Clearwater station (Amtrak)

Clearwater station was an Amtrak train station in Clearwater, Florida, served by the Floridian until 1979 and Silver Service until February 1, 1984 (when all rail service to and from St. Petersburg was terminated).[1][2] Thereafter, it continued to be used for Amtrak Thruway motor coach service until 1995, connecting to Amtrak Silver Service trains at Tampa Union Station.[3]

This article is about the former Amtrak station in Florida. For the current VIA Rail station in Clearwater, British Columbia, see Clearwater station.
Clearwater, FL
inter-city rail station
The northbound Floridian at Clearwater in 1979
Location657 Court Street Clearwater, FL 33516
USA
Coordinates27.9617°N 82.7970°W / 27.9617; -82.7970
Elevation25 ft
Line(s)Clearwater Subdivision
Tracks1
Other information
Station codeCLW
History
Closed1984 (rail)
1995 (Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach)
Former services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
St. Petersburg
Terminus
 Silver Star Tampa
toward New York
Silver Meteor
Floridian Tampa
toward Chicago

The station was originally built by the Seaboard Air Line Railroad (SAL) in 1922.[4] From the 1920s to the 1960s, it was served by daily long-distance SAL passenger trains, such as the Seabreeze Rail Special in the early 1930s and later the Silver Meteor and Silver Star between New York City and St. Petersburg.[5] Following the SAL-Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL) merger on July 1, 1967, the combined Seaboard Coast Line (SCL) closed the nearby ACL station in Clearwater, consolidating passenger service at the former SAL station.[6] Rail passenger train service at Clearwater began operating under Amtrak auspices on May 1, 1971, using SCL's tracks, which became the CSX Clearwater Subdivision on November 1, 1980.[3]

The former Seaboard Air Line Railroad station was turned into a hot dog shop, but that was driven out due to someone with connections in the Clearwater city government wanting the property for a 7-Eleven store. The hot dog shop was demolished in 2003 and soon after that the 7-Eleven was built. Some call that “progress” I guess.

References
  1. "Amtrak - Clearwater, FL (CLW)". www.trainweb.org. Retrieved 2019-05-10.
  2. "Clearwater Florida Amtrak |". Retrieved 2019-05-10.
  3. Luisi, Vincent (2010). Railroading in Pinellas County. Arcadia Publishing}. p. 113. ISBN 978-0-7385-8550-5.
  4. Luisi, p. 64.
  5. Luisi, p. 76.
  6. Luisi, . 110.
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