Temple station (Texas)

For other uses, see Temple station (disambiguation).

Temple, TX
General information
Location	315 West Avenue B Temple, Texas United States
Coordinates	31.09574°N 97.3452°W / 31.09574; -97.3452
Owned by	City of Temple
Line(s)	BNSF Railway
Platforms	1 side platform
Tracks	1
Connections	Amtrak Thruway
Other information
Station code	Amtrak: TPL
History
Opened	1911
Rebuilt	2000
Passengers
FY 2023	13,463[1] (Amtrak)
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station Taylor toward Los Angeles or San Antonio Texas Eagle McGregor toward Chicago
Former services Preceding station Amtrak Following station Taylor toward Laredo Inter-American McGregor toward Chicago Brenham toward Houston Lone Star Preceding station Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Following station Pendleton toward Purcell Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway Main Line Silenus toward Galveston Belton toward San Angelo San Angelo – Temple Terminus
Location

Temple is a train station in Temple, Texas, United States served by Amtrak, the national railroad passenger system. The station was originally built as an Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway depot. East of the station on another railroad line through Temple, a former Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad depot can be found, as the nexus for trains bound for Waco, San Antonio and Houston.^[2]

History

The first depot in Temple was in a boxcar. Later a two-story depot was built. In 1898 a Harvey House was built next to the depot. The current station was opened on January 29, 1911. Services included:^[3]

• Texas Chief (Chicago–Fort Worth–Galveston)
• California Special (west to Clovis, NM, Belen, NM, Los Angeles, CA) / Texan (east to Houston, and via Missouri Pacific Railway to New Orleans)
• services to Brownwood, and to Houston

In 1995, the city of Temple bought 8.5 acres of land around the station and the Santa Fe Railroad donated the building. In 1999, restoration work began on the depot and it was reopened on June 8, 2000.^[4]

The depot is currently home to the Temple Railroad and Heritage Museum and an Amtrak ticket office. The museum is open Monday through Saturday. The Amtrak office is open Monday through Saturday until the northbound Texas Eagle departs.

Next to the depot is the former Moody, Texas depot which is now home to the Central Texas Area Model Railroaders. Inside the depot is a model train layout which is open to the public on the first and fourth Saturday of each month.

North of Temple, the Texas Eagle is hosted by BNSF Railway; south of Temple, it uses the tracks of the Union Pacific Railroad. Temple station also provides Amtrak Thruway service to Killeen and Fort Cavazos, Texas.

References

1. "Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal Year 2023: State of Texas" (PDF). Amtrak. March 2024. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
2. "Missouri-Kansas-Texas Lines, Table 4". Official Guide of the Railways. 82 (8). National Railway Publication Company. January 1950.
3. "Santa Fe Railway, Tables R, 65, 66, 79". Official Guide of the Railways. 82 (8). National Railway Publication Company. January 1950.
4. "John Watson: Visit the Santa Fe Depot Museum in Temple » Living » Cleburne Times-Review, Cleburne, TX". Archived from the original on 2013-01-19. Retrieved 2011-06-02. Cleburne Times Review, John Watson: Visit the Santa Fe Depot Museum in Temple.January 22, 2006

External links

Media related to Temple (Amtrak station) at Wikimedia Commons

• Temple, TX – Amtrak
• Temple, TX – Station history at Great American Stations (Amtrak)
• Amtrak Texas Eagle Stations - Temple, TX Archived 2007-06-12 at the Wayback Machine
• Temple Amtrak Station (USA Rail Guide -- Train Web)