San Bernardino Santa Fe Depot

The San Bernardino Santa Fe Depot (Metrolink designation San Bernardino–Depot) is a Mission Revival Style passenger rail terminal in San Bernardino, California, United States. It has been the primary station for the city, serving Amtrak today, and the Santa Fe and Union Pacific Railroads in the past. Until the mid-20th century, the Southern Pacific Railroad had a station 3/4 of a mile away.[8] It currently serves one Amtrak (Southwest Chief) and two Metrolink lines (Inland Empire–Orange County Line and San Bernardino Line). The depot is a historical landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Passenger and Freight Depot.[9]

For the train station in downtown San Bernardino, see San Bernardino Transit Center. For the post office listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, see San Bernardino Downtown Station.
San Bernardino, CA
Amtrak Metrolink (California)
Streetside of San Bernardino Santa Fe Depot in 2006
General information
Other namesSan Bernardino–Depot
Location1170 West Third Street[1]
San Bernardino, California
United States
Coordinates34°06′15″N 117°18′35″W
Owned bySan Bernardino County Transportation Authority
Line(s)BNSF Cajon / San Bernardino Subdivisions[2]
Platforms1 side platform (Amtrak)
3 island platforms (Metrolink)
Tracks7
Connections
Construction
Parking777 spaces, 10 accessible spaces
AccessibleYes
Other information
Station codeAmtrak: SNB
History
OpenedJuly 15, 1918 (1918-07-15)
Rebuilt2004
Passengers
FY 20226,855[6] (Amtrak only)
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
Riverside
toward Los Angeles
 Southwest Chief Victorville
toward Chicago
Preceding station Metrolink Following station
Riverside–Downtown
toward Oceanside
 Inland Empire–Orange County Line San Bernardino–Downtown
Terminus
Rialto
toward L.A. Union Station
 San Bernardino Line
Rancho Cucamonga
toward L.A. Union Station
 San Bernardino Line Express Redlands–Downtown
Terminus
Former services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
Fullerton
toward Los Angeles
 Desert Wind
1986-1997
 Victorville
toward Chicago
Pomona
toward Los Angeles
 Desert Wind
1979-1986
Southwest Chief
1984-1994
Southwest Limited
1974-1984
Super Chief
1971-1974
 Barstow
toward Chicago
Las Vegas Limited
1976
 Barstow
toward Las Vegas
Preceding station Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Following station
Rialto
toward Los Angeles
 Main Line
Via Pasadena, Pomona
 Devore
toward Chicago
Colton Crossing
toward Los Angeles
 Main Line
Via Fullerton, Riverside
Terminus Redlands Loop Arrowhead
clockwise
Victoria
counterclockwise
Colton Crossing
toward San Jacinto
 San Jacinto Branch Terminus
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Passenger and Freight Depot
ArchitectW.A. Mohr; Cresmer Manufacturing Co.
Architectural styleMission Revival/Moorish Revival/Spanish Colonial Revival
NRHP reference No.01000025 [7]
Added to NRHPFebruary 2, 2001
Location

Early history
Trackside of the original San Bernardino Santa Fe Depot, 1915

Through its subsidiary California Southern Railroad, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (ATSF) first built a two-and-a-half-story wooden structure on the site in 1886 to replace a converted boxcar that had been used as a temporary station.[10] The 1886 building was mostly destroyed in a fire just after midnight 17 November 1916.[11]

In the pre-Amtrak era the station not only had Santa Fe Railway trains, it also had Union Pacific Railroad trains. The trains of both railroads served disparate destinations in the west and in central United States. Local streetcar service was provided by the Pacific Electric on their Colton Line until 1942.[12]

Named trains in 1960 included:[13][14]

  • Santa Fe:
    • Chief (Los Angeles to Chicago via Albuquerque and Kansas City)
    • El Capitan (Los Angeles to Chicago via Albuquerque and Kansas City)
    • Grand Canyon (Los Angeles to Chicago via Albuquerque and Kansas City)
    • Super Chief (Los Angeles to Chicago via Albuquerque and Kansas City)
  • Union Pacific:

Architecture and design
Trackside of the San Bernardino Santa Fe Depot

Local politicians requested ATSF to build a new station on a much larger scale than the previous. The new station, designed by architect W.A. Mohr, cost $800,000 (equivalent to $15,565,000 in 2022) to build and was officially opened on 15 July 1918. At that time, it was the largest railway station west of the Mississippi River. The San Bernardino Sun wrote "Santa Fe's Station to be the finest in the west." A few years after the depot's opening, an extension was added that included a Harvey House and living quarters.[11]

The historic depot is built in the Mission Revival Style with Moorish Revival and Spanish Colonial Revival features. Utilizing hollow clay blocks, a red tile roof and stucco exterior, the depot was designed to withstand fire. Four domed towers are built around a large center lobby with polished tile walls and floor. The interior includes handcrafted high beams, coffered ceilings and decorative column capitals.[11]

