Union Station
30 W. Pershing Rd.
Opened 1914
Number of station tracks: 16 through
Interlocked switches controlled as follows:
Tower 5: controlled the west end of the station
Tower 6: controlled the east end of the station
In 1914, the new Union Station replaced the following older separate stations.
Union Depot
Union Ave. and Santa Fe St.
Opened 1878
Grand Central Depot
2nd St. and Wyandotte St.
Opened 1890
Prior to 1914, most railroads used the older Union Depot. Using Grand Central Depot were Chicago Great Western, Kansas City & Northern Connecting Railroad (which became part of Burlington Route), Kansas City Southern, St. Joseph & Grand Island Railway (which became part of Union Pacific), and St. Louis San Francisco.
Prior to 1914, Milwaukee Road trains terminated at Grand Avenue Station, an intermediate station on the Santa Fe main line, 3 miles east of downtown Kansas City.
Departures
No. Name 1942 Dest. 1942 Time 1956 Time 1971 Time 20 (Motor Car) Bloomington 6:55 10 7:15 am 22 Hummer Chicago 11:45 pmArrivals
No. Name 1942 Orig. 1942 Time 1956 Time 1971 Time 23 Night Hawk Springfield 7:45 am 21 (Motor Car) Bloomington 6:45 9 7:55 pmPassenger service discontinued in 1960.
Departures-Westbound
No. Name 1942 Dest. 1942 Time 1956 Time 1971 Time 21 El Capitan Los Angeles 12:47 1:15 am 15 Texas Chief Galveston 1:25 am 1:00 am 17 Super Chief Los Angeles 2:27 2:45 am 2:05 am 5 Ranger Galveston 8:00 8:30 am 49 (Motor Train) Chanute 8:30 7 Fast Mail Express Los Angeles 8:55 1 Scout Los Angeles 9:15 3 California Limited Los Angeles 2:10 10:00 am 11 Kansas Cityan Oklahoma City 5:15 5:30 pm 211 Tulsan Tulsa 5:20 5:25 pm 6:05 pm 25 (Motor Train) Emporia 6:30 27 Antelope Oklahoma City 10:00 19 Chief Los Angeles 10:10 4:30 pm 9 Centennial State Denver 10:20 47 Oil Flyer Tulsa 10:45 2:00 am 23 Grand Canyon Limited Los Angeles 11:00 9:15 pm 6:00 pm 123 Grand Canyon Limited Ash Fork 9:30 pm 1 San Francisco Chief San Francisco 11:40 pm 6:20 pmArrivals-Westbound
No. Name 1942 Orig. 1942 Time 1956 Time 1971 Time 21 El Capitan Chicago 12:42 1:05 am 15 Texas Chief Chicago 1:15 am 12:40 am 17 Super Chief Chicago 2:22 2:35 am 1:55 am 5 Ranger Chicago 7:00 1 Scout Chicago 8:00 7 Fast Mail Express Chicago 8:05 9 7:30 am 3 California Limited Chicago 12:45 15 (Motor Train) Fort Madison 1:30 13 9:30 am 11 Kansas Cityan Chicago 5:00 5:10 pm 23 Grand Canyon Limited Chicago 9:00 8:50 pm 5:40 pm 19 Chief Chicago 9:40 4:15 pm 1 San Francisco Chief Chicago 11:30 pm 5:50 pmDepartures-Eastbound
No. Name 1942 Dest. 1942 Time 1956 Time 1971 Time 16 Texas Chief Chicago 1:10 am 2:05 am 2 San Francisco Chief Chicago 4:20 am 12:15 pm 20 Chief Chicago 4:10 7:45 am 18 Super Chief Chicago 6:07 4:50 am 5:50 pm 24 Grand Canyon Limited Chicago 8:30 7:00 am 12:30 pm 12 Chicagoan Chicago 2:00 12:25 pm 16 (Motor Train) Fort Madison 6:30 14 11:50 pm 8 Fast Mail Express Chicago 7:40 10 10:00 pm 4 California Limited Chicago 9:00 2 Scout Chicago 10:00 6 Ranger Chicago 11:00 22 El Capitan Chicago 11:37 11:20 pmArrivals-Eastbound
No. Name 1942 Orig. 1942 Time 1956 Time 1971 Time 16 Texas Chief Galveston 12:50 am 1:40 am 2 San Francisco Chief San Francisco 4:10 am 11:45 am 20 Chief Los Angeles 3:55 7:20 am 18 Super Chief Los Angeles 6:00 4:35 am 5:35 am 48 (Motor Train) Chanute 6:30 124 Grand Canyon Limited Ash Fork 6:30 am 28 Antelope Oklahoma City 7:30 10 Centennial State Denver 7:40 24 Grand Canyon Limited Los Angeles 7:45 9:00 am 12:15 pm 26 (Motor Train) Emporia 9:40 212 Tulsan Tulsa 1:30 11:50 am 12:10 pm 12 Chicagoan Oklahoma City 1:45 12:05 pm 4 California Limited Los Angeles 4:15 3:00 pm 8 Fast Mail Express Los Angeles 6:50 2 Scout Los Angeles 9:10 50 Oil Flyer Tulsa 9:50 48 8:50 pm 6 Ranger Galveston 10:20 9:00 pm 22 El Capitan Los Angeles 11:30 11:05 pmPassenger service retained by Amtrak in 1971.
