amtrak stations
SCAX
TerminusTemplate:SCAX linesTemplate:SCAX stationstoward Template:SCAX stations
Template:SCAX linesTemplate:SCAX stationstoward Template:SCAX stations
Template:SCAX linesTemplate:SCAX stationstoward Template:SCAX stations
Template:SCAX linesTemplate:SCAX stationstoward Template:SCAX stations
Template:SCAX stationstoward Template:SCAX stationsTemplate:SCAX linesTerminus
Template:SCAX stationstoward Template:SCAX stationsTemplate:SCAX lines

Amtrak offers four long distance trains out of Los Angeles:

Los Angeles is a stop on the Pacific Surfliner regional line running from San Diego in the south to San Luis Obispo in the north, the only multiple-times-daily Amtrak service to Los Angeles.

Metro Rail

The station forms the main hub for Metrolink services and six of Metrolink's seven lines call at the station. Approximately 300 Metro Rail trains depart Union Station every weekday.

The Metro Red Line and the Metro Purple Line have their eastern terminus at Union Station and share an underground level with two tracks below Union Station. There are two entrances: one is located at Union Station's main entrance on the west side of the complex, facing Alameda Street, and the other is located at the Patsaouras Transit Plaza on the east side of the complex.

The light-rail Metro Gold Line passes through Union Station between Pasadena and East Los Angeles using Tracks 1 and 2 of Union Station's 14 outdoor tracks. Platforms are accessible from the main passenger tunnel via staircase and elevator. The art installation, entitled Images of Commonality/Nature and Movement, was created by Beth Thielen.

Preceding station   LACMTA   Following station
Template:LACMTA stationstoward Template:LACMTA stationsTemplate:LACMTA linesTerminus
Template:LACMTA stationstoward Template:LACMTA stationsTemplate:LACMTA lines
Template:LACMTA stationstoward Template:LACMTA stationsTemplate:LACMTA linesTemplate:LACMTA stationstoward Template:LACMTA stations

Service (total of arrivals and departures) as of November 8, 2010:

  • 128 trains daily, Monday-Friday
    • 28 on the Ventura County Line
    • 24 on the Antelope Valley Line
    • 36 on the San Bernardino County Line
    • 12 on the Riverside Line
    • 19 on the Orange County Line
    • 9 on the 91 Line
  • 36 trains on Saturday
    • 12 on the Antelope Valley Line
    • 20 on the San Bernardino County Line
    • 4 on the Orange County Line
  • 24 trains on Sunday
    • 6 on the Antelope Valley Line
    • 14 on the San Bernardino County Line
    • 4 on the Orange County Line

Bus rapid transport

Template:Infobox LACMTA station

Metro Silver Line service hours are approximately from 4:15 AM until 1:45 AM Monday- Friday & 5:00 A.M.- 1:45 A.M. Saturdays/ Sundays & Holidays .

Preceding station   LACMTAML   Following station
Template:LACMTAML stations(with interim stops)toward Template:LACMTAML stationsTemplate:LACMTAML linesTemplate:LACMTAML stationstoward Template:LACMTAML stations

Regional bus/coach

A number of longer distance bus/coach services operate from the station. Thruway Motorcoach Services, which is part of Amtrak board use bus stops at the north side of the station. Routes include the Los Angeles/Las Vegas service. Connections to Amtrak California's San Joaquins line are provided through bus services to and from Bakersfield. Connections to ferry services to Catalina Island and the cruise ship terminals are provided by bus services to Long Beach & San Pedro.

Routes:

  • Los Angeles/Bakersfield
  • Los Angeles/Bakersfield (via Santa Clarita-Newhall Metrolink)
  • Los Angeles/Long Beach & San Pedro
  • Los Angeles/Santa Barbara
  • San Diego/Bakersfield (via Los Angeles)
  • Santa Ana/Bakersfield (via Los Angeles)
  • Van Nuys to Los Angeles

The El Monte Busway is a transitway connecting Downtown Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley. Buses using the El Monte Busway, including the Metro Silver Line, stop west of Alameda St. near the El Monte Busway entrance, except line 699, which stops at Patsaouras Transit Plaza.

