Sparks, NV | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Former Amtrak inter-city rail station | |||||||||||||||||||||
.jpg) A westbound California Zephyr at Sparks, 1998. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| General information | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Nugget Avenue, east of 11th Street SP/UP Rail Yard Sparks, Nevada 89431 United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 39°31′54″N 119°45′07″W / 39.5316°N 119.7519°W | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Line(s) | Union Pacific | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Platforms | 1 side platform 1 island platform | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Tracks | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Construction | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Parking | No | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Accessible | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Other information | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Station code | SPR | ||||||||||||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | 1904 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Closed | May 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Original company | Southern Pacific | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Former services | |||||||||||||||||||||
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The Sparks station is a former passenger train station in Sparks, Nevada.
After Southern Pacific acquired formal ownership of the Overland Route, they sought to realign the route east of Reno. The new alignment would require bypassing Wadsworth, where the railroad had sited its division terminal and shops. Thus, the company acquired a swampy tract on the line in 1902 and built up the land to construct the yards at what would become Sparks.[1] On July 4, 1904, Southern Pacific moved their division terminal from to what would become Sparks. Many of the town's buildings were loaded on flat cars and relocated to the new site.[2]
Amtrak (the National Railroad Passenger Corporation) service commenced when the company assumed passenger operations in the United States in 1971.[3] It was served daily by the Amtrak California Zephyr, running once daily between Chicago, Illinois, and Emeryville, California (in the San Francisco Bay Area).[4]
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In May 2009, the station was closed because of its proximity to Reno (three track miles (4.8 km) to the west). Safety issues also played a part, as the former station was in a freight yard and what appears to be the station building is actually a Union Pacific yard office. Although the California Zephyr still passes through Sparks, it no longer stops at the station. Amtrak Thruway bus services continue to stop nearby at Nugget Casino Resort. Freight operations continue under Union Pacific.
Union Pacific demolished the machine shop in 2024.[5]
- ^ "The Great Race to Promontory". Union Pacific Railroad. Retrieved September 17, 2018.
- ^ "Sparks, NV". Train Town. Union Pacific Railroad. Retrieved March 17, 2025.
- ^ "Nationwide Schedules of Intercity Passenger Service". The Museum of Railway Timetables. Amtrak. May 1, 1971. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
- ^ "Amtrak System Timeteble". The Museum of Railway Timetables. Amtrak. October 27, 2008. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
- ^ Justis, Faith (March 12, 2025). "Update: Union Pacific dropping off last of machine shop bricks this week". 2News. Retrieved March 17, 2025.