Departures
No. Name 1942 Dest. 1942 Time 1956 Time 1971 Time 32 Gen. Pershing Zephyr St. Louis 8:00 am 27 Omaha 9:00 am 9:00 am 4 Galesburg 11:00 am 36 Kansas City Zephyr Chicago 12:15 pm 21 Silver Streak Zephyr Lincoln 2:30 pm 4:00 35 5:00 pm 43 Adventureland Billings 7:15 pm 6:30 pm 56 American Royal Chicago 8:15 pm 10:00 20 8:20 pm 23 Omaha 11:58 pm 11:59 pmArrivals
No. Name 1942 Orig. 1942 Time 1956 Time 1971 Time 22 Omaha 7:15 am 6:55 am 55 American Royal Chicago 7:35 am 7:30 19 7:15 am 20 Silver Streak Zephyr Lincoln 12:50 pm 1:10 36 12:30 pm 33 Gen. Pershing Zephyr St. Louis 7:00 pm 42 Adventureland Lincoln 7:00 pm 5:20 pm 3 Galesburg 7:30 pm 35 Kansas City Zephyr Chicago 8:30 pm 26 Omaha 9:15 pm 8:59 pmPassenger service discontinued in 1971 with the creation of Amtrak.
In 1970, Burlington began terminating trains in North Kansas City, at 153 W. 14th Ave.
Departures
No. Name 1942 Dest. 1942 Time 1956 Time 1971 Time 12 Mill Cities Limited Minneapolis 5:00 pm 6 4:00 pm 16 Oelwein 11:30 pmArrivals
No. Name 1942 Orig. 1942 Time 1956 Time 1971 Time 15 Mill Cities Limited Minneapolis 7:30 am 5 6:45 am 11 Chicago 1:30 pmPassenger service discontinued in 1962.
Departures
No. Name 1942 Dest. 1942 Time 1956 Time 1971 Time 8 (Motor Train) Davenport 8:45 am 26 Southwest Limited Milwaukee 7:25 pm 7:30 pmArrivals
No. Name 1942 Orig. 1942 Time 1956 Time 1971 Time 25 Southwest Limited Milwaukee 7:50 am 8:05 am 3 (Motor Train) Davenport 6:40 pmPassenger service discontinued in 1958.
Departures
No. Name 1942 Dest. 1942 Time 1956 Time 1971 Time 16 Short Line Express Minneapolis 12:15 11:30 pm 24 St. Louis 8:50 8:00 am 509 Texas Rocket Dallas 9:15 8:35 am 43 Californian Los Angeles 9:45 508 Twin Star Rocket Minneapolis 11:10 9:10 am 17 Dallas 1:15 44 Californian Chicago 7:45 40 8:25 pm 107 Rocky Mtn. Rocket Belleville 8:25 43 11:55 pm 18 Mid Continent Minneapolis 8:30 510 8:35 pm 4 Golden State Ltd. Chicago 8:50 1:25 am 507 Twin Star Rocket Houston 9:45 pm 3 Golden State Ltd. Los Angeles 11:10 10:40 pmArrivals
No. Name 1942 Orig. 1942 Time 1956 Time 1971 Time 108 Rocky Mtn. Rocket Belleville 12:55 44 10:35 pm 32 Herington 7:30 15 Mid Continent Minneapolis 7:40 509 7:05 am 508 Twin Star Rocket Houston 8:40 am 43 Californian Chicago 9:00 39 7:30 am 17 Short Line Express Minneapolis 1:00 3:10 pm 23 St. Louis 5:30 5:45 pm 44 Californian Los Angeles 7:00 4 Golden State Ltd. Los Angeles 8:05 1:00 am 510 Texas Rocket Dallas 8:15 7:45 pm 507 Twin Star Rocket Minneapolis 9:00 9:15 pm 3 Golden State Ltd. Chicago 10:25 10:10 pmPassenger service discontinued in 1969.
Departures
No. Name 1942 Dest. 1942 Time 1956 Time 1971 Time 9 New Orleans 9:00 am 1 Southern Belle New Orleans 9:45 am 4:00 pm 15 Flying Crow Port Arthur 9:45 pm 9:30 pmArrivals
No. Name 1942 Orig. 1942 Time 1956 Time 1971 Time 16 Flying Crow Port Arthur 8:25 am 7:30 am 2 Southern Belle New Orleans 7:55 pm 10:15 am 10 New Orleans 7:40 pmPassenger service discontinued in 1969, last train was the Southern Belle.
