San Antonio station (Texas)

Not to be confused with San Antonio station (Caltrain).

San Antonio station is an Amtrak railroad station located on the eastern portion of Downtown San Antonio, in San Antonio, Texas.

San Antonio, TX
General information
Location	350 Hoefgen Street San Antonio, Texas United States
Coordinates	29°25′12″N 98°28′40″W
Owned by	Amtrak
Line(s)	UP Del Rio Subdivision
Platforms	1 side & 1 island platform
Tracks	2
Connections	Amtrak Thruway
Construction
Parking	Yes
Bicycle facilities	Yes
Accessible	Yes
Other information
Station code	Amtrak: SAS
History
Opened	1998
Passengers
FY 2023	53,039 (Amtrak)
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station Del Rio toward Los Angeles Sunset Limited Houston toward New Orleans Texas Eagle San Marcos toward Chicago
Former services Preceding station Amtrak Following station Laredo Terminus Inter-American San Marcos toward Chicago Preceding station Southern Pacific Railroad Following station Spofford toward Los Angeles Sunset Route Flatonia toward New Orleans Preceding station Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México Following station Von Ormy toward Mexico City (Buenavista) Águila Azteca Pre-1969 Terminus
Southern Pacific Railroad Passenger Station
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Built	1902
Architect	Daniel J. Patterson
Architectural style	Spanish Mission
NRHP reference No.	75001955
Added to NRHP	May 29, 1975
Location

San Antonio station hosts two long-distance Amtrak services: the tri-weekly Sunset Limited and the daily Texas Eagle. Four days a week, San Antonio is the southern terminus of the Texas Eagle, which originates in Chicago. The Texas Eagle joins with the Sunset Limited three days a week, continuing westbound to Los Angeles. It is the second busiest Amtrak station in Texas, behind Fort Worth Central Station.

History

Amtrak previously used the historic Southern Pacific Railroad (SP) Station, also known as Sunset Station. It was designed by SP's architect Daniel J. Patterson in the Spanish Mission Revival style, and built in 1902 by the SP. The train station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.

Amtrak moved operations in 1998 to a smaller depot that was built adjacent to the older Sunset Station. Under its owner, VIA Metropolitan Transit, the historic Sunset Station underwent an extensive restoration and now serves as an entertainment complex. The station also neighbors the Alamodome and the Robert Thompson Transit Station.

A preserved 2-8-2 Baldwin "Mikado" steam locomotive, Southern Pacific No. 794 was donated to the City of San Antonio at the end of its service life in 1956, and placed on static display at nearby Maverick Park for decades before being relocated to the station in January 1999. Since September 2008, it has been under the care of volunteers from the San Antonio Railroad Heritage Museum.

Postcard view of the 1902-built Sunset Station, the first San Antonio station.

Southern Pacific 794 on static display at the station.

External links

• San Antonio, TX – Amtrak
• San Antonio, TX – Station history at Great American Stations (Amtrak)
• Texaseagle.com: San Antonio Amtrak station for "Texas Eagle" line information Archived November 19, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
• Profile of San Antonio Station Archived December 11, 2004, at the Wayback Machine
• Official Sunset Station complex webpage
• Austin Steam Train Association
• Train Web, USA Rail Guide: San Antonio Amtrak Station & Sunset Depot