Broad Street Station (Richmond)

Broad Street Station (originally Union Station) was a union railroad station in Richmond, Virginia, United States, across Broad Street from the Fan district. The building is now used by the Science Museum of Virginia.

Broad Street Station
Former Atlantic Coast Line and Amtrak station
General information
Location2500 West Broad Street
Richmond, Virginia 23220[1]
 United States
Coordinates37.561111°N 77.465833°W / 37.561111; -77.465833
Tracks3 (remaining)
8 (old)
History
Opened1917
Closed1975 (for passenger rail service)
Former services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
Petersburg
toward St. Petersburg
 Champion Alexandria
toward New York
Jacksonville
toward Miami
 Silver Meteor
Petersburg
toward Miami
 Silver Star Fredericksburg
toward New York
Preceding station Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Following station
Centralia
toward Tampa
 Main Line Terminus
Preceding station Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad Following station
Terminus Main Line Acca
toward Washington, D.C.
Broad Street Station
ArchitectJohn Russell Pope
NRHP reference No.72001518[2]
VLR No.127-0226
Significant dates
Added to NRHPFebruary 23, 1972
Designated VLRNovember 16, 1971[3]

History
The Silver Comet, and The Silver Star at left at Broad Street Station on March 9, 1969
Map of Broad Street Station in 1934

It was built as the southern terminus for the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad (RF&P) in 1917 in the neoclassical style by the architect John Russell Pope. The station also served the trains of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL) and Norfolk and Western Railway (N&W). Eventually, the Seaboard Air Line Railroad (SAL), which had formerly used Richmond's other union station, Main Street Station, switched to Broad Street Station.

At Amtrak's inception in 1971, it was served by the Champion, Silver Meteor, and Silver Star (all inherited from the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad, successor to ACL and SAL), [4] and the Southern Railway's Asheville Special. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 23, 1972.

Passenger service to the station ceased in 1975, when Amtrak consolidated all Richmond-area service at a suburban station on Staples Mill Road, north of downtown. By 1976, Broad Street Station became the new home of the Science Museum of Virginia, which remains in the substantially remodeled and expanded building.

See also

References
  1. "All-American Schedules". timetables.org. Amtrak. April 29, 1973. p. 8. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
  2. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  3. "Virginia Landmarks Register". www.dhr.virginia.gov. Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Archived from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved March 19, 2013.
  4. "All-American Schedules". timetables.org. Amtrak. November 15, 1974. pp. 38–39. Retrieved January 12, 2014.


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