Departures
No. Name 1942 Dest. 1942 Time 1956 Time 1971 Time 25 Katy Flyer San Antonio 8:35 8:40 am 27 Bluebonnet Muskogee 6:00 9:40 pm 23 Sooner Oklahoma City 10:10Arrivals
No. Name 1942 Orig. 1942 Time 1956 Time 1971 Time 28 Sooner Oklahoma City 7:15 7:55 am 24 Katy Limited Muskogee 1:35 26 Katy Flyer San Antonio 9:50 8:50 pmPassenger service discontinued in 1965.
Departures
No. Name 1942 Dest. 1942 Time 1956 Time 1971 Time 119 Omaha 12:10 12:40 20 Sunflower St. Louis 12:45 125 Southerner Little Rock 7:50 8:30 212 Southern Scenic Memphis 7:50 12 Scenic Limited St. Louis 8:05 7:01 109 Atchison 8:15 34 St. Louis 9:45 6 Missouri River Eagle St. Louis 12:40 12:20 16 11:30 am 105 Missouri River Eagle Omaha 2:05 2:40 14 St. Louis 4:25 4:00 4:00 pm 11 Scenic Limited Denver 7:10 9:10 15 Royal Gorge Pueblo 9:50 10 Missourian St. Louis 11:30 11:30 210 Joplin 11:35 11:45 117 Rainbow Special Little Rock 11:59Arrivals
No. Name 1942 Orig. 1942 Time 1956 Time 1971 Time 512 Lenora 6:40 16 Pueblo 6:55 9 Missourian St. Louis 7:00 6:30 124 Rainbow Special Little Rock 7:30 12 Scenic Limited Denver 7:37 6:40 106 Missouri River Eagle Omaha 12:30 11:59 5 Missouri River Eagle St. Louis 1:50 2:20 17 3:00 pm 205 Joplin 2:05 211 6:15 33 St. Louis 3:50 11 Scenic Limited St. Louis 6:50 9:00 15 Royal Gorge St. Louis 9:20 8:20 9:25 pm 215 Southern Scenic Memphis 9:25 120 Omaha 9:40 110 9:20 19 Sunflower St. Louis 11:40 116 Southerner Little Rock 11:55 126 10:40Passenger service retained by Amtrak in 1971.
Later in 1942, the Scenic Limited was renamed the Colorado Eagle, upon reequipping with streamlined equipment.
Departures
No. Name 1942 Dest. 1942 Time 1956 Time 1971 Time 117 Firefly Oklahoma City 8:30 8:45 21 Springfield 9:00 105 KC Florida Special Birmingham 6:30 11:25 111 Oklahoman Tulsa 10:35 11:05Arrivals
No. Name 1942 Orig. 1942 Time 1956 Time 1971 Time 112 Oklahoman Tulsa 7:33 7:00 106 KC Florida Special Birmingham 7:55 7:30 20 Springfield 6:00 118 Firefly Oklahoma City 7:40 7:00Passenger service discontinued in 1967.
Departures
No. Name 1942 Dest. 1942 Time 1956 Time 1971 Time 355 Portland Rose Denver 9:00 17 8:00 am 99 Kansan Salina 5:15 39 9:15 am 23 Pacific Limited Los Angeles 8:00 9 9:40 pm 8:00 pm 37 Pony Express Cheyenne 11:55 69 11:00 pmArrivals
No. Name 1942 Orig. 1942 Time 1956 Time 1971 Time 38 Pony Express Cheyenne 7:45 70 7:00 pm 100 Kansan Salina 12:30 40 11:30 am 370 Portland Rose Denver 9:30 18 10:30 pm 24 Pacific Limited Los Angeles 10:55 10 7:05 am 8:30 amPassenger service discontinued in 1971 with the creation of Amtrak.
Trains 9-10, the City of St. Louis, replaced the Pacific Limited in 1947. The City of St. Louis operated via Wabash Railroad east of Kansas City.
Departures
No. Name 1942 Dest. 1942 Time 1956 Time 1971 Time 2 Pacific Coast Ltd. St. Louis 8:30 10 7:30 12 St. Louis Special St. Louis 5:00 3:55 18 Midnight Limited St. Louis 11:55 11:59Arrivals
No. Name 1942 Orig. 1942 Time 1956 Time 1971 Time 17 Midnight Limited St. Louis 7:30 7:05 3 Kansas City Express St. Louis 3:55 2:15 9 Pacific Coast Ltd. St. Louis 7:15 9:10Passenger service discontinued in 1969, last train was the City of St. Louis.
Trains 9-10, the City of St. Louis, replaced the Pacific Coast Limited in 1947. The City of St. Louis operated via Union Pacific west of Kansas City.