Glendale Transportation Center

Early years

Train service came to Glendale in 1883, with the Atwater Tract Office serving as the city's station. Beginning in 1904, Pacific Electric's Glendale–Burbank Line streetcars served the station, stopping at the intersection of Glendale Boulevard and Gardena Avenue. By the 1920s, the city's rapid growth led to the station's demolition and replacement. Originally known as the Glendale Southern Pacific Railroad Depot, the new station was built by the Southern Pacific Railroad. The station was designed by architects Kenneth A. MacDonald Jr. and Maurice Couchot in the Spanish Colonial Revival style.^[5]

The San Joaquin Daylight, between Los Angeles and San Francisco, began to serve Glendale in 1941.

Post-war decline

Following the Second World War, as automobile and airplane use increased, passenger train use fell significantly.^[6][7]

In October 1953, the Glendale–Burbank Line came under the purview of Metropolitan Coach Lines, which initiated a series of service reductions. Interurban service, including the streetcar stop adjacent to the station, ended in 1955.^[8][9]

Southern Pacific's overnight Lark trains served Glendale until 1968, but the Coast Daylight trains continued until 1971, when Amtrak acquired the route. Positive response led to Amtrak to retain this service, but the Coast Daylight name was dropped in 1974 in favor of Coast Starlight.^[10][11]

Amtrak's Spirit of California, between Los Angeles and Sacramento, began to serve Glendale in 1981. It was the first overnight service between the two cities since the discontinuation of Southern Pacific's Lark in 1968.^[12][13] Beginning in 1982, Glendale was also served by the CalTrain commuter rail system. Governor George Deukmejian's opposition to passenger rail led to both lines being cancelled in 1983.^[14][15]

When Amtrak's San Diegan was extended north to Santa Barbara in 1988, service was added for Glendale.^[16]

Revival and expansion

The city bought the depot from Southern Pacific in 1989 to ensure its preservation^[7] and acquired adjacent properties to create an intermodal passenger transport center,^[17] which included a bus station and parking for 750 cars.^[18]

In 1992, Metrolink brought commuter rail service back to Glendale, with the Santa Clarita Line and Ventura County Line.^[19] Both Southern California Rapid Transit District^[20] and Glendale Beeline coordinated bus schedules with trains in order to serve commuters.^[21] Following the 1994 Northridge Earthquake, Metrolink rapidly accelerated its expansion of its Santa Clarita line to the Antelope Valley.^[22]

By 2005, Amtrak's Coast Starlight had decreased to only one daily northbound and southbound stop in Glendale. Coast Starlight service in Glendale was discontinued, leaving the Pacific Surfliner as the only Amtrak service in the city.^[23][24]

Modern history

In November 2011, shortly following his death, the station was dedicated to former Glendale mayor Larry Zarian.^[25][26] He had served on Metro's board of directors, where he was a forceful advocate for Metro Rail service for Glendale.^[27]

In 2012, Metro awarded Glendale with a grant to plan transit-oriented development surrounding the station through new zoning regulations, design guidelines, and public infrastructure improvements.^[28] This has led to increased housing, improved wayfinding, enhanced bus stops, bicycle lanes, and improved connectivity with Atwater Village.^{[29][30][31][32][33]}

In 2021, in coordination with Los Angeles Metro's NextGen service changes, the Metro Micro on-demand microtransit service began to serve the facility.^[34]

In preparation for the 2028 Summer Olympics, Representative Laura Friedman has secured federal funding for modernizing the passenger information system at the station.^[35]

Amtrak

• Pacific Surfliner, from San Diego to San Luis Obispo (service to Glendale began in 1988 as San Diegan, renamed Pacific Surfliner in 2000)

Metrolink

The station serves two Metrolink lines:

• Antelope Valley Line, to Lancaster (service began in 1992)
• Ventura County Line, to Ventura (service began in 1992)

Local buses

• Glendale Beeline: 1, 4, 8, 11*, 12*
• Los Angeles Metro Bus: 93**

* Indicates commuter service that operates only during weekday rush hours.

** Stops at the nearby intersection of San Fernando Road and Cerritos Avenue.

Long-distance motorcoach

• Amtrak Thruway^[39]
• Greyhound Lines^[39]