Columbia Station (Washington)

Railway station in Wenatchee, United States

Not to be confused with Columbia City station in Seattle, Washington.

Columbia Station
Wenatchee, WA

Bus bays at Columbia Station

General information
Location| 300 South Columbia Street
Wenatchee, Washington
United States
Coordinates| 47°25′15″N 120°18′27″W﻿ / ﻿47.42083°N 120.30750°W﻿ / 47.42083; -120.30750
Owned by| Link Transit
Line(s)| BNSF Columbia River / Scenic Subdivisions
Platforms| 1 side platform
Tracks| 2
Bus stands| 19
Bus operators| Link Transit, Grant Transit Authority, Northwestern Trailways, Travel Washington
Construction
Parking| 67 short-term stalls
Accessible| Yes
Other information
Station code| Amtrak: WEN
History
Opened| October 25, 1981 (1981-10-25)
Rebuilt| 1997–1998
Passengers
FY 2024| 11,980[1] (Amtrak)
Services
| Preceding station  |  Amtrak | Following station

|
|

Leavenworth

toward Seattle

|  | Empire Builder |  | Ephrata

toward Chicago

Former services

| Preceding station  |  Amtrak | Following station

|
|

Everett

toward Seattle

|  | North Coast Hiawatha |  | Ephrata

toward Chicago

| Expo '74 |  | Ephrata

toward Spokane

Preceding station  | Great Northern Railway | Following station
Monitor

toward Seattle

|  | Main Line |  | Malaga

toward St. Paul

Terminus |  | Wenatchee – Mansfield |  | Malaga

toward Mansfield

Olda

toward Oroville

|  | Oroville – Wenatchee |  | Terminus

Location

Columbia Station, also known as Wenatchee station, is an intermodal train and bus station in Wenatchee, Washington, United States. It is a stop on Amtrak's Empire Builder train and is the main hub for Link Transit, the local bus system serving Wenatchee and surrounding areas. The station is also served by intercity buses operated by Grant Transit Authority, Northwestern Trailways, and Travel Washington.

The station is located at the site of an earlier depot built by the Great Northern Railway in 1910. Amtrak service to Wenatchee began in 1973 with the short-lived North Coast Hiawatha, which ceased operations in 1979. It was followed by the relocated Empire Builder in October 1981, which stopped at a temporary platform on the site of the demolished depot. Columbia Station was opened for bus services on July 13, 1997, and a new Amtrak platform opened a year later in June 1998 following construction delays.

## Description

[edit]

The train platform at Columbia Station, served by Amtrak's Empire Builder

Columbia Station spans two city blocks in downtown Wenatchee, bound to the west by Wenatchee Avenue and to the north by Kittitas Street. The bus platforms are located on the west half of the complex, consisting of 16 bays arranged around a loop and central island, including an electric bus charger. The three-story station building is located in the northeast corner of the block and includes the Link Transit guest services center, a passenger waiting room, offices, public restrooms, and a cafe. A set of separate bus bays are located on Columbia Street and are used by intercity buses.[2][3] The 400-foot-long (120 m) train platform is located across Columbia Street from the rest of the complex, adjacent to a park and ride lot with 67 stalls.[4][5] Link Transit owns the building, bus bays, and parking lot, while BNSF Railway owns the train platform and other facilities.[3][6] The Apple Capital Recreation Loop Trail runs a block to the east of the train platform on the banks of the Columbia River.[7]

The station has several pieces of public artwork designed by local residents and schoolchildren in 1997.[8] The building lobby has a large panoramic mural by Jan Cook Mack that depicts the Wenatchee Valley from Burch Mountain. The wall of the outer bus platform has 276 ceramic tiles painted by elementary school students from eight school districts within the Link Transit service area.[9][10] The shelters above the bus bays have eight stainless steel funnels sculpted by Terry Valdez that use ethnic imagery and symbolism to represent the Wenatchee Valley.[9] The station also has a 9-foot (2.7 m), four-sided street clock that is located at the corner of Kittitas Street and Wenatchee Avenue.[11]

## History

[edit]

### Great Northern depot

[edit]

The Great Northern depot in Wenatchee, photographed before its demolition

The modern settlement of Wenatchee began in 1890 with real estate developers planning a town along the proposed route of the Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway, which was never completed. The Great Northern Railway arrived in the area on October 17, 1892, and completed its railroad over Stevens Pass to Seattle the following year.[12][13] The town's Great Northern depot was originally located at Columbia Street and First Street, near the center of the original plat, but was deemed too small to handle both passenger and freight uses. The railroad announced plans in May 1906 to build a new depot to the south at Kittitas Street exclusively for passenger services.[14]

