Amtrak station construction continues towards summer debut

The NCDOT's web site euphemistically describes today's Durham Amtrak station as "a double-wide modular unit" -- hey, who are they kidding, it looks like something dragged up from Aunt Jolene's back forty down east.

And while the folks at Parks & Rec may be enthusiastic about its reuse as an interpretation center at an in-town historic site... well, most Durhamites would be just as happy to make it the star of a demolition derby, if you catch my drift.

But NCDOT continues work on the station's replacement, which will absorb the southern half of West Village's Walker Warehouse. The design rendering at right shows what's planned; we stopped by recently to capture some pictures in media res, as it were.

More pics below the jump.

The DOT's web site still lists a June opening for the new station, at which time the four daily Amtrak stops in Durham move across the tracks to the new platform. (Literally across the tracks -- note the old station at right.)

Passengers disembarking on the new platform receive covered passage eastward towards the entrance to the terminal inside the Walker Warehouse, where seating and staff areas await.

Inside the station, the walls look mostly framed and building systems in, for the ticket counter and staff area occupying the mostly windowless west side of the Walker Warehouse.

A reverse look back from the warehouse out towards the platform:

The old lot just to the east of this site where contractors staged equipment for the last round of downtown streetscape renovations is planned to become parking for the Amtrak station.

Comments

[Seth Vidal]

I rode through there last week and I have to say it looks like a proper train station. There's nothing that looks cheap and nothing that looks garish. I'm rather pleased with it.

[Amshak Attack]

Thanks for posting Kevin.

[GreenLantern]

Quick, someone get Gary to snap up some photos of the Amshack to post on his blog! I'm sure he can find some reason to salvage this bit of our history. It's always been a hot topic for discussion, which helps define our great buildings and architectural heritage.

Seriously, the new Amtrak station is perfectly located and very well-designed. It links the vestiges of our tobacco heritage with the modern lines and new emphasis on seamless transit service in the building across the street.

[Kevin Davis]

@GreenLantern: My jokes about a demolition derby aside, from an embodied energy perspective -- and given that the double-wide's less than 15 years old -- I'm actually quite glad it's finding a new home in Parks & Rec.

Hey, they could have considered giving it to Duke Park to become a new community center; couldn't take more work on P&R's part than stalling over signing a lease with DPNA for years would have.

[t]

The new station is great (!) and hopefully it will bring some more attention to the train as a good way to travel between many fine cities in NC.

Now if only Amtrak could get their train to DC to cover the stretch in less than 6.75 hrs...

[amtrak rider]

'sup with the narrow roof? seems like a little extra width over the platform would make more sense.

[Patrick]

Does anyone know if Amtrak is planning to have a pedestrian link between the new train station and the new bus station (they will be on opposite sides of the track)?

[AR]

I suspect that the platform and roof are narrow because there will eventually be tracks on both sides of the platform. If you look at an aerial photo, it makes sense.