Elkhart station

Elkhart
The Elkhart Amtrak Station. Picture taken from across the tracks at the National New York Central Railroad Museum.
Location	131 Tyler Avenue Elkhart, IN 46515
Coordinates	41°40′50″N 85°58′18″W / 41.6806°N 85.9717°WCoordinates: 41°40′50″N 85°58′18″W / 41.6806°N 85.9717°W
Line(s)	Capitol Limited   Lake Shore Limited
Platforms	1 side platform
Tracks	3
Connections	Interurban Trolley
Construction
Parking	Yes; free
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Station code	EKH
History
Opened	1900
Traffic
Passengers (2013)	20,080[1]  11% (Amtrak)
Services
; Preceding station   Amtrak   Following station South Bend toward Chicago Capitol Limited Waterloo toward Washington, DC Lake Shore Limited Waterloo toward New York City or Boston South Station   Former services   New York Central Railroad Mishawaka toward Chicago Water Level Route Goshen toward New York City Terminus Kalamazoo Branch Bristol toward Grand Rapids Old Road Bristol toward Toledo

Elkhart is a train station in Elkhart, Indiana served by Amtrak, the national railroad passenger system. Elkhart is the second station on both the eastbound Capitol Limited and Lake Shore Limited toward New York City and Washington DC. While the station has a waiting room, it is only open in early mornings and late evenings, half an hour before the first westbound and eastbound train arrives. It does not have a ticket agent, but the station does have personnel that can assist riders upon departure and arrival.^[2] The station is directly across the tracks from the National New York Central Railroad Museum.

History

Elkhart Station was originally built in 1900 by the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway and had a freight house installed across the tracks in 1907. The building is constructed of red brick trimmed with limestone, which is used for the window surrounds and belt course.^[3] The station was originally set amid a well-kept garden that displayed neat beds of colorful flowers and a row of trees along the tracks; this manicured landscape was not only a pretty introduction to the city for first time visitors, but it also buffered the streets of downtown from the noise and dirt associated with steam engines and freight trains.^[4] The station and the railroad were acquired by the New York Central Railroad in 1914. NYC merged with the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1968, and passenger service was taken over by Amtrak in 1971. The freight house became the National NYC Museum in 1987.

Transit Connections

MACOG Interurban Trolley's Elkhart-Goshen and Concord routes both stop near the station. However, because of the way the train schedules are currently set up, riders can only connect to westbound trains. Riders who wish to board eastbound trains would have to arrive several hours ahead of time. Elkhart-Goshen route connects to westbound Capitol Limited and Lake Shore Limited trains, while Concord route can only connect to westbound Lake Shore Limited train.

References

1. "Amtrak Fact Sheet, FY2013, State of Indiana" (PDF). Amtrak. November 2013. Retrieved 3 December 2013.
2. As per an account of a National New York Central Railroad museum employee
3. Great American Stations. Accessed March 30, 2013.
4. Great American Stations. Accessed March 30, 2013.

External links

• Media related to Elkhart (Amtrak station) at Wikimedia Commons

• Amtrak – Stations – Elkhart, IN
• Elkart Amtrak Station (USA Rail Guide -- Train Web)
• Elkhart Station (EKH) Great American Stations (Amtrak)
• National New York Central Railroad Museum (Official Site)