Santa Fe Depot (Oklahoma City)

Santa Fe Depot, also known as the Santa Fe Transit Hub, is a historic train station located in downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Amtrak's Heartland Flyer makes daily round-trip service from Oklahoma City to Fort Worth, Texas. The station is the designated Intermodal Transit Hub for the region and as of 2016 is under renovation to accommodate this enhanced use. Santa Fe shares the same station ID, OKC, with the IATA code for Oklahoma City's International airport, Will Rogers World Airport.

Santa Fe Depot
The station building in 2013. At left are the elevated platforms.
Location100 South E.K. Gaylord Boulevard
Oklahoma City, OK 73102
Coordinates35.4653°N 97.5128°W / 35.4653; -97.5128
Owned byCity of Oklahoma City
Platforms1 side platform
Tracks1
ConnectionsOklahoma City Streetcar
Construction
ParkingYes
Bicycle facilitiesYes
Disabled accessYes
Other information
Station codeOKC
History
Opened1934, reopened 1999[1]
Closed1979
Rebuilt1999
Passengers
201747,644[2]  6.94%
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
Norman
toward Fort Worth
 Heartland Flyer Terminus
Former services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
Norman
toward Dallas or Houston
 Lone Star Guthrie
toward Chicago
Preceding station Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Following station
Flynn
toward Purcell
 Oklahoma Division
First District
 Britton
toward Arkansas City

History

The station was built in 1934 by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. It is an Art Deco structure located in downtown Oklahoma City at 100 South E.K. Gaylord Boulevard. It was served by the Santa Fe Railway's Texas Chief line, which later became the Lone Star under Amtrak. The station was also served by the Santa Fe's Kansas Cityan/Chicagoan.

Amtrak discontinued the service in 1979 when it terminated the Lone Star. Subsequently, the station was vacant for 20 years and began to deteriorate.

Other stations in Oklahoma City were the Union Station on SW 7th Street, which served the St. Louis–San Francisco Railway (Frisco Railway) and the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad (Rock Island Railroad); and the Missouri Kansas Texas Station on E. Reno Street, which served the Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad.[3]

In 1998, Jim Brewer, a developer responsible for creating the nearby Bricktown entertainment district, purchased the station from Santa Fe Railway and oversaw a renovation using $2 million funds provided through the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) to make it ADA-compliant and usable again. Amtrak entered an agreement with Brewer Entertainment to use the station as the northern terminus of the new Heartland Flyer line, connecting to Fort Worth. Service began in 1999, reconnecting Oklahoma to the national rail network. Another $3.1 million renovation was completed in 2007, and additional ADA features were added with a $30,000 project following the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.[1]

Until 2010, Amtrak was operating at the station through an informal agreement made in 1998 with Brewer Entertainment. That agreement allowed the railroad to use the station rent-free, but required the state to pay for utilities and other costs associated with station operations. No official lease had been drawn up until at least 2010, when Brent Brewer locked the doors of the depot on September 27 and 29, forcing new negotiations with ODOT.[4] On 21 December 2010, it was announced that the ODOT had signed a lease of the station and parking lot for 25 months, with the option to extend the lease for up to ten years.[5]

The station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015.

Oklahoma City Streetcar service commenced at the station with that system's opening on December 14, 2018.

Station services
  • Station Hours (daily 08:00-10:00 am, 9:40-11:40 pm)
  • Enclosed Waiting Area
  • Restrooms during station hours
  • ATM

Function

The City of Oklahoma City has designated the Santa Fe station as the location for intermodal transit services for the city and metropolitan area. The station will continue to serve as the primary Amtrak station for the region, but other services will be offered including Oklahoma City Streetcar, EMBARK commuter bus, future commuter rail to the suburbs of Midwest City, Del City, Edmond, Moore, and Norman, along with proposed Eastern-Flyer passenger rail (to Tulsa), possible high-speed rail, potential light rail, parking, and the possible return of inter-city bus lines. In 2015, the Santa Fe Intermodal hub was under refurbishment for the first phase of operations. Funding was made as part of the city's Metropolitan Area Projects MAPS and a TIGER grant from the United States Department of Transportation.

References
  1. "Oklahoma City, OK (OKC)". Great American Stations. Amtrak. Retrieved January 15, 2016.
  2. "Amtrak Fact Sheet, FY2017, State of Oklahoma" (PDF). Amtrak. November 2017. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
  3. The Great Union Stations, 'Oklahoma City's Passenger Trains of the Past' https://www.chicagorailfan.com/stbcokc.html
  4. Lackmeyer, Steve (October 2, 2010). "Santa Fe Train Depot promises OU-Texas fans won't face lockdown of station". NewsOK.com. Retrieved October 2, 2010.
  5. "State gains control of Oklahoma City depot". Trains Magazine. 21 December 2010. Retrieved 23 December 2010.

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