Central Station
545 S. Main St.
Opened 1914, replacing earlier station at same location built in 1888
Number of station tracks: 5 through/5 stub
Non interlocked switches
Union Station
Calhoun St. between 2nd St. and 3rd St.
Opened 1912, consolidating the stations of some railroads
Number of station tracks: 8 stub
Interlocked switches controlled from Tower 17
Union Station was initially closed in 1964, with their various railroads moving to other stations. In 1966 Union Station was ordered reopened, and the trains returned.
(Central Station)
Departures
No. Name 1942 Dest. 1942 Time 1956 Time 1971 Time 21 Greenville MS 12:25 55 Panama Limited New Orleans 1:10 5 2:30 2:45 am 2 Creole (City of NO) Chicago 7:15 2:55 pm 2:35 pm 23 Delta Express Greenville MS 8:40 8:45 3 Louisiane New Orleans 9:00 8:40 26 Northern Express Chicago 10:00 8 7:15 am 33 Greenwood MS 4:00 15 Planter New Orleans 5:30 4 Louisiane Chicago 7:45 8:00 54 Panama Limited Chicago 9:30 6 11:00 11:35 pm 25 Southern Express New Orleans 10:00 9:00 1 Creole (City of NO) New Orleans 11:00 5:25 6:01 pm 16 Chickasaw St. Louis 11:20 11:15Arrivals
No. Name 1942 Orig. 1942 Time 1956 Time 1971 Time 55 Panama Limited Chicago 1:07 5 2:17 2:28 am 12 Planter New Orleans 6:25 2 Creole (City of NO) New Orleans 6:30 1:45 pm 2:15 pm 15 Chickasaw St. Louis 7:05 7:00 3 Louisiane Chicago 8:20 8:00 32 Greenwood MS 11:20 28 Greenville MS 12:15 25 Southern Express Chicago 5:10 4:30 24 Delta Express Greenville MS 6:45 6:15 26 Northern Express New Orleans 9:10 8 6:30 am 4 Louisiane New Orleans 7:05 7:15 54 Panama Limited New Orleans 9:18 6 10:50 11:25 pm 1 Creole (City of NO) Chicago 10:30 5:15 pm 5:41 pmPassenger service retained by Amtrak in 1971, with the City Of New Orleans.
(Central Station)
Departures
No. Name 1942 Dest. 1942 Time 1956 Time 1971 Time 45 Hot Springs Limited Hot Springs 8:30 am 51 Choctaw Rocket Amarillo 8:30 pm 10:00 am 111 Californian Tucumcari 10:30 pm 7:30 pmArrivals
No. Name 1942 Orig. 1942 Time 1956 Time 1971 Time 112 Californian Tucumcari 7:15 am 7:15 am 52 Choctaw Rocket Amarillo 9:55 am 6:30 pm 50 Hot Springs Limited Hot Springs 7:30 pmPassenger service discontinued in 1967.
(Central Station)
Departures
No. Name 1942 Dest. 1942 Time 1956 Time 1971 Time 105 KC Florida Special Birmingham 7:20 10:25 808 Sunnyland St. Louis 7:25 7:40 108 Sunnyland Springfield 9:00 102 9:00 223 Amory 6:20 106 KC Florida Special Kansas City 7:20 7:30 107 Sunnyland Birmingham 10:45 10:00 806 Memphian St. Louis 11:20 11:15Arrivals
No. Name 1942 Orig. 1942 Time 1956 Time 1971 Time 108 Sunnyland Birmingham 6:45 6:15 105 KC Florida Special Kansas City 6:55 9:55 805 Memphian St. Louis 7:05 7:15 107 Sunnyland Springfield 4:45 101 3:50 807 Sunnyland St. Louis 5:30 5:15 224 Amory 9:45 106 KC Florida Special Birmingham 6:50 6:45Passenger service discontinued in 1967.
(Union Station)
Departures
No. Name 1942 Dest. 1942 Time 1956 Time 1971 Time 198 Pan American Bowling Green 7:55 102 7:30 102 Bowling Green 1:00 104 Azalean Bowling Green 9:15 6:00Arrivals
No. Name 1942 Orig. 1942 Time 1956 Time 1971 Time 101 Azalean Bowling Green 7:30 7:50 103 Bowling Green 3:30 199 Pan American Bowling Green 8:55 103 8:20Passenger service discontinued in 1968.
When Union Station was temporarily closed from 1964 to 1966, Louisville & Nashville trains used Central Station.
(Union Station)
Departures
No. Name 1942 Dest. 1942 Time 1956 Time 1971 Time 5 Lookout Chattanooga 7:30 7:35 am 3 Atlanta 1:15 1 Nashville 11:30 10:30 pmArrivals
No. Name 1942 Orig. 1942 Time 1956 Time 1971 Time 2 Nashville 6:50 6:45 am 4 Atlanta 3:20 6 Lookout Chattanooga 9:00 7:00 pmPassenger service discontinued in 1967.
When Union Station was temporarily closed from 1964 to 1966, Louisville & Nashville trains including former Nashville Chattanooga & St. Louis trains used Central Station.
(Union Station)
Departures
No. Name 1942 Dest. 1942 Time 1956 Time 1971 Time 219 Southern Scenic Kansas City 7:45 8:00 am 331 (Motor Train) Helena 8:00 207 Poplar Bluff 3:00 335 Delta Eagle Tallulah 4:30 225 Little Rock 7:05 201 Sunshine Special Little Rock 10:40 8:30 pmArrivals
No. Name 1942 Orig. 1942 Time 1956 Time 1971 Time 226 Sunshine Special Little Rock 7:00 202 7:00 am 228 Poplar Bluff 7:20 334 Delta Eagle Tallulah 12:45 220 Little Rock 6:05 7:00 pm 330 (Motor Train) Helena 6:45 224 Southern Scenic Kansas City 10:30Passenger service discontinued in 1965.
When Union Station was temporarily closed in 1964, Missouri Pacific began terminating trains at 43 W. Calhoun Ave. near Tennessee St. The remaining trains were discontinued before Union Station was reopened.
(Union Station)
Departures
No. Name 1942 Dest. 1942 Time 1956 Time 1971 Time 5 Morning Star Dallas 7:40 am 1 Lone Star Dallas 9:15 pmArrivals
No. Name 1942 Orig. 1942 Time 1956 Time 1971 Time 2 Lone Star Dallas 7:00 am 6 Morning Star Dallas 7:55 pmPassenger service discontinued in 1952.
(Union Station)
Departures
No. Name 1942 Dest. 1942 Time 1956 Time 1971 Time 36 Chattanooga 8:15 am 9:30 am 46 Tennessean Washington 8:00 pm 7:15 pmArrivals
No. Name 1942 Orig. 1942 Time 1956 Time 1971 Time 45 Tennessean Washington 7:10 am 7:15 am 35 Chattanooga 6:55 pm 4:10 pmPassenger service discontinued in 1968.
When Union Station was temporarily closed from 1964 to 1966, Southern Railway trains used a station on Lauderdale St.
Union Station was demolished in 1969. A post office now stands at that location, the post office address is 555 S. 3rd St.
Central Station has been undergoing preservation, transformation and renovation. After having been possibly the most dismal station on the Amtrak system, Central Station has a promising future.
Memphis Historical Railroad Pages
Central Station (Wikipedia)
Union Station (Wikipedia)
Links to Web sites containing further historical information on Memphis stations.