Lafayette station (Indiana)

Lafayette, IN
Lafayette's historic Amtrak station was originally a "Big Four" Depot.
General information
Location	200 North 2nd Street Lafayette, Indiana United States
Owned by	City of Lafayette
Line(s)	CSX Lafayette Subdivision
Platforms	1 side platform
Tracks	3
Connections	CityBus
Construction
Parking	Yes
Bicycle facilities	Yes
Accessible	Yes
Other information
Station code	Amtrak: LAF
History
Opened	1902
Rebuilt	1994
Passengers
FY 2023	5,908 (Amtrak)
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station Rensselaer toward Chicago Cardinal Crawfordsville toward New York
Former services Preceding station Amtrak Following station Rensselaer toward Chicago Hoosier State 1994–2019 Crawfordsville toward Indianapolis Kentucky Cardinal Crawfordsville toward Louisville Kankakee (Penn Central) toward Chicago James Whitcomb Riley and George Washington 1971–1974 Indianapolis toward Washington, D.C. or Newport News Preceding station New York Central Railroad Following station Templeton toward Chicago Chicago – Cincinnati Crane toward Cincinnati
Former services at Lahr Hotel Preceding station Amtrak Following station Rensselaer toward Chicago Cardinal 1986–1994 Crawfordsville toward New York Hoosier State 1980–1994 Crawfordsville toward Indianapolis Chicago Terminus Floridian 1975–1979 Bloomington toward St. Petersburg or Miami
Big Four Depot
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
c. 1910 Big Four Depot
Coordinates	40°25′7″N 86°53′44″W
Area	8 acres (3 ha)
Architect	Buckeye Chum Company
Architectural style	Romanesque
NRHP reference No.	03000548
Added to NRHP	June 22, 2003

Lafayette station is an Amtrak station in Lafayette, Indiana, served by the Cardinal. The current station facility was established in 1994. The Amtrak train previously stopped in the middle of the city's 5th Street, near the former Monon Railroad depot. The station building was moved to its current location from the southeast corner of 2nd and South streets in September 1994. It is a Romanesque Revival style depot built in 1902 by the Lake Erie and Western Railroad and Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway, as the Big Four Depot. The station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.

Significance

The building is an example of early twentieth century commercial architecture. It is one of two such structures in Indiana. It became part of the New York Central System, serving passengers through Lafayette between Cincinnati and Chicago. Lafayette was a major stop on this main artery of transportation for the NYC. Several trains operated through the station in earlier years of Amtrak, examples being the Floridian, James Whitcomb Riley and the Kentucky Cardinal.

External links

Media related to Lafayette station (Indiana) at Wikimedia Commons

• Lafayette, IN – Amtrak
• Lafayette, IN – Station history at Great American Stations (Amtrak)
• Lafayette Amtrak Station (USA Rail Guide – Train Web)