Robert J. Cabral Station

Robert J. Cabral Station (called Stockton – Downtown station or Stockton ACE station by Amtrak), is a railway station in Stockton, California. In 2003, the station building was named in honor of the late Robert J. Cabral, a San Joaquin County supervisor instrumental in the creation of the Altamont Corridor Express (ACE), originally Altamont Commuter Express.[4]

Robert J. Cabral Station
Stockton, CA – Downtown
Altamont Corridor Express Amtrak
Front entrance of the Robert J. Cabral Station
General information
Location949 East Channel Street
Stockton, California
United States
Coordinates37°57′25″N 121°16′44″W / 37.95694°N 121.27889°W / 37.95694; -121.27889
Owned byCity of Stockton
Line(s)UP Fresno Subdivision[1]
Platforms1 side platform
Tracks3
Connections
Construction
Parking50 short term spaces
Bicycle facilitiesRacks and lockers
AccessibleYes
Other information
Station codeAmtrak: SKT
History
OpenedOctober 27, 1930[2]
Rebuilt2005
Original companySouthern Pacific
Passengers
FY 20222,824[3] (Amtrak only)
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
Lodi
toward Sacramento
San Joaquins Modesto
Preceding station Altamont Corridor Express Following station
Terminus San Jose – Stockton Lathrop/Manteca
toward San Jose
Future services
Preceding station Altamont Corridor Express Following station
West Lodi Valley Rail North Lathrop
toward Ceres
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
West Lodi San Joaquins Modesto
Former services
Preceding station Southern Pacific Railroad Following station
El Pinal
toward Sacramento
Sacramento – Lathrop French Camp
toward Lathrop
Lodi
toward Sacramento
Sacramento Daylight
1946–1970
Lathrop
Sacramento Daylight Tracy
Terminus
Location
Map

Cabral Station is one of two train stations in Stockton. This station is the terminus for the ACE line to San Jose's Diridon Station and is also served by Amtrak San Joaquins trains between Sacramento and Bakersfield. San Joaquins trains between Oakland and Bakersfield do not pass this station and instead use Stockton – San Joaquin Street station.

History edit

 
The then-unused station in 1979

The station building was built by the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1930,[5] replacing an earlier Stockton station located a few blocks to the south.[6]

The overall design of the station is based on Italian Renaissance and Spanish Revival prototypes. It follows the classical Palladian five-part plan in which there is a center block connected to two end wings by hyphens.[6] The brick building includes extensive terracotta detailing, such as stylized rope around the large arched windows and a wide frieze that runs around the structure.[6]

Passenger trains to the station were discontinued in 1972.[6] Abandoned in the early 1980s, the depot fell into disrepair.

Altamont Commuter Express service commenced operations with Stockton as its terminus in 1998, and the San Joaquin started service here the following year. In 2001, the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission (SJRRC), which provides ACE, purchased the old depot for $236,000 (equivalent to $390,036 in 2022 adjusted for inflation). Within a year, plans were drawn up for a full $6.5 million restoration that was completed in 2003. The majority of the funds came through "Measure K," a local voter-approved ½ cent sales tax dedicated to transportation improvement projects.[6]

The station exterior was updated in early 2010 with improvements to the parking lot and landscaping, including added handicapped parking.

When originally constructed, the track closest to the Cabral Station platform was a dead-end tail track. This layout made it impossible for San Joaquins trains to stop at the platform. Instead, passengers loaded from the Weber Road grade crossing. In 2015, the platform track was extended north and tied back into the mainline, allowing Amtrak trains to serve the station platform.[7]

Connections edit

San Joaquin Regional Transit District (RTD) Express route 44, a bus rapid transit service, stops at the station every 20 to 30 minutes to the Downtown Transit Center and to the Union Transfer Station, major hubs for the RTD bus system.[8] The Downtown Transit Center at 421 E. Weber Avenue is located five blocks (0.5 mi; 0.8 km) west of the station.[9]

Two Amtrak Thruway routes serve this station daily. Route 3 buses connects passengers to the other station in Stockton, Sacramento, Chico and Redding. Route 6 connects passengers to San Jose and points in between using ACE trains.[10]

References edit

  1. ^ SMA Rail Consulting (April 2016). "California Passenger Rail Network Schematics" (PDF). California Department of Transportation. p. 3.
  2. ^ "Dedication of New Stockton Depot Planned". The Oakland Tribune. October 26, 1930. p. 55. Retrieved March 28, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.  
  3. ^ "Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal Year 2022: State of California" (PDF). Amtrak. June 2023. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
  4. ^ "The Changing Face of Downtown". Downtown Stockton Alliance. Archived from the original on May 17, 2008. Retrieved April 22, 2008.
  5. ^ "Downtown Stockton's future growth relies on preserving its past". Sacramento Business Journal. August 26, 2020. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Stockton – Cabral Station, CA (SKT)". Great American Stations. Amtrak. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  7. ^ "Amtrak – Stockton, CA (ACE/Downtown Station)". www.trainweb.org. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  8. ^ "Route 44". San Joaquin Regional Transit District. July 28, 2019.
  9. ^ "Stations". Altamont Corridor Express. Retrieved March 17, 2022.
  10. ^ "Thruway Bus Routes". San Joaquins. San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority. May 15, 2022. Retrieved September 26, 2022.

External links edit