Gilroy station
| Company type | Train station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Transportation |
| Founded | April 8, 1869 in Gilroy, California, United States |
| Headquarters | Gilroy , United States |
| Products | Passenger rail services (Caltrain, planned Amtrak Capitol Corridor, future California High-Speed Rail) |
Gilroy station serves as a Caltrain stop located in Gilroy, California, functioning as the southern endpoint of the South County Connector route. This station is active during weekday peak periods, with northbound trains departing for San Jose in the mornings and returning southbound in the evenings. The station building, originally erected by the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1918, underwent restoration in 1998. Planned developments include expanded Amtrak Capitol Corridor service and future stops for the California High-Speed Rail network. In 2019, it was officially recognized on the National Register of Historic Places as the Gilroy Southern Pacific Railroad Depot.
Southern Pacific
The inaugural Gilroy station began operations on April 8, 1869 under the ownership of the Santa Clara and Pajaro Valley Railroad. By 1882, additional facilities such as a water tower, turntable, and a three-stall engine house had been constructed. In 1918, the Southern Pacific Railroad replaced the original structure with a two-story building featuring an Italian Renaissance design, built from local redwood framing and finished with cement plaster. Service reductions commenced in 1929; although the engine house ceased operations in 1934, the turntable remained functional into the 1950s. The last train to serve Gilroy was the Del Monte, which operated until April 30, 1971. Subsequently, trains such as Amtrak’s Coast Starlight passed through Gilroy without stopping.
Caltrain
Starting July 1, 1992, Caltrain extended two daily round trips from San Jose Diridon station to Gilroy, which increased to four trips following the opening of a layover yard in February 1994. In 1998, the city undertook restoration of the station as part of a $2.8 million Gilroy Transit Center project that included parking facilities and a bus plaza; one of the waiting rooms was reopened for Greyhound services. By July 2005, service frequency decreased to three daily round trips.
Prior to 1992, Caltrain operated a special weekend service from San Francisco to Gilroy during the annual Gilroy Garlic Festival, complemented by shuttle buses to transport attendees. This weekend train service was discontinued in 2002 due to suspension related to the CTX project. Although weekend service resumed in 2004, festival-specific trains did not return until 2013 when the "Garlic Train" was reinstated.
The station earned its place on the National Register of Historic Places in 2019 under the name Gilroy Southern Pacific Railroad Depot. On September 25, 2023, weekday service was increased to four round trips.
Future plans
Funding from the Road Repair and Accountability Act supports an extension of Caltrain service to reach the Salinas Intermodal Transportation Center, followed by introduction of Amtrak Capitol Corridor trains on this route. To accommodate this expansion, Gilroy station’s existing dead-end platform track will be extended southward to reconnect with the main rail line.
The upcoming California High-Speed Rail project includes plans for a station serving Gilroy, with two proposed locations: either at the current station site or at an undeveloped parcel northeast of downtown near Gilroy Premium Outlets. In 2020, the High Speed Rail Authority expressed preference for an at-grade configuration at the existing station location.
Bus connections
Gilroy station functions as a central point for both regional and long-distance bus routes, including:
- Greyhound Lines
- San Benito County Transit: Intercounty
- VTA: , , , , Express, Rapid