In April 1909, Great Northern filed plans to build a $50,000 depot at Columbia Street and Orondo Avenue, located between Kittitas and First streets, with additional tracks in a city-owned alley.[15] The plan was opposed by property owners on Orondo Avenue who would be removed to make way for the depot and new tracks.[16] Great Northern announced the following month that they would use the Kittitas Street site for the depot, for which the Wenatchee city council granted a franchise.[17] Construction of the new depot began in June with excavation for a basement heating plant, and moved to above-ground construction by August.[18] A section of track was raised two feet (0.61 m) by Great Northern to bring trains to platform level for the new depot, which would use granite and brick masonry.[19]

The new depot was substantially completed in October 1909, along with an underpass for Kittitas Street, a new roundhouse, and freight facilities at the old depot.[20] The Great Northern depot cost $100,000 to construct and was opened on February 11, 1910, on the same day as Wenatchee's new commercial club and high school. All three dedications were attended by officials from the city, Great Northern, as well as Governor Marion E. Hay. The station building measured 156 feet (48 m) long and 33 feet (10 m) wide with a 500-foot (150 m) covered platform. The interior had two waiting rooms with oak furniture, electric lighting, and a dining area.[21]

### Amtrak and Link Transit

[edit]

The station building at Columbia Station, renovated in 1997

Amtrak took over passenger rail operations from Burlington Northern (which Great Northern was merged into) on May 1, 1971. The Empire Builder was moved to the former Northern Pacific Railway route between Seattle and Spokane via Stampede Pass, leaving Wenatchee without passenger rail service.[22][23] On June 13, 1973, Amtrak restored passenger rail service to Wenatchee by moving the tri-weekly North Coast Hiawatha to the Stevens Pass route.[24] During the 1974 World's Fair, hosted in Spokane, Amtrak ran a daytime train along the North Coast Hiawatha route that stopped in Wenatchee and Ephrata.[25] The North Coast Hiawatha was discontinued by Amtrak in October 1979 as part of national cuts to low-performing corridors, blamed in part by poor scheduling and reliability issues.[26]

The Great Northern depot was demolished by Burlington Northern in August 1981, citing the costs of maintaining the historic building.[27] Amtrak restored rail service to Wenatchee a second time on October 25, 1981, by rerouting the Empire Builder over Stevens Pass and installed a plastic shelter at Kittitas Street to serve as a temporary station.[28][29] The city government began lobbying Amtrak and Burlington Northern for the construction of a permanent passenger rail station adjacent to the Wenatchee Convention Center on First Street.[29]

The newly created Link Transit began planning of a downtown intermodal transit center in 1992 with a federal grant, favoring the convention center site and the adjacent Casscadian Building.[30][31] The plan for an intermodal transit center received support from Amtrak, Burlington Northern, private bus operators, and local businesses owners as a replacement for the existing Amtrak facility and temporary downtown transfer center for Link Transit.[32][33] Link Transit proposed a $10.2 million facility for buses and trains that would also include a pedestrian bridge from the convention center to Wenatchee Riverfront Park and a small park and ride lot.[34]

The use of the Casscadian Building on Mission Street for the transit center came into question in April 1994 after a state historic preservationist determined that the building was eligible to be listed as a historic landmark, as it was a surviving example of early parking garage design.[35] After outcry over the project's budget and a plan to condemn an adjacent parking lot,[36] Link Transit began considering a new site for the facility that would be eligible for state and federal funding.[37] Burlington Northern offered the city government an annual lease of $1 for the site of the old depot at Kittitas Street if it were to be used for a transit center.[38] Link Transit adopted the Kittitas Street site as the preferred location of its Wenatchee transit center, along with a block to the west that would be largely demolished.[39]

Several options for the Kittitas Street site were considered by Link Transit, including a separate waiting area for Amtrak passengers and the orientation of the bus bays.[40][41] The project was approved by Link Transit in September 1995, with a cost of $8.2 million that would be partially covered by a federal grant.[42][43] By the following year, Link Transit had acquired the property needed for the transit center for $1.5 million, including an existing three-story building that would be renovated for use by passengers, and named the project "Columbia Station".[44] Link Transit and Wenatchee broke ground on the new Columbia Station on August 23, 1996, after the Franklin House was demolished.[45] Construction costs for the project were lower than expected, allowing for Link Transit to re-add several decorative features that had been deferred in the planning process, including the street clock.[11]

Columbia Station was dedicated and opened to service on July 13, 1997, with 500 people in attendance and speeches from local officials. Northwestern Trailways was the first intercity operator to use the facility, having moved from their old depot at First Street and Chelan Street.[46][47] The rebuilding of the Amtrak platform was scheduled to be completed in tandem with the bus station, but was delayed while waiting for finalization of the lease agreement with BNSF Railway.[48] Construction began in October 1997 on the new platform, three waiting shelters, and a parking lot.[49] The new platform was dedicated on June 26, 1998, shortly after it was opened for use by passengers.[50][51] Columbia Station underwent a minor renovation in 2018 that added a new comfort station for drivers and remodeled Link Transit's administrative offices on the third floor.[52]

