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Union Station (Seattle)
Encyclopedia
Union Station is a former train station
in Seattle, Washington, USA
, constructed between 1910 and 1911 to serve the Union Pacific Railroad
and the Milwaukee Road. It was originally named Oregon and Washington Station, after a subsidiary line of the Union Pacific. Located at the corner of S. Jackson Street and 4th Avenue S. in the Pioneer Square
neighborhood, the station opened on May 20, 1911. The Milwaukee Road discontinued passenger service to Union Station 50 years later, on May 22, 1961, and the Union Pacific followed suit on April 30, 1971. Having sat empty for many years, the station was renovated in the late 1990s by Nitze-Stagen and Paul Allen
's Vulcan Inc.
It now serves as the headquarters of Sound Transit
; its grand hall is rented out to the public for weddings and other events. The Union Station renovation was the winner of the 2000 National Historic Preservation Award.
In Seattle, the term Union Station refers not only to the main station building, but also to the
several adjacent office buildings at 505, 605, 625 and 705 5th Avenue South. Amazon.com
is a major tenant of these properties, all but one owned by Opus Northwest, and the other by Vulcan. The entire complex is earthquake-proofed by an underground ring of rubber.
The remaining train service to Seattle (Amtrak
long-distance trains and Sounder
commuter trains) serves King Street Station
, located one block to the west of Union Station.
The International District / Chinatown station of the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel, opened in 1990 and served by buses of King County Metro and (since 2009) by Sound Transit's Central Link light rail
line, is located directly adjacent to Union Station, mostly below street level.
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
in Seattle, Washington, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, constructed between 1910 and 1911 to serve the Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
and the Milwaukee Road. It was originally named Oregon and Washington Station, after a subsidiary line of the Union Pacific. Located at the corner of S. Jackson Street and 4th Avenue S. in the Pioneer Square
Pioneer Square, Seattle, Washington
Pioneer Square is a neighborhood in the southwest corner of Downtown Seattle, Washington, USA. It was once the heart of the city: Seattle's founders settled there in 1852, following a brief six-month settlement at Alki Point on the far side of Elliott Bay. The early structures in the neighborhood...
neighborhood, the station opened on May 20, 1911. The Milwaukee Road discontinued passenger service to Union Station 50 years later, on May 22, 1961, and the Union Pacific followed suit on April 30, 1971. Having sat empty for many years, the station was renovated in the late 1990s by Nitze-Stagen and Paul Allen
Paul Allen
Paul Gardner Allen is an American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. Allen co-founded Microsoft with Bill Gates...
's Vulcan Inc.
Vulcan Inc.
Vulcan Inc. is an investment and project management company founded in 1986 by Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, to manage his investments...
It now serves as the headquarters of Sound Transit
Sound Transit
Sound Transit has been the popular name of Washington state's Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority since September 19, 1999. It was formed in 1996 by the Snohomish, King, and Pierce County Councils...
; its grand hall is rented out to the public for weddings and other events. The Union Station renovation was the winner of the 2000 National Historic Preservation Award.
In Seattle, the term Union Station refers not only to the main station building, but also to the
several adjacent office buildings at 505, 605, 625 and 705 5th Avenue South. Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
is a major tenant of these properties, all but one owned by Opus Northwest, and the other by Vulcan. The entire complex is earthquake-proofed by an underground ring of rubber.
The remaining train service to Seattle (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...
long-distance trains and Sounder
Sounder Commuter Rail
Sounder commuter rail is a regional rail service operated by BNSF on behalf of Sound Transit. Service operates Monday through Friday during peak hours from Seattle, Washington, north to Everett and south to Tacoma. As of 2011, schedules serve the traditional peak commutes, with most trains running...
commuter trains) serves King Street Station
King Street Station (Seattle)
King Street Station is a train station in Seattle, Washington. Located between South King and South Jackson streets and Second and Fourth Avenue South in the Pioneer Square neighborhood of Seattle, the station is just south of downtown...
, located one block to the west of Union Station.
The International District / Chinatown station of the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel, opened in 1990 and served by buses of King County Metro and (since 2009) by Sound Transit's Central Link light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
line, is located directly adjacent to Union Station, mostly below street level.