It was built in 1909–1910 for the Norfolk and Western Railway, and was later used by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad and Amtrak.

[2] The east–west Southside Railroad, predecessor of the Norfolk and Western Railway (N&W), opened in the early 1850s.

The SAL had a passenger station at Dunlop Street for through trains, and terminating passenger and freight stations at Market Street on a spur line.

In 1909–10, the N&W constructed Union Station at the junction with the ACL near Third Street.

From 1975 to 1977, Amtrak operated the Norfolk-Cincinnati Mountaineer, with a stop at Union Station[4] The Hilltopper, which replaced the Mountaineer and ran until 1979, used a station located slightly to the west at Fleet Street instead.