PHOENIX'S PASSENGER TRAINS

OF THE PAST

Intercity passenger trains serving Phoenix in 1942, 1956, and 1971 immediately prior to the creation of Amtrak.

THE STATIONS

The major stations serving Phoenix, during the golden age of passenger trains.

Union Station
401 S. 4th Ave.
Opened 1923

SOUTHERN PACIFIC

Departures



No.  Name                  1942 Dest.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

  1  Sunset Limited        Los Angeles    (bypass)     8:45 am     9:50 pm
  6  Argonaut              New Orleans    (bypass)    (bypass)
 44  Californian           Chicago         8:00   40   8:20 am
  4  Golden State Ltd.     Chicago         8:35       10:45 pm
  3  Golden State Ltd.     Los Angeles     9:35       11:59 pm
 43  Californian           Los Angeles     8:55   39   7:10 pm
  5  Argonaut              Los Angeles     9:15       (bypass)
  2  Sunset Limited        New Orleans    10:05        5:10 am     8:15 am
Arrivals



No.  Name                  1942 Orig.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

  1  Sunset Limited        New Orleans    (bypass)     8:30 am     9:50 pm
  6  Argonaut              Los Angeles    (bypass)    (bypass)
 44  Californian           Los Angeles     8:00   40   7:50 am
  4  Golden State Ltd.     Los Angeles     8:35       10:25 pm
  3  Golden State Ltd.     Chicago         9:35       11:35 pm
 43  Californian           Chicago         8:55   39   6:40 pm
  5  Argonaut              New Orleans     9:15       (bypass)
  2  Sunset Limited        Los Angeles    10:05        4:50 am     8:15 am
Passenger service retained by Amtrak in 1971, with the Sunset Limited.

Certain trains at one time bypassed Phoenix in favor of Southern Pacific's more direct route, the route currently used by Amtrak's Sunset Limited.

SANTA FE

Departures



No.  Name                  1942 Dest.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 42                        Ash Fork        3:15 pm     5:00 pm
117                        Cadiz           6:20 pm
Arrivals



No.  Name                  1942 Orig.  1942 Time  1956 Time  1971 Time

 47                        Ash Fork        8:00 am     8:30 am
118                        Cadiz           9:30 am
Passenger service discontinued in 1969.

STATIONS TODAY

Phoenix Union Station remains standing. Amtrak served the station until 1996, when the Southern Pacific line through Phoenix was downgraded, and Amtrak trains were rerouted. The stop in Phoenix has been replaced with a new stop in the suburb of Maricopa.

Phoenix Union Station (Wikipedia)
Link to a Web site containing further historical information on Union Station.

MAPPING THE STATIONS AND RAILROADS

Links to locations of past and present stations and railroads, using Google Maps. Satellite views are also available.

Southern Pacific between New Orleans and El Paso and Los Angeles was the main railroad through Phoenix, serving Union Station. Although some SP trains bypassed Phoenix in favor of its more direct route to the south, the route presently used by Amtrak. Also using Union Station was Santa Fe, the two railroads connected at 19th Avenue, 1 mile west of the station. Santa Fe operated a branch line north to Ash Fork, where it connected at the time with the Santa Fe main line between Chicago and California. Another branch diverged northwest from this branch at Matthie, 59 miles north of Phoenix, and connected with the Santa Fe main line at Cadiz.

MAPPING THE STATIONS AND RAILROADS (AMTRAK ROUTINGS)

Various factors eventually resulted in changes, in the area passenger train routings.