  • Foothill Transit: 481, 493, 497, 498, 499, 699, Silver Streak (All lines except for the Silver streak operate only during weekday rush hours.)
  • Metro Express: 485, 487, 489

Bus services from the Patsaouras Transit Plaza:

* Indicates commuter service that operates only during weekday rush hours.
** Direct FlyAway Bus service is offered between Union Station and Los Angeles International Airport. The blue buses operate every 30 minutes between 5 am and 1 am and on the hour between 1 am and 5 am from Berth 9 of the Patsaouras Transit Plaza. The service is mainly intended for those who are able to use public transportation to get to Union Station and then transfer to the bus to complete their journey. There is, however, a parking garage available for those who wish to drive to Union Station.

Other bus services

The following lines stop on Cesar Chavez Ave. & Vignes St., outside of Patsaouras Transit Plaza:

The following lines stop on Alameda St. & Los Angeles St., outside of Union Station:

  • California Shuttle Bus provides service from Los Angeles and Santa Monica to Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose.

History

In 1926, a measure was placed on the ballot giving Los Angeles voters the choice between the construction of a vast network of elevated railways or the construction of a much smaller Union Station to consolidate different railroad terminals. The election would take on racial connotations and become a defining moment in the development of Los Angeles. The proposed Union Station was located in the heart of what was Los Angeles' original Chinatown. Reflecting the prejudice of the era, the conservative Los Angeles Times, a lead opponent of elevated railways, argued in editorials that Union Station would not be built in the “midst of Chinatown” but rather would “forever do away with Chinatown and its environs.”

Voters narrowly approved demolishing much of Chinatown to build Union Station by a narrow 51 to 48 percent.

The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway's combined Super Chief/El Capitan at Union Station in 1966.

The station originally served the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, Southern Pacific Railroad, and Union Pacific Railroad, as well as the Pacific Electric Railway and Los Angeles Railway (LARy). It saw heavy use during World War II, but later saw declining patronage due to the growing popularity of air travel and automobiles.

Union Station is once again heavily visited, due to the number of rail and bus connections available at the station.

The station was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. It is Los Angeles Historic–Cultural Monument #101.

It was formerly designated the Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal (LAUPT), but its former owner, Catellus Development, officially changed the name to Los Angeles Union Station.

In February 2011, the Metro Board approved the purchase of Union Station from Catellus/Prologis for $75 million. The deal was closed on April 14, 2011.

Future expansion

An aerial view of Los Angeles' Union Station from the late 1990s.

Run-through tracks project

With the number of trains using Union Station expanding, the stub-end layout of trackage at the station is becoming a liability. Trains are required to back out of the station (in push-pull configuration with the use of cab cars) resulting in delays as multiple trains must use the same tracks to get out of the station. Therefore, tracks 3-6 are being extended as run-through tracks, which will exit Union Station and cross over the 101 freeway to the existing BNSF tracks at an "S-curve." The run-through tracks are envisioned for use by the following trains when departing or arriving at Union Station: Amtrak Pacific Surfliners, the Southwest Chief, and the 91 and Orange County lines of Metrolink, as they currently must make a near-180 degree turn just outside the station in order to proceed in either direction. Northbound trains headed for Union Station would also use the run-through tracks allowing them to bypass the same curved track they must currently use. Most of the delays caused by the current configuration are suffered by arriving trains, as departures are usually given priority, often to free-up needed platforms and to keep departing trains from experiencing delays along their route should they depart late.

During construction, tracks 3-6 will be out of service due to their extension. Because of this, in preparation for the construction of run-through tracks, track #13 is being revitalized for use as well as the re-construction of tracks 14-16 (they were removed long ago, though the reason and date is unclear) in order to make up for the loss of tracks 3-6 in the process. Once the construction is finished, the run-through tracks and tracks 13-16 will be in regular use, resulting in a 40% increase in track capacity. The construction and revitalization of tracks 13-16 has already started, however, it is a slowgoing project.

