Central Station (Memphis)

Memphis Central Station
Central Station
Station statistics
Address	545 S. Main Street Memphis, TN 38103
Coordinates	35.1323°N 90.0594°W / 35.1323; -90.0594
Lines	City of New Orleans
Connections	MATA Main Street Trolley MATA Riverfront Loop
Platforms	1 side platform
Tracks	2
Parking	Yes
Bicycle facilities	Yes
Other information
Opened	1914
Rebuilt	1999
Accessible
Code	MEM
Owned by	Memphis Area Transit Authority
Traffic
Passengers (2012)	73,116  11%
Services
Preceding station   Amtrak   Following station Greenwood toward New Orleans City of New Orleans Newbern-Dyersburg toward Chicago     Former services     Illinois Central Railroad Horn Lake toward New Orleans Main Line Woodstock toward Chicago Central Station Terminus Memphis – Louisville Woodstock toward Louisville Walls toward New Orleans Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad Main Line Terminus Walls toward Greenwood Memphis – Greenwood Terminus Rock Island Line Hulbert toward Tucumcari Tucumcari – Memphis Terminus

Memphis Central Station, referred to as Grand Central Station prior to 1944, is located at 545 South Main Street in Memphis, Tennessee, on the corner of Main Street and G.E. Patterson Boulevard, just south of the downtown business district. The station is currently served by Amtrak's City of New Orleans route as well as Memphis Riverfront and Main Street trolley cars.

History

Central Station was built on the site of a former station known as Calhoun Street Station. Both stations were owned by the Illinois Central Railroad or its predecessors. Construction of Memphis Central Station began in September 1912, and the station was opened for service on October 4, 1914. The track design included five stub-end tracks (station tracks 1-5), and five through tracks (station tracks 6-10).

Memphis Central Station was owned by Illinois Central Railroad and the station was also used by Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad, St. Louis-San Francisco Railway, and Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway. Between April 1, 1964, and November 30, 1966, the Louisville and Nashville Railroad was also a tenant, during the time that Memphis Union Station was closed.

Named trains serving Memphis Central Station

• Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway
  • Choctaw Rocket
  • Memphis Californian
  • Hot Springs Special

• Illinois Central Railroad
  • Panama Limited
  • City of New Orleans
  • Louisiane

• Louisville and Nashville Railroad
  • Pan-American

• Norfolk and Western Railroad
  • Tennessean

• St. Louis-San Francisco Railway
  • Memphian
  • Kansas City-Florida Special
  • Sunnyland

• Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad
  • Delta Express
  • Planter

Decline and Renovation

Today Central Station has just a single platform

Like other large stations across America, the rapid decline of the passenger train network in the 1960s made Memphis Central Station an aging, nearly deserted monument to an earlier era. Rock Island passenger train service to Memphis ended in November 1967, and Frisco train service ended a month later, leaving Illinois Central as the sole occupant of the station. On May 1, 1971, nearly all passenger trains in the United States were handed over to Amtrak, which began operating a single train through Memphis, and large sections of Central Station were closed off and abandoned. Illinois Central offices were moved from the station, and it appeared that the station would eventually be razed, facing the same fate as Memphis Union Station.

After falling into disrepair, Memphis Central Station gained a reputation as one of the worst stations on the Amtrak system. The property was eventually acquired by Memphis Area Transit Authority, and a massive renovation project was undertaken. Much of the former waiting room area of the station would become public meeting area, the Illinois Central office space on upper floors was converted to condominiums, and Amtrak retained a smaller presence in the former midway area of the station. The station renovation, which was completed in November 1999, helped to speed the renovation and redevelopment of this once deserted area of downtown Memphis.

Role during Hurricane Gustav (2008) evacuations

In anticipation of the landfall of Hurricane Gustav, the city of New Orleans began evacuating those without the means to leave the city, starting on August 30, 2008. At least a thousand evacuees arrived in Memphis via Amtrak, beginning August 30.

See also

• Union Station (Memphis)

External links

• Condren, Mike. "Memphis Central Station," Memphis Historical Railroad Pages
• Parker, Tom. "IC-Memphis Central Station," Illinois Central Net
• Memphis Amtrak Station (USA Rail Guide -- Train Web)

• Amtrak – Stations – Memphis, TN