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Partly cloudy. Low near 65F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph.
Meet Ottumwa and Amtrak hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for a $13.8 million improvement project at the Ottumwa Depot in Ottumwa, Iowa on Friday, Aug. 26, 2022.
Derrick James, director of government affairs at Amtrak, speaks during Friday's groundbreaking ceremony. Amtrak has announced a $13.8 million improvement project that will span two years in Ottumwa.
Ottumwa Mayor Rick Johnson, right, speaks during Friday's groundbreaking ceremony at the Ottumwa Amtrak station.
A poster with graphic renders of the proposed improvement project for the Ottumwa Amtrak station. Local and Amtrak officials were on-hand Friday for a groundbreaking ceremony.
Meet Ottumwa and Amtrak hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for a $13.8 million improvement project at the Ottumwa Depot in Ottumwa, Iowa on Friday, Aug. 26, 2022.
Derrick James, director of government affairs at Amtrak, speaks during Friday's groundbreaking ceremony. Amtrak has announced a $13.8 million improvement project that will span two years in Ottumwa.
Ottumwa Mayor Rick Johnson, right, speaks during Friday's groundbreaking ceremony at the Ottumwa Amtrak station.
A poster with graphic renders of the proposed improvement project for the Ottumwa Amtrak station. Local and Amtrak officials were on-hand Friday for a groundbreaking ceremony.
OTTUMWA — A facelift is coming to Ottumwa's Amtrak station.
Officials grabbed the golden shovels and tossed some dirt Friday, marking the start of a two-year, $13.8 million project that will drastically improve the Amtrak Station in Ottumwa.
The project's design will feature historical restorations, but also new improvements to accessibility and appearances at the Amtrak passenger train's stop in Ottumwa.
"We think this construction project indicates a bright future for passenger rail," said Derrick James, director of government affairs at Amtrak.
Improvements will come both inside and outside of the Amtrak station.
The project will include two new 1,200-foot-long boarding platforms that will be raised for easier boarding access, James said. The existing canopy will be removed and restored to "almost their original appearance," officials said. The historic light fixtures will be restored and upgraded with energy-efficient LED lighting.
Other exterior improvements will include new guardrails, a mobile lift enclosure and increased accessibility for the disabled.
The station's interior will see facelifts throughout, including restrooms compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act and an improved ticket counter. An ADA-compliant path will be made to the existing parking areas and city streets from the station, and the station's entrance will receive upgraded power-operated doors.
"I'm really excited to be here to sort of kick off this great project that we at Amtrak have been pushing for years ... to make the front door of Ottumwa worthy of the quality that we think is evidence here in your community," James said.
The last major update to the station was completed in 1951 by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad — known today as BNSF Railway. The Ottumwa depot originally dates back to the 1880s.
Since 2008 the station has been listed by the National Register of Historic Places. Today, the station welcomes Amtrak's California Zephyr, which connects Chicago and San Francisco.
Ottumwa was 16 years old when the first passenger train left the Ottumwa terminal depot on Aug. 14, 1859.
"The railroad has been an integral part of Ottumwa's history from the city's beginning," Mayor Rick Johnson said. "As the city grew, so did the railroad. Ottumwa quickly became a hub for train travel, connecting Chicago to East St. Louis to the south and Denver to the west.
"While we celebrate our long-standing relationships with the railroad, we also anticipate great things happening in the future."
Friday's ceremony comes one week after city officials celebrated their new-found ownership of the depot. The city purchased the depot this year from the Iowa Heartland History Connection, formerly the Wapello County Historical Museum. The move was designed to give the area stability for Amtrak to feel confident in investing in improvements.
Amtrak is expected to complete $113 million worth of ADA compliance projects in the current fiscal year. In all, 120 station designs and 40 construction projects are being advanced. Since 2011, Amtrak has invested more than $554 million in accessibility upgrades.
Outside of accessibility upgrades, Amtrak is currently phasing new locomotives that are faster, cleaner and more fuel efficient to its national network, including the California Zephyr. The service expects 125 of the locomotives from Siemens Mobility will be in service by 2029 as part of an $850 million purchase, James said.
Kyle Ocker is the editor of the Ottumwa Courier and the Oskaloosa Herald. He can be reached at kocker@ottumwacourier.com. Follow him on Twitter @Kyle_Ocker.
Kyle Ocker is a Centerville native and award-winning multimedia journalist. Kyle is currently the president of the Iowa Freedom of Information Council and vice president of the Iowa Print Sports Writers Association.
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