Flagstaff station
Flagstaff station is an Amtrak train station at 1 East Route 66 in Arizona|Route 66] in Flagstaff, Arizona. The station, formerly an Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway depot, also contains a visitor center and rental-car pickup site and is located in downtown Flagstaff. Northern Arizona University is located nearby, as are the Lowell Observatory, Sunset Crater, the Walnut Canyon National Monument, the Arizona Snow Bowl ski resort and other attractions. It is also the closest Amtrak station to Grand Canyon National Park.
History
Early History
The first rail station in Flagstaff was built in 1886 by the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad. That depot, constructed of wood, burned down and was replaced in 1889 by a stone structure which still stands to the present day. In the 1890s, the A&P was acquired by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad (AT&SF).Early 20th Century History
The AT&SF built the present depot in 1925, with a public grand opening celebration held on January 5, 1926. The first trains to use the depot were on January 6, 1926. The station's elevation is above sea level, making it one of the highest train stations in the Amtrak system. Adjacent, across San Francisco Street at 101 East Route 66, is the 1889 solid-red sandstone A&P depot, which the 1926 depot replaced. The 1889 structure was then converted for use as a freight depot, though it no longer serves in that capacity.Late 20th Century
On May 1, 1971, Amtrak took over operation of the AT&SF's passenger trains and continues to operate the Flagstaff Station from the historic 1926 depot, which it now shares with the Flagstaff Visitor Center. The building and two adjacent parking lots are owned by the City of Flagstaff, while the tracks are owned and operated by the AT&SF's successor, the BNSF Railway.Recent History
Both the former Santa Fe Depot and the Atlantic and Pacific Depot that it replaced are contributing properties to the Railroad Addition Historic District.In October 2024, the city was awarded a $5 million federal grant to build a second platform serving a new third main track, south of the existing two main tracks, replacing a no longer used freight track which once served clients south and west of the depot. The project will also modify the existing platform for better accessibility under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The 1926 depot will celebrate its 100th anniversary as an active train station in January of 2026.
Routes
Southwest Chief- Mountain Line city bus service.
- Open Road Tours shuttle services to Phoenix, Camp Verde, Sedona, Oak Creek, Williams, and the Grand Canyon depart from the Amtrak station.
- Greyhound operates intercity bus service from its nearby station, located at 880 East Butler Avenue.