J. Douglas Galyon Depot,[1] also known as Greensboro station, is an intermodal transit facility in Greensboro, North Carolina. Located at 236 East Washington Street in downtown Greensboro, it serves Amtrak passenger rail and is the city's main hub for local and intercity buses.
J. Douglas Galyon Depot Greensboro, NC | ||||||||||||||||||||
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General information | ||||||||||||||||||||
Location | 236 East Washington Street[1] Greensboro, North Carolina United States | |||||||||||||||||||
Coordinates | 36°04′10″N 79°47′14″W | |||||||||||||||||||
Owned by | City of Greensboro | |||||||||||||||||||
Line(s) |
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Platforms | 2 island platforms | |||||||||||||||||||
Tracks | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||
Bus stands | 22 | |||||||||||||||||||
Bus operators |
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Connections | ![]() | |||||||||||||||||||
Construction | ||||||||||||||||||||
Structure type | At-grade | |||||||||||||||||||
Parking | 102 spaces; free | |||||||||||||||||||
Disabled access | Yes | |||||||||||||||||||
Architect | Alfred T. Fellheimer | |||||||||||||||||||
Architectural style | Beaux-Arts | |||||||||||||||||||
Other information | ||||||||||||||||||||
Station code | Amtrak: GRO | |||||||||||||||||||
History | ||||||||||||||||||||
Opened | 1927,[1] reopened 2005 | |||||||||||||||||||
Closed | 1979 | |||||||||||||||||||
Rebuilt | 2001–2003[1] | |||||||||||||||||||
Original company | Southern Railway | |||||||||||||||||||
Passengers | ||||||||||||||||||||
FY 2021 | 66,808[2] (Amtrak) | |||||||||||||||||||
Services | ||||||||||||||||||||
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The station was built in 1927. Train service was moved to a new building outside downtown in 1979. The historic station was renovated and reopened as a transit center in 2005.
The station was originally built in 1927 as the Greensboro Southern Railway Depot. It was a replacement for an 1899 Southern Railway Depot that still exists today, albeit without the gabled-third story and cupola it had in the past. The 1927 depot was donated to the city in 1978, a year before the Southern Railroad finally gave up passenger service.
Efforts to return service to the old station began in 1993. It was heavily renovated from 2001 to 2005, and reopened to the public on October 1, 2005.[3] The restored station was named for James Douglas "Doug" Galyon (1930-2019), a longtime civic leader in Greensboro who was a member of the North Carolina Board of Transportation from 1992 to 2008, serving for most of that time as the board's chairman.[4]
Designed by the New York architectural firm of Alfred T. Fellheimer & Steward Wagner, the 1927 Beaux-Arts facade of the Greensboro station features Ionic columns, a full entablature, and a three-story arched entry. Inside, the ticketing area features a vast mural displaying the service area of the Southern Railway system in the 1920s.[5]
Until 1970 the Southern Railway operated the Asheville Special from Asheville and Winston-Salem to Greensboro. Until the 1960s that train had linked with the Augusta Special at Greensboro and had continued to Washington, D.C. and New York City. Until the 1960s the Carolina Special went from Cincinnati to Asheville, with the North Carolina branch of the train going to Greensboro. Until 1953 or 1954 the Carolina Special went further east to Goldsboro in the eastern part of the state.
The station is served by three Amtrak trains: the Crescent, the Carolinian and the Piedmont. The Crescent uses the longer north platform closer to the station, while the Carolinian and Piedmont use the shorter south platform. This is because the Crescent takes a more northerly route to the Northeast via Danville, Virginia while the Carolinian and Piedmont use an easterly route via Raleigh.
It also serves Greensboro Transit Authority and Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation buses and intercity bus companies.
The Depot building was originally built in 1927 by Southern Railway and renovated between 2001 and 2003.
Media related to Greensboro (Amtrak station) at Wikimedia Commons
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