Readers Like St. Louis’ Gateway Transportation Center
In the poll last week readers liked our combined Amtrak & Greyhound station but were not impressed with the surroundings.
Q:Â St. Louis’ combined Amtrak & Greyhound station opened on 11/21/2008. Your thoughts on the station?
- Can’t compete with the heyday of Union Station but it is a vast improvement over facilities for the decades prior. 84 [58.74%]
- The station is OK but the immediate area needs attention. 33 [23.08%]
- Other answer… 11 [7.69%]
- James Howard Kunstler was right, it is an embarrassing eyesore. 8 [5.59%]
- Unsure/no opinion 5 [3.5%]
- I didn’t like it at first but I’ve warmed to it. 1 [0.7%]
- I liked it at first but I’m less and less impressed as times goes on. 1 [0.7%]
The following are the “other” answers:
- I LOVE IT !
- Needs to be near the Metro, needs multilevel parking garage.
- nice. but money should be invested in union station
- Should of used Union Station
- Why not re-use Union Station? It works, and would make it seem less empty
- Where is the option for like?
- It is an eyesore, and embarrassing that the original is so under-utilized.
- functional, but architecturally weak
- I like it, plain and simple
- It’s not terrible, but an under utilized Union Station is criminal!
- I have liked it all along.
Amtrak pulled out of Union Station in the early 70s, switching to a shack under the large train shed and finally to a “temporary” along the rail lines. Â Union Station, a massive structure, was sold to private developers. Â Additional structures have been constructed between the former station and the rail lines. Â Amtrak doesn’t like to back into stations. Â Need more reasons why not Union Station?
I don’t get the comment above, “Needs to be near the Metro.” Â They could not be any closer together!
ABOVE: View of Civic Center MetroLink & bus transfer center as seen from the east entrance
ABOVE: View of Civic Center MetroLink & bus transfer center as seen looking east from the north end of the station
For me the transit connection (bus & rail) makes this site a big winner over Union Station.
– Steve Patterson
metro needs to mark it on it's station maps — nobody knows you can reach “gateway station” by metro link because it isn't visible on the Metro maps….and I don't think people know it's called Gateway Station…I still call it union station.
I don't think there is any question this facility is a winner…Its truly 'multimodal' which is the point…
All those in favor of a gleaming, postcard station are free to donate to their cause and find out how many others are willing to pay for it…That first side street shot is a bit banal and depressing…The others tho aren't bad at all…I even like the fact the highways are right there…This is a place to travel, so there's gonna be roads and rails…
Outta get some public art on the property…
And when is MetroLink expanding??? Its quick, clean and efficient…It needs to expand…North, South and well into Illinois…
I think the site is awesome, there is so much to do, other than just wait to go somewhere
I'm pretty sure Amtrak also refers to it as Union Station. At least when ordering tickets online. Honestly, I have been using MegaBus instead the last year or two…Amtrak's getting way too expensive and the delays are awful.
Still, there's something nicely different about long-distance train travel.
Amtrak between here and KC has been running at at 90% plus on-time performance over the last 18 months.
Thanks for the stats, Tom. I haven't taken the westbound KC train…only north to Chicago. Don't get me wrong, I love taking the train up when it runs even close to on-time, but more often than not (I would cautiously estimate close to 80%) there are significant delays on the sidings as freight traffic takes the right-of-way and also on the lead-in/out of both St. Louis and Chicago. These delays often add up to a late arrival of between 1.5 to 2 hours.
I'm excited to see what the future holds for long-distance train travel. It's made a resurgence in recent years (hence, I assume, the uptick in ticket pricing) and if the proper steps are taken to ensure it's affordable and reliable, I can't see any reason for its renewed popularity to fall off. As much as I'd like to see Union Station get a rebirth as a rail hub, I think there's opportunity for Gateway Station to take up the mantle if and when the need arises. I can envision an extension directly above the train tracks, where those arriving, departing or just enjoying some trainspotting have a large modern hall boarding hall with escalators and stairs leading down to the individual platforms underneath.
Have to agree on your comments based on my past experience of trying to use Amtrak while living in the Chicago area and dating my future wife in St. Louis a few years back (ok, more then a few years back)
However, things will change significantly for the better. Money from the High Speed Rail grant is already being spent on the line from Chicago to St Louis, vice versa. In all, the route will see almost $800 million dollars in committed funds towards an upgraded line and new trainsets along with increased frequency.
I haven't seen the new station, but it would have been nice to have trains still going to the (underused) Union Station… It could be a gorgeous, bustling hub like its namesake in Washington, DC. Would have attracted more business to the mall there. It was a ghost town last time I was there…
Not to mention that out east where I live (St Louis is my hometown), Amtrak riders and Greyhound riders are worlds apart…..
It might be gorgeous, but wouldn't be bustling – a train every hour or two does not create bustling. For better or worse, the Gateway facility is right sized for the current demand.
Couldn't agree more, its actually the right size for even greater demand as the platforms allow four trains at any given time. That is actually a lot of capacity and could easily handle any future plans for commuter rail from plying the region from Alton, IL to Pacific, MO
A new FY10 high speed rail grant will extend Amtrak's lead (entrance) track west of the station. This will help scheduling westbound to KC as Amtrak won't have to clear the downtown freight rail yard next door to gain mainline access onto UP. Big improvement considering that UP, BNSF and Amtrak all have trains coming into and out of that interlock.
It's too small. They're very quickly going to need to extend the terminal west and add a second footbridge. One large trainload of people fills it to the brim. Increased frequencies from the stimulus will overload it. Also, the connection with MetroLink is horrible. Would it be too hard to put a ticket machine in the Gateway station and build a connection to the MetroLink at the south end of the light rail platforms? A grade crossing would be almost nothing; even a footbridge, if it's deemed necessary for safety's sake, wouldn't be that much.
There's a lot they did right with this project. Filling in an awkward site. The escalators, which are a pleasant feature of several new US rail stations. The easy connections with buses. But they need to get that MetroLink connection right and they need to start planning now for future expansion. And, frankly, if I were St. Louis, looking at a possible 2020s future of hourly service to Chicago, commuter rail, maybe something close to hourly to KC, some horrible price for gas, and rail operators chomping at the bit for more slots, I'd be eyeing up Union Station again . . . . .