Word from Amtrak employees on Silver Service routes is that Palatka, Florida will soon become a manned station with bagage checking service. Amtrak sent down from Washington, DC three weeks ago a female Amtrak official who came to make an inspection of the stations facilities in preparation. The City of Palatka has done a lot to refurbish the station, redo the waiting rooms and redo the museum/entrance of the station which is owned by the City. The station (originally built by Atlantic Coast Line) is on the national register of historic buildings and the new transportation center of the City. Greyhound had a ticket office in the building until recently, as did two taxi companies.
Posted by Tanner929 (Member # 3720) on :
Very nice restoration "The charachter of a town can be judged by how it treats its Railroad Station,"
Posted by notelvis (Member # 3071) on :
Saw that station Saturday afternoon from #92 and it looks very nice. I particularly like that the chain link fence which once separated the station from the platform has been taken down.
Posted by Pojon (Member # 3080) on :
The fence was put up because of damage the station sustained when something fell off a freight car when a CSX freight train ran past the station at higher than normal speed a few years ago.
Posted by palmland (Member # 4344) on :
Having lived in Jacksonville a number of years, I recall Palatka as a great little station and it seemed to me at the time it would be a good spot for originating a few thurway buses. It is easy to get in and out of and is a relatively short distance to Daytona or Ocala. Especially the case if Greyhound will be there too.