[5][6] The since-abandoned Milwaukee Road tracks were on a branch from its main line to Kansas City, which ran through Ottumwa on the northwest side of town.

The Wabash Railroad tracks ended at Ottumwa, and crossed the Des Moines River on a bridge that has been repurposed into a trail.

[7][8] After World War II Ottumwa experienced a building boom, and the CB&Q decided to replace its depot with a modern one.

The rectangular building features a flat roof, broad eaves, banded windows and an exterior clad with ashlar Lannon stone.

However, under the current California Zephyr schedule, Emeryville-bound trains arrive almost an hour after the system ends its daily operations.