Memphis Central Station

Memphis Central Station
Company type	Passenger rail terminal
Industry	Rail transport
Founded	1914
Headquarters	Memphis, Tennessee, United States
Area served	Memphis metropolitan area
Products	Passenger rail services (Amtrak City of New Orleans)

Memphis Central Station, previously referred to as Grand Central Station until 1944, functions as a passenger rail terminal in Memphis, Tennessee. Located at the intersection of Main Street and G.E. Patterson Boulevard in Downtown Memphis, it currently serves Amtrak’s City of New Orleans route, with northbound trains arriving late at night and southbound departures in the morning. The station is also connected to the MATA Trolley network. Established in 1914, this facility is part of the South Main Arts District and forms a component of the South Main Street Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places alongside notable sites such as the National Civil Rights Museum.

Origins

Constructed on the former location of Calhoun Street Station, both properties were owned by the Illinois Central Railroad or its antecedent companies. Groundbreaking took place in September 1912, with the station officially opening on October 4, 1914. The track layout consisted of five stub-end tracks numbered 1 through 5 and five through tracks numbered 6 through 10.

The station accommodated services from the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad, St. Louis-San Francisco Railway (Frisco), and Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway (Rock Island). Between April 1, 1964, and November 30, 1966, the Louisville and Nashville Railroad also operated from this station during the closure of Memphis Union Station.

The 1946 Supreme Court case Lavender v. Kurn, cited as 327 U.S. 645, concerned a wrongful death lawsuit involving an Illinois Central switchtender who was fatally injured in 1939 at Broadway Crossing. The Court upheld the negligence claim under the provisions of the Federal Employers Liability Act.

Decline and restoration

After World War II, passenger rail usage sharply declined, leaving Memphis Central Station largely vacant. Rock Island ceased operations in November 1967, followed by Frisco a month later, resulting in Illinois Central becoming the sole user. With Union Station’s closure in 1968, Central Station became Memphis’s only remaining intercity rail terminal.

When Amtrak assumed control over most U.S. passenger rail services on May 1, 1971, Memphis service was reduced to a single train—the City of New Orleans. Large sections of the station were shuttered and fell into disuse; Illinois Central relocated its offices elsewhere, and demolition appeared imminent.

By the mid-1990s, the facility had gained a negative reputation within Amtrak’s system. In 1998, ownership transferred to Memphis Area Transit Authority, which initiated a $23.2 million refurbishment project. This renovation repurposed much of the old waiting area into spaces for public gatherings, converted upper-floor Illinois Central offices into residential condominiums, while maintaining a reduced Amtrak presence. Completed in November 1999, this revitalization effort catalyzed further redevelopment in downtown Memphis’s previously neglected district.

Function during Hurricane Gustav (2008) evacuation

Prior to Hurricane Gustav making landfall, New Orleans began evacuating residents lacking transportation on August 30, 2008. More than 1,000 evacuees arrived in Memphis via Amtrak trains during this operation.

Present Day

In 2019, Central Station experienced a $55 million upgrade that introduced a modern Amtrak ticketing facility along with an enhanced waiting lounge. The station also welcomed the Central Station Hotel, Curio by Hilton, which features a restored ballroom, two dining establishments, and a bar. By 2021, the MATA Trolley Main Street Line heritage streetcar extended its route to include Central Station.

Since its debut in 1949, the station has continuously been served by the City of New Orleans train and was formerly a stop for the Panama Limited. It stands as one of only two Amtrak stops in Tennessee—the other being Newbern Depot—which functions solely as a flag stop, making Central Station the only location with comprehensive service.

Prominent Named Trains Operating Through Memphis Central Station

Before Amtrak's establishment, Central Station was a hub for several distinguished named trains:

Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway (Rock Island)
- Choctaw Rocket, Cherokee, Hot Springs Special, Memphis Californian, Southwest Express
Illinois Central Railroad
- Panama Limited, City of New Orleans, Delta Express, Irvin S. Cobb, Louisiane, Northern Express/Southern Express
Louisville and Nashville Railroad (starting in 1964)
- Pan-American
Southern Railway (from 1964 onward)
- Tennessean
St. Louis-San Francisco Railway (Frisco)
- Memphian, Kansas City-Florida Special, Sunnyland
Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad (later incorporated into Illinois Central)
- Delta Express, Planter

External Resources