Purcell station

Purcell (Amtrak: PUR) is an Amtrak station in Purcell, Oklahoma. The station is serviced by Amtrak's daily Heartland Flyer, which travels from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to Fort Worth, Texas.

Purcell, OK
The station at Purcell in February 2017. The James C. Nance Memorial Bridge (U.S. Route 77 / State Highway 39) over the Canadian River is in the distance.
General information
Location	East Main Street and North Santa Fe Avenue Purcell, Oklahoma United States
Coordinates	35.0120°N 97.3573°W / 35.0120; -97.3573
Platforms	1 side platform
Tracks	1
Construction
Accessible	Yes
Other information
Station code	Amtrak: PUR
History
Opened	June 15, 1999 (Heartland Flyer)[1]
Closed	October 8, 1979 (Lone Star)[2]
Rebuilt	June 14, 2001[3]
Passengers
FY 2023	1,436[4] (Amtrak)
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station Pauls Valley toward Fort Worth Heartland Flyer Norman toward Oklahoma City
Former services Preceding station Amtrak Following station Pauls Valley toward Dallas or Houston Lone Star Norman toward Chicago Preceding station Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Following station Noble toward Newton Newton–Purcell Terminus Terminus Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway Main Line Wayne toward Galveston Kirfort toward Chickasha Chickasha–Purcell Terminus
Location

History

Rail service to the area was established by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (now BNSF Railway) in 1887, which aimed to create a junction between the Santa Fe and its Texas-based Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe division. A townsite for railway employees was constructed around the junction and named after the Santa Fe's director, Edward B. Purcell.^[5]

A station house was built at the junction in 1904. At some point, that station was demolished and rebuilt. The rebuilt station was in service until 1979, when the Lone Star was discontinued, and it was demolished in the 1990s.^[5]

In 1999, the Heartland Flyer was established, which restored rail service to the city. The city constructed a brick station house for use as a waiting area, which opened on June 14, 2001. The interior contains Santa Fe memorabilia, including a bench from a former depot in Shawnee, Oklahoma.^[3]

References

1. "All Aboard! Amtrak Taking Reservations". The Daily Oklahoman. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. June 9, 1999. p. 7. Retrieved December 27, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
2. "Lone Star Gone: Amtrak Routes Shrink". The Marion Star. Marion, Ohio. October 10, 1979. p. 10. Retrieved December 27, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
3. Sutter, Ellie (June 15, 2001). "Purcell Depot Gets Dedicated". The Daily Oklahoman. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. p. 8. Retrieved December 27, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal Year 2023: State of Oklahoma" (PDF). Amtrak. March 2024. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
5. "Purcell, OK (PUR)". The Great American Stations. Amtrak. Retrieved 18 November 2011.

External links

Media related to Purcell station at Wikimedia Commons

• Purcell, OK – Amtrak
• Purcell, OK – Station history at Great American Stations (Amtrak)
• Purcell, OK – Heartland Flyer
• Purcell, OK – TrainWeb