## Services

[edit]

The central bus platform at Columbia Station

Columbia Station is the main hub for Link Transit, a regional bus system that serves Wenatchee and other communities in Chelan and Douglas counties.[2] The transit system operates intercity routes and local service from the station, including frequent shuttles that use electric buses and seasonal winter service to Mission Ridge Ski Area.[3] Columbia Station is also served by two daily Amtrak trains on the Empire Builder, a transcontinental route connecting to Seattle, Spokane, and Chicago. The next stops on the Empire Builder are Icicle Station in Leavenworth to the west and Ephrata station to the east.[53][54]

In addition to Link Transit, the station is also served by several intercity bus routes from other operators that use the lower bus bays on Columbia Street or other parts of the facility.[3] The Travel Washington Apple Line provides daily service from Wenatchee to Omak and Ellensburg.[55] The Grant Transit Authority runs buses on weekdays from Wenatchee to Quincy, Ephrata station, and Moses Lake.[56] Private coach operator Northwestern Trailways has an office at the station and runs daily buses from Wenatchee to Omak, Ellensburg, Everett, Seattle, Tacoma, and Spokane.[3][57] The Wenatchee Valley Shuttle provides service to Seattle–Tacoma International Airport from the park and ride lot at Columbia Station's train platform.[3][58]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal year 2024: State of Washington" (PDF). Amtrak. March 2025. Retrieved June 2, 2025.
2. ^ a b "Link Transit Ride Guide (Schedule Book #48)" (PDF). Link Transit. July 1, 2019. pp. 2, 71–72\. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 2, 2020. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
3. ^ a b c d e f "Link Transit Transit Development Plan 2018–2023 and 2017 Annual Report" (PDF). Link Transit. August 21, 2018. pp. 3, 5–6. Retrieved January 5, 2020.[permanent dead link]
4. ^ Marantos, Jeanette (March 28, 1997). "Link prepares for depot opening". The Wenatchee World. p. 3.
5. ^ "Park & Rides". Link Transit. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
6. ^ "Wenatchee, WA (WEN)". Great American Stations. Amtrak. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
7. ^ Maher, Stephen (May 13, 1997). "Warehouse district lures recreation firms". The Wenatchee World. p. 16.
8. ^ Marantos, Jeanette (July 11, 1997). "Columbia Station to light up: Link will take you to dedication ceremony for transfer center". The Wenatchee World. p. 1.
9. ^ a b Kraft, Dave (July 11, 1997). "Artwork livens up the Columbia Station". The Wenatchee World. p. 2.
10. ^ "Tiles are us: Children's art to decorate Link station". The Wenatchee World. October 10, 1996. p. 1.
11. ^ a b Marantos, Jeanette (May 30, 1997). "Center of attention: Link's transfer station will be mostly complete by mid-June". The Wenatchee World. p. 1.
12. ^ Arksey, Laura (July 10, 2008). "Wenatchee — Thumbnail History". HistoryLink. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
13. ^ "Full steam ahead! Wenatchee boomed as the steamboats followed the railroad". The Wenatchee World. August 30, 1992. p. A16.
14. ^ "G. N. to Move the Passenger Depot". The Wenatchee World. May 25, 1906. p. 1. Retrieved January 5, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
15. ^ "Railway Wishes to Build New Depot on Orondo Ave". The Wenatchee World. April 10, 1909. p. 1. Retrieved January 5, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
16. ^ "Council Deals With Important Problems". The Wenatchee World. April 28, 1909. p. 1. Retrieved January 5, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
17. ^ "G. N. Depot to Be Built at the Foot of Kittitas". The Wenatchee World. May 19, 1909. p. 1. Retrieved January 5, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
18. ^ "Started Work on New Depot". The Wenatchee World. June 10, 1909. p. 1. Retrieved January 5, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
19. ^ "Progress on Depot Building". The Wenatchee World. August 10, 1909. p. 1. Retrieved January 5, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
20. ^ "New Depot Nears Completion". The Wenatchee World. October 29, 1909. p. 1. Retrieved January 5, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
21. ^ "Quadruple Dedication: Commercial Club–Depot–Daily World–High School: Fruition of Jim Hill's Promises". The Wenatchee Daily World. February 11, 1910. p. 1. Retrieved January 5, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
22. ^ Barr, Robert A. (March 22, 1971). "Seattle train service to be cut". The Seattle Times. p. A1.
23. ^ Barr, Robert A. (March 20, 1971). "Railpax trains to bypass Wenatchee". The Seattle Times. p. A9.
