Last Station Built New Before Amtrak?

[riffian]

Notice the fence and automatic gates surrounding the structure today. These are fairly new additions (10 years or so) due to a declining neighborhood. Sure am glad Mr. Norman called attention to this structure.

[Tadman]

I had forgotten about the South Shore station at South Bend.

BUT....

When that was built, Penn Central did NOT stop there! They stopped at the downtown South Bend station. Amtrak stopped downtown too, for quite some time.

So, my thinking the new Union Station in Milwaukee, which opened in 1968 as I recall, would be the last one built before Amtrak and Amtrak has
called there since day one.

Can we verify this? Wiki says Amtrak moved in 1971 to Bendix station, and I seem to agree with that. I'm not aware that Amtrak ever stopped at Union Station.

I'm actually a bit surprised that PC didn't move to Bendix in 1970, there were few trains going through SBUS and it's huge. Not worth the money to maintain for them, although I'm glad it survived.

[ExCon90]

Did GTW service through SBUS last right up until Amtrak, or did it cease earlier? I can't find it right quick.

[Station Aficionado]

Did GTW service through SBUS last right up until Amtrak, or did it cease earlier? I can't find it right quick.

Interesting question. The GAS website refers to SBUS as being abandoned in 1970, but not sure I believe that. I have 1971 GTW TT at home, but that’s not much use at the moment.

[Tadman]

GTW was part of Canadian National even back then - their passenger trains were CN clones. Given that, CN was pretty active in passenger and I think there were quite a few trains to Toronto and Detroit. Probably more than NYC/PC after the RPO slaughter and Empire Service conversion.

[Rockingham Racer]

I believe I remember watching a GTW passenger train in South Bend right up to the end. I got a degree at Notre Dame during the summers of 69-73 and they certainly were running within that time frame.

[Station Aficionado]

The 2/1/71 GTW TT still lists the ticket agent as located at SBUS. This combined with the facts that 1) GTW couldn’t have served Bendix (west of the PC/GTW split) and 2) no evidence of GTW serving another station in that era, I’m confident in saying that GTW served SBUS to the end.

The 3/71 OG says that PC still had its ticket agent at Union Station. Thus, it appears that the station retained both tenants to the end.

And, per the TT, GTW still ran 3x/day service until A-Day. PC also ran 3x/day on the exNYC.

[Backshophoss]

Croton-Harmon was an intercity station as well as a commuter station,rebuilt due to the M-1's and Hi level platforms were needed
Not sure what happened to the old station bldg but the new bldg was small brick bldg,no waiting room and 1 ticket window
The agent handled both commuter tickets and Amtrak tickets thru that single window, was not a easy place to work
There were benches on the bridge to the platforms, lexan widow "glass" that clouded up over time.

[Tadman]

The 2/1/71 GTW TT still lists the ticket agent as located at SBUS. This combined with the facts that 1) GTW couldn’t have served Bendix (west of the PC/GTW split) and 2) no evidence of GTW serving another station in that era, I’m confident in saying that GTW served SBUS to the end.

The 3/71 OG says that PC still had its ticket agent at Union Station. Thus, it appears that the station retained both tenants to the end.

And, per the TT, GTW still ran 3x/day service until A-Day. PC also ran 3x/day on the exNYC.

Thanks for the research, as a native South Bend guy it's always interesting. I figured PC was down to 1/day by then but not surprised the GTW was still at 3. I'm curious how many trains Niles saw to Detroit, which is basically the same metro area on a different line.

SB is still lucky to have 2 pair of long distance trains plus 4 pair of Michigan trains at Niles, plus 5 pair of South Shore to Chicago (and 2 stubs to MC, but those must be empty at midnight...)

[gokeefe]

I'm amazed at how much service South Bend had until the end along with so many other places in Ohio and Indiana.

[R36 Combine Coach]

Did construction at Metropark begin pre-RPSA? If so, might get a honorable mention.

[TomNelligan]

I'm curious how many trains Niles saw to Detroit, which is basically the same metro area on a different line.

Immediately prior to Amtrak, Penn Central operated three trains each way between Chicago and Detroit, all stopping at Niles. Amtrak kept two of them after 5/1/71.