Tracks 2 Disabled access Yes Opened 1912 Platforms in use 1 | Parking Yes Station code KEL Rebuilt 1995 | |
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Location 501 South First Avenue
Kelso, Washington 98626
United States Owned by City of Kelso & BNSF Railway Address Kelso, WA 98626, United States Connections Greyhound Lines, RiverCities Transit Similar Centennial Station, Centralia station, Stanwood station, Skagit Transportation Center, Bingen–White Salmon station | ||
The Kelso Multimodal Transportation Center (also known as Kelso–Longview and previously as the Kelso Burlington Northern Train Depot) is an Amtrak train station located immediately south of Kelso, Washington, United States. The station also serves the neighboring city of Longview, which is located just across the Cowlitz River. The station is served by Cascades and Coast Starlight trains. Greyhound Lines provides national and regional bus service, while RiverCities Transit provides local transit. Shuttle vans, taxis and rental cars can also be hired at the station.
Contents
History
The Kelso Train Station was originally built by the Northern Pacific Railroad. The first small depot was a wooden structure in the 100 block of Front or First Avenue. By 1906 the citizens of Kelso petitioned the Northern Pacific Railroad for a better passenger and freight depot. This was granted and a new, brick passenger and a wood freight depot was built. A grand opening reception was held February 12, 1912.
In 1970 the Northern Pacific Railway merged with several other railroads to create the Burlington Northern Railroad. The station remained in active freight service until the early 1980s when Burlington Northern suspended freight service there and transferred that service to the Portland, Oregon hub.
The station became an Amtrak stop in 1981. The station was manned by a ticketing agent until the 1990s when the station was locked up due to vandalism.
In the mid-1990s the station underwent extensive remodeling to make it look like the passenger stations of a bygone era. The station's interior and exterior received face-lifts and rebuilds, and a 30-foot-tall (9.1 m) clock tower was constructed outside the station. The clock can be seen from across the Cowlitz River at the Cowlitz County Hall of Justice and as far north as the higher points in the Beacon Hill neighborhood of Kelso. The refurbished station was formally dedicated on September 23, 1995.
Service
Although the Amtrak Cascades runs between Eugene, Oregon and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, there is no train that starts at one terminus and ends at the other. However, each day eight Amtrak Cascades trains (four northbound and four southbound) stop at the Kelso Multimodal Transportation Center. The Coast Starlight has a simpler, less frequent schedule and runs daily in each direction between Los Angeles, California and Seattle. (The next northbound stop on both Amtrak trains is in Centralia and the next southbound stop is in Vancouver.)
The center serves as a stop for Greyhound on its way to either Portland or Seattle. River Cities Transit the bus service which serves both Kelso and Longview stops at the center.
November 1993 accident
A head on crash between a Burlington Northern and Union Pacific train occurred just south of Kelso on November 11, 1993. Five crew were killed in the accident and subsequent fire, which was fueled by approximately 10,000 U.S. gallons (38,000 L) of diesel fuel on board the trains. The double track corridor in the area served around 60 passenger and freight trains per day, making it one of the busiest rail corridors in the United States at the time of the accident. The Kelso station was used as a staging area for Burlington Northern's Incident Response Unit.
Station remodel
In 1994 and 1995, the station was inundated with water damage when the nearby Cowlitz River peaked over the dike at 22 feet (6.7 m) and flooded the basement and platform area, which ultimately led to the approval of the remodel.
Other events
In 1993, a special Burlington Northern train made a stop at the station while it was carrying the company's CEO and board members on an inspection of the system. Numerous special events are held at the station each year, the most notable of which is the Kelso Christmas Celebration at which the mayor lights the Christmas tree that adorns the clock tower and Santa Claus makes a visit via the Amtrak Cascades train.
Between 2001 and 2004, the Kelso City Council held its meetings in the station's basement, because City Hall had been torn down to make way for a new bridge spanning the Cowlitz River.
In 1996, a steam-powered locomotive made a journey past the station on its way to Seattle.