La Plata station

La Plata
The La Plata station in November 2015 as seen from the coach of a Southwest Chief
General information
Location	535 North Owensby Street La Plata, MO 63549
Coordinates	40.0291°N 92.4939°W / 40.0291; -92.4939
Line(s)	Southwest Chief
Platforms	1 side platform
Tracks	2
Construction
Parking	Yes
Other information
Station code	LAP
History
Opened	1945
Rebuilt	1996–2001
Passengers
2013	10,031  2.1%
Services
Preceding station   Amtrak   Following station Template:Amtrak stations toward Template:Amtrak stations Template:Amtrak lines Template:Amtrak stations toward Template:Amtrak stations   Former services   ATSF Template:ATSF stations toward Template:ATSF stations Template:ATSF lines Template:ATSF stations toward Template:ATSF stations Template:ATSF stations toward Template:ATSF stations Template:ATSF lines Major stations Template:ATSF stations toward Template:ATSF stations

La Plata is an Amtrak train station in La Plata, Missouri, United States. It was built in 1945 by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad as a replacement for an 1887 passenger and freight depot that was in deteriorating condition. Efforts to replace the station were stalled by a lack of construction material during World War II. The 1945 replacement was built in Art Deco style, and was restored between 1996 and 2001 by local preservationists, a model railroad club and a garden club.

Commentary services

Between May 18, 2013 and July 19, 2015, volunteer rangers with the National Park Service provided commentary for train passengers between Chicago, Illinois and La Plata, Missouri on Amtrak's Southwest Chief. This Trails & Rails program was a partnership between Amtrak, the National Park Service, Texas A&M University, and the American Passenger Rail Heritage Foundation (APRHF) in La Plata, Missouri. Volunteers were on board for two round-trips per week during the busy summer and winter holiday travel periods. Despite volunteers no longer being on the train, the reference manual used by Trails & Rails volunteers is still available for passengers at Outside The Rails. After the National Park Service ended its partnership with the APRHF in July 2015, the APRHF launched its Rail Rangers program, which continues to provide a similar service on private railroad car excursions across the Midwestern United States, including to and through La Plata on the BNSF line.

Nearby colleges

• Truman State University, north 12.5 miles (20.1 km) in Kirksville.
• A.T. Still University, north 13.7 miles (22.0 km) in Kirksville.
• Moberly Area Community College, south 45.9 miles (73.9 km) in Moberly.

External links

• La Plata, MO – Amtrak
• La Plata, MO – Station history at Great American Stations (Amtrak)
• La Plata Amtrak Station (USA Rail Guide – TrainWeb)
• La Plata, MO (LAP) (Amtrak's Great American Stations)
• Trails and Rails