City's rail station draws Amtrak

TEXARKANA -- In an effort to boost ridership, Amtrak officials are looking at helping refurbish historic train stations nationwide, and Texarkana's Union Station is on their radar.

Amtrak officials visited Texarkana on Tuesday and met with city officials and Main Street Texarkana Board members to discuss the possibility of helping the city get historic grant funds to renovate downtown's vintage 1929 Union Station -- especially since Amtrak's Texas Eagle route has had an office housed in Union Station's far eastern end for decades.

During the meeting, Ray Lang, senior director for Amtrak National-State Relations, Government Affairs and Corporate Communications, and Derrick L. James, Amtrak director of Government Affairs, spoke to nine Texarkana officials about the prospect of helping Texarkana obtain grant money.

"If received, the money could pay for architectural design and repair," James said.

James added that cities interested in train station renovation can apply for multimodal federal and private grant money -- applications Amtrak says it will support.

"There are specific grants that are available for train station rehab that can be accomplished in phases," James said.

Texarkana Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Bill Cork requested information on Amtrak passengers coming through Texarkana -- and possibly stopping over for one or more nights -- to find out how the chamber can better develop travel interest and showcase the Twin Cities' tourist and historic features.

"I want to know where the passengers are coming from and where they are going so we can provide some kind of marketing strategy to show all we have to offer in terms of places to stay, where to eat and places to visit -- like the Perot Theatre," he said.

Lang said that information could be collected.

To better accommodate local Amtrak users, Cork asked if the company could supply lighted display sign­age that would alert passengers to any possible delays in train arrivals and departures.

"People can appreciate the delays if you manage their expectations," he said.

Main Street Texarkana Executive Director Ina McDowell sought to make sure of Amtrak's perception of Union Station's historical significance.

"Am I correct in assuming that our Union Station is unique in that it is right on a state line?" she asked, and James confirmed it.

"Besides their location, we have found that many communities have a desire to rehab their old train stations simply because of the historic memories these stations brought as servicemen and women returned home after coming back from wars," he said.

McDowell said she will be attending a much larger meeting focusing on this train station rehabilitation grant money during a meeting in Memphis next month.

Metro on 08/08/2014

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