Ardmore station (Oklahoma)

Ardmore (Amtrak: ADM) is an Amtrak train station in Ardmore, Oklahoma. The station is serviced by the daily Heartland Flyer, which travels from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to Fort Worth, Texas.

Ardmore, OK
Ardmore station in February 2017
General information
Location251 East Main Street
Ardmore, Oklahoma
United States
Coordinates34.1721°N 97.1255°W / 34.1721; -97.1255
Owned byCity of Ardmore
Line(s)BNSF Railway Red Rock Subdivision
Platforms1 side platform
Tracks2
Construction
AccessibleYes
Other information
Station codeAmtrak code: ADM
History
Opened1909
RebuiltNovember 16, 1915–August 7, 1917[1][2]
Key dates
September 27, 1915Depot destroyed in explosion[3]
Passengers
FY 20224,871[4] (Amtrak)
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
Gainesville
toward Fort Worth
 Heartland Flyer Pauls Valley
toward Oklahoma City
Former services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
Gainesville
toward Dallas or Houston
 Lone Star Pauls Valley
toward Chicago
Preceding station Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Following station
Berwyn
toward Purcell
 Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway
Main Line
 Marietta
toward Galveston
Long Grove
toward Ringling or Healdton
 Ringling–Ardmore Terminus
Location

The station house is owned by the Ardmore Main Street Authority, which restored the station in 2015. The station currently serves as an event venue. A public park, called Depot Park, was opened on the west side of the station in 2022.[5]

History

Original building

The first train station in Ardmore was built in 1909 by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (or simply "Santa Fe").

On September 27, 1915, the building was destroyed in an explosion caused by a natural gas leak, which in turn set off dynamite in nearby freight sheds. The station was totally destroyed, and much of the town was set on fire, resulting in 43 deaths.[3][6]

A train filled with aid workers, dubbed the "Mercy Train", was sent from Gainesville, Texas in the aftermath of the explosion. Locomotive 1108, which led the Mercy Train, was obtained by the city after it exited service in 1954; it is currently on display in Depot Park.[6]

Current building

Construction of a replacement depot began shortly after the explosion, with railcars serving as a temporary replacement.[2] The rebuilt station was completed in 1917 as a joint effort between the Santa Fe and Rock Island Railroad.[6] A small building for the Railway Express Agency was built just north of the station.

In 1979, Amtrak discontinued its Lone Star service, ending passenger service to the city, though freight service remained.

In 1998, Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway, the successor to the original Santa Fe, sold the station and surrounding land, including the REA building, to the the city's Main Street Authority for $20,001. BNSF retained ownership of the track and platform, and it continues to operate from the REA building.[6]

On June 15, 1999, Amtrak's Heartland Flyer debuted, returning the station to service.

References
  1. "New Ardmore Station". Muskogee Times-Democrat. November 16, 1915. p. 10. Retrieved December 27, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  2. "New Union Station Opened This Afternoon". The Daily Ardmoreite. August 7, 1917. p. 5. Retrieved December 27, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  3. United Press International (September 30, 1915). "Ardmore Explosion Claims Many Lives". The Choctaw Herald. Hugo, Oklahoma. p. 2. Retrieved December 27, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  4. "Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal Year 2022: State of Oklahoma" (PDF). Amtrak. June 2023. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
  5. "Event Venues". Ardmore Main Street Authority. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
  6. "Ardmore, OK (ADM)". The Great American Stations. Amtrak. Retrieved 2023-10-27.

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