La Plata station

La Plata, MO
The La Plata station in November 2015 as seen from the coach of a Southwest Chief
General information
Location	535 North Owensby Street La Plata, Missouri 63549
Coordinates	40.0291°N 92.4939°W / 40.0291; -92.4939
Line(s)	BNSF Marceline Subdivision
Platforms	1 side platform
Tracks	2
Construction
Parking	Yes
Accessible	Yes
Other information
Station code	Amtrak: LAP
History
Opened	January 1, 1888[1]
Rebuilt	–September 21, 1945[2] 1996–2001 2022
Passengers
FY 2023	8,559[3] (Amtrak)
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station Kansas City toward Los Angeles Southwest Chief Fort Madison toward Chicago
Former services Preceding station Amtrak Following station Marceline toward Dallas or Houston Lone Star Fort Madison toward Chicago Preceding station Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Following station Elmer toward Los Angeles Main Line Gibbs toward Chicago
Location

La Plata station is an Amtrak train station in La Plata, Missouri, United States and is a passenger stop for Amtrak's Southwest Chief long-distance route between Chicago and Los Angeles. It was built in 1945 by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway as a replacement for an 1887-built, 1888-opened passenger and freight depot that was in deteriorating condition. Efforts to replace the station were stalled by a lack of construction material during World War II. The 1945 replacement was built in Art Deco style, and was restored between 1996 and 2001 by local preservationists, a model railroad club, and a garden club. The station was upgraded again in 2022 with upgrades done to the station building and the platform to bring it into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.[4] It also hosts two Virtual Railfan cameras.[5]

Nearby colleges

• Truman State University, north 12.5 miles (20.1 km) in Kirksville.
• A.T. Still University, north 13.7 miles (22.0 km) in Kirksville.
• Moberly Area Community College, south 45.9 miles (73.9 km) in Moberly.

References

1. "The Santa Fe". The La Plata Home Press. January 6, 1888. p. 4. Retrieved December 31, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
2. "County Fair at La Plata Opens Today". Kirksville Daily Express. Kirksville, Missouri. September 20, 1945. p. 8. Retrieved October 29, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
3. "Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal Year 2023: State of Missouri" (PDF). Amtrak. March 2024. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
4. "La Plata Amtrak Station gets $6 million worth of upgrades". KTVO. 11 November 2022. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
5. La Plata(LAP) – Great American Stations (Amtrak)

External links

• La Plata, MO – Amtrak
• La Plata, MO – Station history at Great American Stations (Amtrak)
• La Plata Amtrak Station (USA Rail Guide – TrainWeb)
• Trails and Rails