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Passenger Trains > Trains and Stations: Oakland, CADate: 09/07/20 04:56 Trains and Stations: Oakland, CA Author: bandob Date: 09/08/20 07:42 Re: Trains and Stations: Oakland, CA Author: RRTom My understanding is that Amtrak wanted Emeryville to be the one station to serve this area but for political reasons, Jack London station was also constructed. The two are very close together.
Can anyone confirm/dispute this? Date: 09/08/20 16:59 Re: Trains and Stations: Oakland, CA Author: mdo At the time of the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989 the Station in Oakland was ar 16th and Wood Streets. The station was rendered
unusable by the earthquake. Amtrak operations were temporarily moved to the west end of the SP office building at 17 th and Wood. The existing platform was still usable. because the earthquake also destroyed a major part of I880 along Cypress Blvd. the freeway was rebuilt over a major portion of the West Oakland and Desert yard complex. This made the tracks and platforms unusable. At that time there were no Capital Corridor trains but they were coming. The City of Emeryville and a Developer donated land for a new station which was fast tracked and ready for use long before Oakland could get their station pernitted and built. Amtrak was happy with Emeryville and only reluctantly began service to Jack London Square, Politically they couldn't afford not to. Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/08/20 17:02 by mdo. Date: 09/08/20 20:04 Re: Trains and Stations: Oakland, CA Author: IC_2024 Oakland Mayor Elihu Harris was responsible for the political pressure to build the Jack London Station.
Amtrak was fine w/ Emeryville as MDO said —perfect access for the SFO bus, too— but Harris insisted on an OKJ depot and got it. Not known to most is that the Emeryville station was supposed to have a second floor for Amtrak offices that were never built; instead an expensive lease was cut for the Water St HQ and lasted until recently. If you stand in the EMY waiting room, you can definitely see how a 2nd floor could’ve been constructed there. Date: 09/09/20 14:49 Re: Trains and Stations: Oakland, CA Author: chakk and the 16th station was in a very rough part of town, so the Oakland powers-that-be chose Jack London Square as the replacement site for an Oakland station.
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