Springfield Union Station (Illinois)

The Richardson Romanesque-style station is located at 500 East Madison Street in downtown Springfield, adjacent to the Lincoln Presidential Library.

Springfield Union Station opened in 1898 and served trains until 1971, when Amtrak consolidated its services at the former Chicago & Alton depot three blocks west.

The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, and reopened to the public as part of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum complex in 2007.

The Indianapolis service was discontinued west of Decatur during World War II, leaving only a single motorcar train serving Springfield on the Flora to Beardstown line.

This awkward operating arrangement reflected the original Illinois Central configuration with Springfield as an endpoint terminal rather than an intermediate station along a route.

[2] After passenger train service ended, Union Station housed several private businesses before being used for Illinois state offices until September, 2004.

January 1901 Illinois Central advertisement promoting their new Chicago–Springfield–St. Louis through route.
Illinois Central's influence is still visible throughout the structure. One example is the detail trim on the wooden stair railing, crafted in the outline of the Illinois Central logo which was in use in 1898.