Market Street Depot

Market Street Depot[1] was the primary intercity railway station in San Jose, California between 1883 and 1935. It was located at Market and Bassett Streets at the end of the former San Francisco and San Jose Railroad, a route which was later integrated into the Southern Pacific Railroad Coast Line.

San Jose
The Depot depicted on a postcard in 1909
General information
LocationSan Jose, California
Coordinates37.341°N 121.896°W / 37.341; -121.896
Owned bySouthern Pacific Railroad
Line(s)SP Coast Line
History
Opened1883 (1883)
ClosedDecember 1935 (1935-12)
Former services
Preceding station Southern Pacific Railroad Following station
College Park
toward San Francisco
 Coast Line San Jose Fourth Street
toward Los Angeles
Peninsula Commute Terminus

History

The station building was constructed in 1883,[2] replacing the former San Francisco and San Jose Railroad end of line facilities that accommodated passengers and freight since the road's completion.[3]: 25 

Completion of the Coast Line to Los Angeles as well as the Bayshore Cutoff near San Francisco greatly increased the rail traffic running through downtown San Jose in the early 1900s — combining the increase in personal automobile use made for greatly increased delays on local streets. As a result, efforts were undertaken by the city to divert the rail line off of Fourth Street. This necessitated extensive grade crossings, new trackage, and a new San Jose depot located at Cahill Street, later named Diridon station. After December 1935, passenger operations were shifted away from the Market Street Depot in favor of the new facility and the tracks on Fourth Street were removed.[3]: 26  The passenger facilities were subsequently demolished, but the adjoining freight depot continued service until the mid 1900s.

Union Pacific Railroad tracks run beside the site of the former Market Street Depot (apartments left of frame) in 2012. In front is the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority light rail underpass, built to avoid conflicts with the mainline tracks.

References
  1. "Southern Pacific Depot". National Park Service. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
  2. Gottschalk, Mary (February 7, 2008). "Railroad museum proposed near Guadalupe River and Highway 87". The Mercury News. Bay Area News Group. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
  3. McGovern, Janet (2012). Caltrain and the Peninsula Commute Service. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 9780738576220.


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