Richmond station (Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway)

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Richmond station was an intercity rail stop in Richmond, California. The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway opened it around 1900 and used it as the western passenger terminal from 1938 until 1971. The station was demolished in the 1990s.

In 1900, Ferry Point at Point Richmond became the west end of Santa Fe’s transcontinental mainline, where travelers could take ferries to San Francisco. A two-story Craftsman-style station was built at the west end of Macdonald Avenue beside the Santa Fe yard. Nearby was a small reading room for employees (later used as a trainmaster’s office). A second station existed on Richmond Avenue in Point Richmond from 1903 to 1918.

In 1904 Santa Fe opened a branch from Richmond to Oakland. Beginning in 1933, Santa Fe trains connected with Southern Pacific ferries at the Oakland Mole, replacing the Point Richmond ferries (though Ferry Point continued to be used for freight until 1975). On July 1, 1938, Santa Fe moved the Oakland terminal back and operated buses to San Francisco via the Bay Bridge.

During a 1944 yard expansion, the station and freight house were moved east, and the portico was replaced with an extension of the building, which was stuccoed. The Oakland branch closed on June 15, 1958, leaving Richmond as the transfer point to buses for San Francisco. Passenger service to Richmond ended in 1971 when the San Francisco Chief was discontinued.