Amtrak station in Fort Madison, Iowa, photographed in October 2011.
Fort Madison is an Amtrak train station in Fort Madison, Iowa, United States. The current Amtrak station was built in 1968 by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway—commonly referred to as the "Santa Fe." Located at the east end of a Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway (BNSF—successor to the Santa Fe) freight yard, it replaced a downtown Santa Fe complex that included a 1910 depot, Railway Express Agency (REA) building, and freight office.[2]
Original station restoration
The city, in collaboration with BNSF, Amtrak, the Iowa Department of Transportation, the Southeast Iowa Regional Planning Commission, and the North Lee County Historical Society (NLCHS), has worked since 2006 to restore the old Santa Fe station to accommodate an Amtrak waiting room and ticket office as well as exhibition and storage space for the NLCHS museum, which moved into the old depot in 1972.[3] Unfortunately, the depot remained susceptible to high water and was flooded several times in the late 20th century. Eventually, the city decided to sponsor a project to lift the depot off of its foundation, construct a new five foot high concrete base, and lower the building back into place; this work occurred during 2011.[4]
The total cost of the depot raising and restoration project is estimated at $3.2 million, and the city obtained funds from a diverse array of grant programs, including $1.5 million through the Federal Highway Administration’s Transportation Enhancements program and $1.13 million through I-Jobs, a state investment program designed to renew Iowa’s infrastructure, promote long-term economic growth, and help create and retain jobs.[5] Once the renovation is completed, Amtrak plans to move the Fort Madison stop to the depot, which will also continue to house the NLCHS museum.[6]
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Media related to Fort Madison (Amtrak station) at Wikimedia Commons