The depot was featured in Visiting... with Huell Howser Episode 711.[15]

Decline and renovation

The station saw heavy use throughout the 20th century. But like with many railroad stations, there was a gradual decline in usage with the advent of automobiles, buses and air travel. The Harvey House closed in the 1950s. In 1971, the ATSF transferred its passenger service to Amtrak. From 1979 to 1997 Amtrak's Desert Wind (Los Angeles-Las-Vegas-Denver-Chicago) made stops at the station. Metrolink began service to the station on May 17, 1993.[16][17]

In 1992, San Bernardino Associated Governments (SANBAG) purchased the historic depot from Santa Fe. While Amtrak and Metrolink stopped using the depot in favor for a much smaller newer structure on the west side of the older one, SANBAG acquired over $15 million from federal and local grants and funds to begin an extensive restoration of the historic depot beginning in 2002. In 2004, SANBAG and Metrolink moved some of their offices there. After renovations are complete, SANBAG will share ownership with the City of San Bernardino and both agencies intend on leasing space in it.[18] The historic depot waiting area, along with a new snack shop, opened again for Amtrak and Metrolink passengers on 2 May 2008.[19] A new elevator, platforms, tracks, and an overpass were built in March and April 2017 as part of the Downtown San Bernardino Passenger Rail Project, an extension of Metrolink service to the San Bernardino Transit Center.[20]

The San Bernardino Intermodal facility is directly adjacent to the station.

Services

San Bernardino Santa Fe Depot is served by 36 Metrolink San Bernardino Line trains (18 in each direction) each weekday running primarily at peak hours in the peak direction of travel. This station is also served by an express train that operates once in each direction on weekdays. Weekend service consists of 16 trains (8 in each direction) on both Saturday and Sunday evenly spaced throughout the day.[21]

Additionally, the station is served by 8 Metrolink Inland Empire-Orange County Line trains (4 in each direction) each weekday running primarily at peak hours in the peak direction of travel. Weekend service consists of 4 trains (2 in each direction) on both Saturday and Sunday heading towards Orange County in the morning and towards the Inland Empire in the evening.[21]

Amtrak

Amtrak's Southwest Chief, which travels between Los Angeles and Chicago, Illinois, stops daily in each direction here.

Platforms and tracks
Amtrak platform ■ Southwest Chief toward Los Angeles (Riverside–Downtown)
■ Southwest Chief toward Chicago (Victorville)
Metrolink platforms ■ Inland Empire–Orange County Line toward Oceanside (Riverside–Downtown)
■ San Bernardino Line toward L.A. Union Station (Rialto)

References
  1. "San Bernardino, CA (SNB)". amtrak.com. Amtrak. Retrieved 11 Jan 2014.
  2. SMA Rail Consulting (April 2016). "California Passenger Rail Network Schematics" (PDF). California Department of Transportation. p. 19.
  3. "Big Bear OTM Route 5".
  4. "RIM OTM Route 6".
  5. "Inter city route 15" (PDF). VVTA. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  6. "Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal Year 2022: State of California" (PDF). Amtrak. June 2023. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
  7. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  8. "Index of Railway Stations, p. 1444". Official Guide of the Railways. National Railway Publication Company. 82 (3). August 1949.
  9. "California – San Bernardino County". www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com. American Dreams, Inc. Retrieved 11 Jan 2014.
  10. Serpico, Philip C. (1988). Santa Fé Route to the Pacific. Palmdale, California: Omni Publications. p. 20. ISBN 0-88418-000-X.
  11. "A Brief History of the Santa Fe Depot". San Bernardino Associated Governments. Retrieved 11 Jan 2014.
  12. "Pacific Electric Time Tables" (PDF). wx4's Dome of Foam. Pacific Electric. September 1, 1934. p. 17. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
  13. "Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, Table 4". Official Guide of the Railways. National Railway Publication Company. 92 (12). May 1960.
  14. "Union Pacific Railroad, Tables 1, 2, 3". Official Guide of the Railways. National Railway Publication Company. 92 (12). May 1960.
  15. "San Bernardino Train Station- Visiting (711) – Huell Howser Archives at Chapman University".
  16. "SANBAG Property Acquisition, Depot Restoration Funding". San Bernardino Associated Governments. Retrieved 11 Jan 2014.
  17. Whittaker, John (May 17, 1993). "Service likely to help spur growth along route". The San Bernardino County Sun. p. 14. Retrieved July 6, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. "Restoration Details". San Bernardino Associated Governments. Retrieved 11 Jan 2014.
  19. Richard, Chris (4 Mar 2008). "San Bernardino depot is open for rail travelers, thanks to historical society volunteers". The Press-Enterprise. Riverside, California: Freedom Communications.
  20. "Metrolink train service resumes at San Bernardino, Rialto stations". The San Bernardino Sun. 2017-04-17. Retrieved 2017-05-05.

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