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 Union Station - Montgomery, Alabama Posted by:  xptwo
N 32° 22.835 W 086° 18.828
16S E 564546 N 3582828
Opened in 1898 with a banquet, a parade, and speeches, the Union Station served the capital city as a railroad depot for over 70 years.
Waymark Code: WMFEAB
Location: Alabama, United States
Date Posted: 10/06/2012
Views: 7
The Union Station and Trainshed was built by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. Other rail lines that used it were the Atlantic Coast Line, Western Railway of Alabama, Seaboard Air Line, Central of Georgia, and Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad. There were six tracks and other facilities as one would expect, such as a hotel and restaurant. The last use as a depot was in 1979, when passenger service declined to the point where the station was closed.
After some years, Union Station was restored and it gives one a sense of how the it looked when it was first opened in 1898. It is an interesting place to visit in its own right. A short walk will take one to Riverfront Park, the Alley, and other downtown attractions. There are several tenants now, with the center core of the building take up by the Montgomery Visitor's Center. The Center is a place where visitors can go through racks of brochures or get advice from the staff on places to visit, eat, and stay. There is a video available in addition to the maps, brochures, and personal advice from the staff. They provide coffee but no other refreshments. The train shed in back of the building still exists but the six tracks are gone, replaced by parking spaces. The shed is used for entertainment at times. In the summers of 2011 and 2012 the city used it for a series of family-friendly movies.
There is a railroad track behind the parking area, so one can still see trains pass by from time to time.
Is the station/depot currently used for railroad purposes?: No
Is the station/depot open to the public?: Yes
If the station/depot is not being used for railroad purposes, what is it currently used for?:
Montgomery Visitor's Center, restaurant, bank, shops, offices.
What rail lines does/did the station/depot serve?: Louisville and Nashville Railroad, Atlantic Coast Line, Western Railway of Alabama, Seaboard Air Line, Central of Georgia, and Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad.
Station/Depot Web Site: [Web Link]
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Visit Instructions:
Please post an original picture of the station/depot taken while you were there. Please also record how you came to be at this station/depot and any interesting information you learned about it while there.
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