Caltrans and the Federal Railroad Administration have already drafted a plan to create four run-through tracks that would connect the south end of Union Station with the existing BNSF trackage south of US Route 101, directly south of Union Station. The Run Through Tracks would exit Union Station on a bridge crossing over the freeway, and continue on an elevated structure for approximately one mile until they reached the BNSF trackage on the west bank of the Los Angeles River.

The final environmental impact report was published by the FRA in November 2005.

California High-Speed Rail

Union Station is planned to be a major hub for the future California High-Speed Rail System. To accommodate the future service, three platforms with six tracks will be built on an aerial structure above the existing platforms. Upon completion, passengers will be able to get from Union Station to the planned Transbay Terminal in San Francisco in 2 hours and 38 minutes.

Architecture

Art Deco lights hang from the rafters of the passenger terminal

Union Station was partially designed by the father and son team of John Parkinson and Donald B. Parkinson, or the Parkinsons, assisted by a group of supporting architects, including the famous Jan van der Linden. The Parkinsons also designed Los Angeles City Hall. Their firm designed many landmark Los Angeles buildings from the late 19th century onward. The structure combines Dutch Colonial Revival Style architecture (the suggestion of the Dutch born Jan von der Linden), Mission Revival, and Streamline Moderne style, with architectural details such as eight-pointed stars.

The waiting room at the Los Angeles Union Station

Enclosed garden patios are on either side of the waiting room, and passengers exiting the trains were originally directed through the southern garden. The lower part of the interior walls is covered in travertine marble, and the upper part is covered with an early form of acoustical tile. The floor in the large rooms is terra cotta tile with a central strip of inlaid marble (including travertine, somewhat unusual in floors since it is soft).

Attached to the main building to the south is the station restaurant designed by southwestern architect Mary Colter (the last of the "Harvey House" restaurants to be constructed as a part of a passenger terminal). Although now usually padlocked and stripped of many interior furnishings, the topology of its rounded central counter, streamlined booths, and inlaid floor patterns remain. The influential sci-fi film Blade Runner used shots of the waiting area as the 2019 police department.

Even with it's grand scale it is considered small in comparison to other union stations.

Film, television, video game, and music appearances

The facility served as a backdrop for the 1950 film Union Station, which starred William Holden and Nancy Olson. Many television shows and motion pictures have incorporated the station as a backdrop, including Silver Streak, Blade Runner, You're Never Too Young, Speed, "Alias" Can't Hardly Wait, Star Trek: First Contact, Pearl Harbor, The Italian Job, Raise Your Voice, Collateral, The Island, Drag Me to Hell, Quantum Leap, 24, Chuck, and NCIS: Los Angeles. The station is also featured in the music video to Lifehouse's You and Me and the music video for HIM's Wings of a Butterfly. It has also been featured in several video games, including Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas as Unity Station, Midnight Club: Los Angeles and L.A. Noire as it appeared in 1947.

See also

Also in Chris Browns 2005 Gimmie That Video!

References

  1. ^ "Amtrak Fact Sheet, FY2010, State of California" (PDF). Amtrak. November 2010. Retrieved 2011-01-06. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  2. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  3. "Purple Line station information".
  4. Axelrod, Jeremiah (2009). Inventing Autopia: Dreams and Visions of the Modern Metropolis in Jazz Age Los Angeles. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. p. 193. ISBN 978-0-520-25285-1. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  5. Bottles, Scott (1987). Los Angeles and the Automobile: The Making of the Modern City. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. p. 156. ISBN 978-0520057951. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  6. ^ Matthew R. Poole (2007). Travel Los Angeles for Smartphones and Mobile Devices. MobileReference. ISBN 1605010367.
  7. http://thesource.metro.net/2011/02/24/metro-to-purchase-los-angeles-union-station/
  8. http://thesource.metro.net/2011/04/14/metro-tonight-officially-becomes-new-owner-of-los-angeles-union-station/
  9. FRA – Los Angeles Union Station Run-Through Tracks Project Environmental Impact Statement
  10. Matthew R. Poole (2010). Frommer's Los Angeles 2011. Frommer's. p. 30. ISBN 0470626194.
  11. "Television and movie productions that have utilized Union Station as a filming location". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2006-06-30.
  12. "Titles with location Union Station - 800 N. Alameda Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2009-06-11.

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