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Martin Luther King, Jr. Plaza (Toledo)
Encyclopedia
Martin Luther King, Jr. Plaza is the main passenger rail station of Toledo, Ohio
. named for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
In 1996, the Port Authority completed an $8.5 million renovation of the historic Central Union Terminal facility and it now serves as a modern, intermodal train and bus terminal and office complex.
Toledo is served by four Amtrak
trains daily, with service to Chicago
and several destinations to the east including Cleveland, Ohio
, Washington, D.C.
, Boston, Massachusetts, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
, and New York City
.
's great stations. The new terminal was the crown jewel of a large post-war investment by the New York Central into Toledo, which involved constructing nine new buildings, as well as moving and expanding (in conjunction with the B&O
) an $18,500,000 coal loading facility from East Toledo to Maumee Bay
. C.U.T. was used by four major railroads during the 1950s and 1960s: the New York Central, Baltimore and Ohio
, Chesapeake and Ohio, and the Wabash Railroad
. The first floor housed baggage services, while the second floor housed a YMCA for train crews. The passenger terminal and concourse were on the third floor, while the NYC Toledo division and dispatching offices were on the fourth.
era, Toledo was served by as many as 6 trains daily in the late 1990s, the four above, as well as the now discontinued eastbound and westbound Pennsylvanian. Prior to the discontinuation of mail services more recently, Amtrak stored a number of material handling cars (MHCs) at Union Station on several of the disused platform tracks. A small number of private cars are often stored on the platform tracks closest to the station. As of 2008, while the station appears in good shape, at least cosmetically, the concrete platforms are crumbling, particularly at the far ends. Freight trains still bypass the station platforms on bypass tracks on the north side of the station just as they did in the days of the New York Central. There was once a connecting Amtrak line from this station to one that existed in Fostoria at the other end going south.
Toledo hosts the 'first' National Train Day
every year, a week before the event is held in other cities nationwide.
The station is now owned by the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority
.
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
. named for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the...
In 1996, the Port Authority completed an $8.5 million renovation of the historic Central Union Terminal facility and it now serves as a modern, intermodal train and bus terminal and office complex.
Toledo is served by four Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
trains daily, with service to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and several destinations to the east including Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, Boston, Massachusetts, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, and New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
History
The Historic Central Union Terminal, Toledo, Ohio, opened with great fanfare the week of September 17, 1950, the $5,000,000 C.U.T. was the last of the New York Central RailroadNew York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States...
's great stations. The new terminal was the crown jewel of a large post-war investment by the New York Central into Toledo, which involved constructing nine new buildings, as well as moving and expanding (in conjunction with the B&O
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was one of the oldest railroads in the United States and the first common carrier railroad. It came into being mostly because the city of Baltimore wanted to compete with the newly constructed Erie Canal and another canal being proposed by Pennsylvania, which...
) an $18,500,000 coal loading facility from East Toledo to Maumee Bay
Maumee Bay
Maumee Bay on Lake Erie is located in the U.S. state of Ohio, just east of the city of Toledo. The bay and the surrounding wetlands form most of the Maumee River basin, and in 1975 part of the area was incorporated into Maumee Bay State Park. The park is not huge, covering , but its wetlands...
. C.U.T. was used by four major railroads during the 1950s and 1960s: the New York Central, Baltimore and Ohio
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was one of the oldest railroads in the United States and the first common carrier railroad. It came into being mostly because the city of Baltimore wanted to compete with the newly constructed Erie Canal and another canal being proposed by Pennsylvania, which...
, Chesapeake and Ohio, and the Wabash Railroad
Wabash Railroad
The Wabash Railroad was a Class I railroad that operated in the mid-central United States. It served a large area, including trackage in the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri and Ontario. Its primary connections included Chicago, Illinois, Kansas City, Missouri, Detroit,...
. The first floor housed baggage services, while the second floor housed a YMCA for train crews. The passenger terminal and concourse were on the third floor, while the NYC Toledo division and dispatching offices were on the fourth.
The Amtrak era
In the AmtrakAmtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
era, Toledo was served by as many as 6 trains daily in the late 1990s, the four above, as well as the now discontinued eastbound and westbound Pennsylvanian. Prior to the discontinuation of mail services more recently, Amtrak stored a number of material handling cars (MHCs) at Union Station on several of the disused platform tracks. A small number of private cars are often stored on the platform tracks closest to the station. As of 2008, while the station appears in good shape, at least cosmetically, the concrete platforms are crumbling, particularly at the far ends. Freight trains still bypass the station platforms on bypass tracks on the north side of the station just as they did in the days of the New York Central. There was once a connecting Amtrak line from this station to one that existed in Fostoria at the other end going south.
Toledo hosts the 'first' National Train Day
National Train Day
National Train Day is a holiday started by Amtrak in 2008 as a method to spread information to the general public about the advantages of rail travel and the history of trains in the United States...
every year, a week before the event is held in other cities nationwide.
The station is now owned by the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority
Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority
The Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority is a port authority financing and/or operating air, rail, trucking, and port facilities, as well as supporting and funding economic development activities in Lucas County, located in northwest Ohio and bordering on southeast Michigan.-Mission:The Port...
.