Los
Angeles
Union
Passenger
Terminal
800 N. Alameda Street, Los Angeles, California, USA

Union Station, built in 1939, is considered to be "The last of America's great rail stations." Located in Downtown Los Angeles on 800 N. Alameda St., between the Santa Ana Freeway (US 101) and Cesar E. Chavez Avenue (Formerly Macy St.), this was, is and will be the home of Los Angeles transportation - past, present and future.

Past

Union Station, built with the cooperation of the region's three principal railroads, the Union Pacific Railroad, the Southern Pacific Railroad and the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, was the transportation gateway into Los Angeles, years before there was an LAX. The 1940s saw the heyday of the railroad era, as movie stars and GIs alike arrived in or left this city through the station's platforms.
However, in the 1970s, passenger rail travel had given way to the airplane and the automobile, and Amtrak was formed as a result of the railroads' dwindling passenger service. For the next several years, the station and its platforms remained relatively empty, serving more pigeons than passengers.

Present

The 1990s, however, became Union Station's renaissance era. The Metro Rail (Red Line) subway's terminus was located here, Amtrak's San Diegans and Coast Starlight expanded to become some of the most popular lines in the nation and most of all, Metrolink turned Union Station into the hub of the Southland's commuter rail network and brought passenger and train traffic back nearly to its former glory.

Future

And Union Station continues to grow. The most visible change is the Gateway Center, a bus terminal and park & ride facility which provides better connections between buses and trains. The Gateway, which opened in October 1995, also includes shops, restaurants and offices, all located on the Union Station property. In addition, by 2002, the Metro Blue Line to Pasadena will link Union Station with Chinatown, Highland Park and Pasadena and improved Metrolink service will also be introduced. In the 21st century, Union Station will also be a major destination in the proposed high-speed rail system for California.

Note: Locations at Union Station are currently available for rental for banquets, concerts, weddings, on-location filming and other events and activities. For more information, call David Dixon - The Hollywood Location Company at 213.617.0111.