24. ^ Wyne, Mike (June 14, 1973). "Wenatchee train: The rails click again". The Seattle Times. p. F4.
25. ^ "Amtrak to add train to Spokane for Expo". The Seattle Times. March 17, 1974. p. H8.
26. ^ Gilmore, Susan (September 30, 1979). "Few would murn last Amtrak train through Wenatchee". The Seattle Times. p. A22.
27. ^ "Old news". The Wenatchee World. October 4, 2001. p. C4.
28. ^ "Seattle-Spokane Amtrak route returns". The Seattle Times. October 26, 1981. p. C2.
29. ^ a b "Trains mean business: It's not a loco motive". The Wenatchee World. February 21, 1993. p. 7.
30. ^ "Link will study its options for transfer center". The Wenatchee World. April 9, 1992. p. 14.
31. ^ "Link gets $2 million for project". The Wenatchee World. July 3, 1992. p. 2.
32. ^ "Transit center plans move ahead". The Wenatchee World. September 2, 1992. p. 1.
33. ^ "Merchants support downtown bus center". The Wenatchee World. June 2, 1992. p. 9.
34. ^ "Link pushes for transit center grant". The Wenatchee World. May 27, 1992. p. 1.
35. ^ "Expert: Historic parking garage should be saved". The Wenatchee World. April 20, 1994. p. 10.
36. ^ "Theater or transit center? Parking lot owner surprises Link with theater plan". The Wenatchee World. April 15, 1994. p. 1.
37. ^ "City may give up funds for rail terminal site". The Wenatchee World. May 18, 1994. p. 3.
38. ^ "Low-cost option for transit center". The Wenatchee World. June 3, 1994. p. 1.
39. ^ "New site eyed for transportation hub: Link now wants multimodal center near foot of Kittitas Street". The Wenatchee World. August 17, 1994. p. 1.
40. ^ "Link asks public to help come up with plan". The Wenatchee World. June 13, 1995. p. 10.
41. ^ "Three options for transit center design". The Wenatchee World. July 26, 1995. p. 10.
42. ^ "Link approves $8.2 million transfer center". The Wenatchee World. September 20, 1995. p. 1.
43. ^ "Link wins federal grant: Funds will be used to build a downtown transit center". The Wenatchee World. June 18, 1995. p. 10.
44. ^ "Agency controls transfer center land". The Wenatchee World. May 2, 1996. p. 10.
45. ^ "Link breaks ground". The Wenatchee World. August 25, 1996. p. 14.
46. ^ Marantos, Jeanette (July 14, 1997). "Link: Just the beginning—Mayor hails Link transfer center as a 'model of cooperation'". The Wenatchee World. p. 1.
47. ^ "Vacant bus terminal going on the market". The Wenatchee World. August 21, 1998. p. 15.
48. ^ Marantos, Jeanette (September 11, 1997). "Delay threatens Link's rail plan". The Wenatchee World. p. 10.
49. ^ Maher, Stephen (December 18, 1997). "Construction of train facility to be completed by spring". The Wenatchee World. p. 7.
50. ^ "Amtrak platform celebration set". The Wenatchee World. June 21, 1998. p. 14.
51. ^ Perez, Anthony (June 28, 1998). "Columbia Station open to rails". The Wenatchee World. p. 6.
52. ^ McDaniels, Nevonne (April 6, 2018). "Columbia Station construction moves Link bus loading locations". The Wenatchee World. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
53. ^ "2019 Washington State Rail System Plan" (PDF). Washington State Department of Transportation. December 2019. p. 19\. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 4, 2020. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
54. ^ "Empire Builder Schedule" (PDF). Amtrak. April 29, 2018. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
55. ^ "Travel Washington Intercity Bus Program". Washington State Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on April 15, 2020. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
56. ^ "Route 50 Wenatchee Express" (PDF). Grant Transit Authority. July 2019. Retrieved January 5, 2020.[permanent dead link]
57. ^ "Service Map". Northwestern Trailways. Archived from the original on July 30, 2019. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
58. ^ Woods, Wilfred (December 12, 2012). "New shuttle to SeaTac is pulling its own weight". The Wenatchee World. Retrieved January 5, 2020.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Columbia Station (Wenatchee).

* Wenatchee, WA – Amtrak
* Wenatchee, WA – Station history at Great American Stations (Amtrak)
* Wenatchee Amtrak Station – USA RailGuide (TrainWeb)

* v
* t
* e

Amtrak stations in Washington

Active stations|

* Bellingham
* Bingen–White Salmon
* Centralia
* Edmonds
* Ephrata
* Everett
* Kelso–Longview
* Leavenworth
* Mount Vernon
* Olympia–Lacey
* Pasco
* Seattle King Street
* Spokane
* Stanwood
* Tacoma Dome
* Tukwila
* Vancouver
* Wenatchee
* Wishram

Former stations|

* Bellingham (BN)
* Blaine
* East Auburn
* East Olympia
* Ellensburg
* Tacoma Amtrak
* Tacoma Union
* Yakima

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template