Supriya Ghosh (Editor)

Galesburg station (Amtrak)

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Owned by
  
City of Galesburg

Parking
  
Yes

Phone
  
+1 800-872-7245

Tracks
  
3

Opened
  
1984

Platforms in use
  
1

Galesburg station (Amtrak)

Location
  
225 South Seminary Street Galesburg, IL 61401

Line(s)
  
California Zephyr   Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg   Southwest Chief

Connections
  
Burlington Trailways, Galesburg Transit

Address
  
225 S Seminary St, Galesburg, IL 61401, USA

Similar
  
Galesburg Railroad Museum, Macomb station, Quincy station, Kewanee station, Princeton station

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.

Contents

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. 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. 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. The Galesburg Railroad Museum is next to the property.

Commentary services

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. 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. The Rail Rangers have also released a series of route guidebooks for Midwest passenger railroad lines, under the 'Outside the Rails' moniker. The organization's Rail Rangers program sells these books as a fundraiser through its website, at www.midwestrails.com. Included are route guides between Chicago and the following cities: Milwaukee, St. Paul, La Plata, Missouri, Quincy, Illinois, Carbondale, Indianapolis, Detroit/Pontiac, and St. Louis. Outside the Rails books are authored by Robert and Kandace Tabern. Flashing Yellow Guidebooks, by Dr. Eva Hoffman, have also released railroad route guidebooks for many long-distance passenger routes in the eastern, central, and western United States.

Connections

  • Burlington Trailways (Indianapolis, IN—Burlington, IA)
  • Galesburg Transit: Route 2
  • References

    Galesburg station (Amtrak) Wikipedia