Galesburg station (Amtrak)

Galesburg
The station house.
Location	225 South Seminary Street Galesburg, IL 61401
Coordinates	40°56′41″N 90°21′50″W / 40.9446°N 90.3640°WCoordinates: 40°56′41″N 90°21′50″W / 40.9446°N 90.3640°W
Owned by	City of Galesburg
Line(s)	California Zephyr   Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg   Southwest Chief
Platforms	1 side platform, 1 island platform
Tracks	3
Connections	Burlington Trailways,[1] Galesburg Transit
Construction
Parking	Yes
Bicycle facilities	Yes
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Station code	GBB
History
Opened	1984[2]
Traffic
Passengers (2014)	100,871[3]  2.7%
Services
Preceding station   Amtrak   Following station Burlington, IA toward Emeryville California Zephyr Princeton toward Chicago Fort Madison toward Los Angeles Southwest Chief Macomb toward Quincy Illinois Zephyr Kewanee toward Chicago
Location
Location within Illinois

Galesburg is an Amtrak intercity train station in Galesburg, Illinois, United States. The station was originally built in 1984, after the razing of the large depot just south of the current site. It is located north of the large BNSF Classification yard. Just south the Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg diverge via the Quincy main line which bypasses the yard on the east side. The California Zephyr and the Southwest Chief continue to the southwest side of Galesburg near Knox College.

There are three tracks with one island platform and one side platform. Trains to California normally arrive on the track closest to the depot, known as track one. Trains between Quincy and Chicago arrive on track two and platform on the island platform as trains divert from the main line just south of the station and eventually on to the Brookfield Subdivision.^[4][5] In the early 2010s, the island platform received a yellow tactile warning strip that complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The project was funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 at an estimated cost of $75,000.^[2] The side platform already had a tactile warning strip.

It is the main area for Galesburg Railroad Days when it runs during the last weekend of June as bus tours of the rail yards originate from here. A GE Evolution Series locomotive is also put on a side track for visitors to look at.^[6] The Galesburg Railroad Museum is next to the property.

Trails & Rails and APRHF Rail Rangers program

Between May 18, 2013 and July 19, 2015, volunteer rangers with the National Park Service provided commentary for train passengers between Chicago, Illinois and La Plata, Missouri on Amtrak's Southwest Chief, including through Galesburg. This Trails & Rails program was a partnership between Amtrak, the National Park Service, Texas A&M University, and the American Passenger Rail Heritage Foundation (APRHF) in La Plata, Missouri. Volunteers were on board for two round-trips per week during the busy summer and winter holiday travel periods. Despite volunteers no longer being on the train, the reference manual used by Trails & Rails volunteers is still available for passengers at Outside The Rails. After the National Park Service ended its partnership with the APRHF in July 2015, the APRHF launched its Rail Rangers program, which continues to provide a similar service on private railroad car excursions across the Midwestern United States, including through Galesburg on the BNSF line.

Connections

• Burlington Trailways (Indianapolis, IN—Burlington, IA)^[1]
• Galesburg Transit: Route 2

Gallery

A westbound California Zephyr arriving on track 1  View down former CB&Q tracks towards Quincy. Trains to Quincy divert from the main line at this point.  View down the tracks towards Chicago  View of the platforms from the station house  An eastbound Illinois Zephyr train arrives on track 2  A Pullman sleeping car at the Galesburg Railroad Museum

References

1. "Illinois/Missouri Routes Timetable" (PDF). November 8, 2010. Retrieved January 3, 2011.
2. Great American Stations. Retrieved January 30, 2011
3. "Amtrak Fact Sheet, FY2014, State of Illinois" (PDF). Amtrak. November 2014. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
4. Google (December 17, 2010). "Galesburg station (Amtrak)" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved December 17, 2010.
5. "Illinois State Rail Plan: Chapter 4" (pdf). Illinois Department of Transportation. November 2012. Retrieved July 14, 2014.
6. 2010 Schedule

External links

Media related to Galesburg (Amtrak station) at Wikimedia Commons

• Amtrak – Stations – Galesburg, IL
• Galesburg Station; Great American Stations (Amtrak)
• Galesburg Amtrak Station (USA Rail Guide -- Train Web)
• Subway Nut pictures
• TrainWeb