Provo station (Amtrak)

Provo station is a train station in Provo, Utah. It is served by Amtrak's California Zephyr, which runs once daily between Chicago and Emeryville, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area.[Note 1]

This article is about the Amtrak station. For the FrontRunner commuter rail station, see Provo Central station.
Provo, UT
Provo Amtrak station passenger shelter (view looking north from the track side)
General information
Location300 West 600 South
Provo, Utah[1]
United States
Coordinates40°13′33″N 111°39′50″W
Owned byUnion Pacific Railroad, except parking lot, which is owned by the City of Provo[2]
Platforms1 side platform
Tracks2
ConnectionsUTA FrontRunner Provo Central station very close by, which includes intra-county and local bus service
Construction
Structure typeAt-grade
Parking6 long term parking spaces[1]
AccessibleYes
Other information
Station codeAmtrak: PRO
History
Opened24 May 2002[3]
Passengers
FY 20224,185[4] (Amtrak)
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
Salt Lake City
toward Emeryville
 California Zephyr Helper
toward Chicago
Former services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
Salt Lake City (UP Depot)
Until 1986
toward Oakland
 California Zephyr Helper
toward Chicago
Salt Lake City (D&RGW Depot)
1986-1999
toward Emeryville
Salt Lake City (D&RGW Depot)
toward Los Angeles
 Desert Wind
Discontinued in 1997
Salt Lake City (D&RGW Depot)
toward Seattle
 Pioneer
Before 1991 reroute
Preceding station Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad Following station
Salt Lake City
toward Ogden
 Moffat Tunnel Route Thistle
toward Denver
Royal Gorge Route
Location
Provo is located in Utah
Provo
Provo
Location in Utah
Provo is located in the United States
Provo
Provo
Location in United States

Description

The station is located on the north side of the tracks and south of 600 South at 300 West. It is easily accessible from 200 West and has six paved parking spaces. There are no services provided at the station (i.e., ticketing, restrooms, lounge, etc.). The station is within walking distance of downtown Provo. The station is located within a Quiet Zone, so all trains (including Utah Transit Authority's FrontRunner and Union Pacific's) do not routinely sound their horns when approaching public crossings within this corridor although they do sound their bells.[6][7]

Even though UTA's FrontRunner commuter rail line uses the same right-of-way through downtown Provo that is used by the California Zephyr, UTA built a separate station of the same name. That station is located one block east on the south side of the tracks. However, there is easy pedestrian access between the two stations and the UTA connecting intra-county and local bus routes. The FrontRunner provides commuter rail service north to Salt Lake City and Ogden, and stops in between.

History

The station is on the site of a previous station constructed by the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad in 1910. This building remained in use until 1986 when, increasingly dilapidated, it was demolished.[8]

The station was little more than a plexiglas bus shelter along the tracks until 2002,[9] when it was replaced by three decorative shelters, one of which is mostly enclosed and heated. The new station opened 14 May 2002 and cost $120,000 with funds coming from Provo City, Amtrak, and a federal grant. In-kind contributions were also provided by Provo City.[10][2]

Beginning in 1983, both the Desert Wind (with service from Chicago to Los Angeles) and the Pioneer (with service from Chicago to Seattle) previously stopped at the Provo Station. Service by the Pioneer was dropped when that train was rerouted through Wyoming in 1991 (the train was later discontinued altogether in 1997). Service by the Desert Wind ended when Amtrak discontinued that train in 1997 (at the same time as the Pioneer was discontinued). Although the ultimate western end of the line for the Desert Wind was in Los Angeles (southwest of the Provo Station), the train route ran north to Salt Lake City before heading south to its next stop in Milford, Utah (Delta from 1983 to 1988).

Notes
  1. As of 13 January 2014, the previous schedule continues with the westbound train (Route 5) scheduled to stop at 9:26 pm and the eastbound train (Route 6) scheduled to stop at 4:35 am.[5]

References
  1. "Provo, UT (PRO)". amtrak.com. Amtrak. Retrieved 11 Dec 2012.
  2. "Great American Stations: Provo, UT (PRO)". greatamericanstations.com. Amtrak. Retrieved 11 Dec 2012.
  3. "Officials celebrate: completion of new train depot in Provo". Daily Herald. Provo, Utah: Lee Enterprises. 14 May 2002. p. A3. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
  4. "Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal Year 2022: State of Utah" (PDF). Amtrak. June 2023. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
  5. "California Zephyr" (PDF). amtrak.com. Amtrak. 13 Jan 2014. p. 2. Retrieved 3 Jan 2014.
  6. Hesterman, Billy (29 Nov 2012). "No more horns: Quiet zone now in effect for trains". Daily Herald. Provo, Utah: Lee Enterprises. Archived from the original on 2 December 2012. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
  7. "Front Runner South FAQs". rideuta.com. Utah Transit Authority. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
  8. Mote, Lisa (October 15, 1986). "D&RGW pulls out from Provo depot". Daily Herald. p. 1. Retrieved March 9, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "Amtrak depot may get makeover Company agrees to fund project if Provo takes lead". Deseret News. Salt Lake City: Deseret Digital Media. Associated Press. 20 Mar 1999. Retrieved 4 May 2013.,
  10. Stewart, Amy K (16 May 2002). "New train station opens in Provo". Daily Herald. Provo, Utah: Lee Enterprises. Retrieved 4 May 2013.

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