New train hub in St. Louis
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ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis residents for years have boarded trains from a no-frills building known locally as the "Am-shack."
Not anymore. After about two decades of planning and work, state and city officials opened a new, $28 million transportation hub downtown where commuters can catch the bus, light rail and Amtrak trains.
The new Gateway Transportation Center is a building where Amtrak, Greyhound, MetroLink and MetroBus converge. The new facility one block south of the Scottrade Center features 24-hour operations staff, security and food service.
St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay called the opening both "a joy and a relief."
Slay said he has gotten letters, e-mails and hears often from residents about the spot where they used to board and disembark from trains.
"People wanted to know when the SOPENAm-shack,' or temporary facility, would be replaced. I can tell you the answer is right now," he said.
The new center will be a major crossing point. Last year, there were more than 270,000 Amtrak passengers in St. Louis. And Greyhound offers 35 daily trips to destinations across the country from the center.
A Greyhound passenger, David Dice, 33, of Edina, waited at the new transportation center to catch a bus on his trip from Tulsa, Okla., to Indianapolis. He called it a much nicer and safer-feeling environment than the bus station where he usually waited in St. Louis. "You never really wanted to hang out at that Greyhound station," he said.
The transportation hub had been in the works for more than 20 years.
First Published December 25, 2008 12:00 am
