LA Union Station
Los Angeles Union Station is the main railway station for Los Angeles, California, and the largest railroad passenger terminal in the Western United States
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General Information
The Los Angeles Union Station, originally named Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal (LAUPT) is the rail transportation center of Los Angeles. The current owner, Catellus Development, changed the name to Los Angeles Union Station(LAUS). Los Angeles Union Station is known as the "Last of the Great Railway Stations" built in the United States. It is currently the terminal for Metrolink and Metrorail (red, purple and gold lines), as well as the Amtrak Station. There is a bus terminal and which provides better connections between buses and trains at Union Station.
History
Before airplanes and automobiles were the preferred modes of transportation, millions of Americans utilized the railways. During the 1930's, there was pressure from local politics and business leaders, the three railroad companies (Southern Pacific, Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe, and Union Pacific) that serviced Los Angeles collarated to create a central terminus for the rail passengers.
Union Station was designed by John and Donald B. Parkinson (father and son) in 1939. John and Donald Parkinson also were the architects for Los Angeles City Hall. The site where Union Station was built was the original Chinatown. The project cost $11 million and was financed by Southern Pacific, Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe, and Union Pacific.
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By the beginning of the 1950's rail travel was slowly diminishing. By 1971 all the famous train lines were gone altogether and Amtrak took over intercity passenger trains. Starting in the 1990, changes took place that breathed new life into train travel. Metrolink is a regional rail system that serves Southern California that began service in 1992. This allowed people living in Ventura, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, Orange, and San Diego County to commute easily to downtown Los Angeles. Ridership has grown at 3-4% per year since opening.
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| The Metropolitan Transportation Authority operates Metro Rail service. The system is composed of two at-grade light rail lines, one grade-separated light rail line, and two heavy rail subway lines. Union Station is the hub for the Red, Purple and Gold Lines that are operated by Metro. The Red Line, opened in 1993, is a subway line running between downtown Los Angeles and North Hollywood. An additional subway line (the Purple Line) is a subway line running between downtown Los Angeles and Wilshire/Western Station in Koreatown. It was part of the Red Line until 2006. The Gold Line which opened July 26, 2003 is a light rail line that runs between downtown Los Angeles and Pasadena. It was built mainly along a former Santa Fe Railway line. In addition, the Gateway Center opened in October in 1995 which is a bus terminal and park and ride facility which provides better connections between buses and trains. The Gateway includes shops, restaurants and offices on Union Station Property. |  |
Now Union Station is heavily visited because of the Metro Red, Purple and Gold Lines along with Amtrak and Metrolink. The attached Patsaouras Transit Plaza serves several bus lines including Metro Local lines as well as downtown DASH shuttles.
Enclosed garden patios on either side of the waiting room and passengers exiting the trains were originally directed through the southern garden.
The left lobby is used for special events. There is tile and marble floor, acoustic wall treatment, integral wall clock, wood beam ceiling and disc-and-flower chandeliers of glass and metal.
Architecture
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This historic mission-style building has many interesting architectural details. There is a blend of Spanish Colonial Revival and Art Deco architecture that reflects history of Los Angeles and the rail transportation center of Los Angeles has it has come to represent. The floor plan is a cross, like in a cathedral. The waiting room has 50 foot high ceiling, arched windows, and terra cotta floors with inlaid marble (including travertine, which makes the floors soft). The upper part of the interior walls covered with an early form of acoustical tile and the lower portion is covered in travertine marble. Because the walls are lined with cork, there is no echo inside the building.
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Enclosed garden patios on either side of the waiting room and passengers exiting the trains were originally directed through the southern garden.
The left lobby is used for special events. There is tile and marble floor, acoustic wall treatment, integral wall clock, wood beam ceiling and disc-and-flower chandeliers of glass and metal.
References
1. ^ a b c d e "Union Station (Los Angeles)". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Station_(Los_Angeles). Retrieved on 2009-08-05.2. ^ a b c d e "Los Angeles Union Station, Better Known as Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal (LAUPT)". http://www.american-rails.com/los-angeles-union-station.html. Retrieved on 2009-08-05.
3. ^ a b c d e "Los Angeles film and TV locations take on many starring roles
". http://articles.latimes.com/2009/feb/01/travel/tr-ultimatecafilming1. Retrieved on 2009-08-05.
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