Lodi, CA is the one real intermediate station and receives service twice a day from the two daily San Joaquin trains that run up to Sacramento. It first received service in the Amtrak-era on March 18, 2002 when a stop on the two daily San Joaquin trips (which began only in ) up to Sacramento was added. There are also thruway buses that connect to Stockton to the other four daily San Joaquin trips (that run to Oakland) right outside the depot where there is an Amtrak California Bus stop beneath a Greyhound sign. The station is now the Lodi Multimodal Transportation Center that was dedicated at its current location in 1999, the 1907 SP station moved a block to todays location. It serves Amtrak, Greyhound, the local Grape Line bus system and regional San Joaquin RTD buses to Stockton. It is located in the center of this small 63,000 person city.
The station consists of a single standard 600 foot long concrete side platform for Amtrak California's automatic doors. This platform is on the has a tactile warning strip and extends south from the grade crossing with Pine Street. Two city streets, Oak and Walnut Street are discontinuous by the train tracks. On the platform is a wheelchair lift enclosure added in 2011 and two information panels, one is of the small variety that are unique to Amtrak California, and a standard wider information panel that says the station's name above. The only other signage is black text on white which reads Lodi, CA elevation 54', population 63,000 (updated since installation) and hangs from the canopy area in that is just beyond the platform and begins at the historic depot. On the sides of the depot are a few Lodi sides that include 104 3/10 miles to San Francisco (via what route?). The depot is painted yellow with brown trim and columns that hold up its wide roofline extension. There are also two little canopied areas along the platform on either side of the depot that provide protection for waiting passengers from the elements with benches beneath. There roofs and columns look just like those on the depot. The depot is open weekdays 8:00am to 5:00pm, Saturdays 8:00am to 3:00pm and Sundays 9:00am to 12:30pm, staffed by representatives from the city of Lodi, not Amtrak, who sit behind a glass partition so they can keep watch over the public area (and the numerous security cameras). The public area of the center has some modern but trying to look old fashioned wooden seats and is decorated with some pictures of Lodi's past and also a display case for the Japanese Contributions to Lodi. Inside a Quik-Trak kiosk provides the only ticketing services. Just south of the depot is the main bus loop used by the local bus lines. Streetside (west of the depot) of the depot is an artistic fountain and the Amtrak/Greyhound bus stop. Just south of depot is a modern clock tower that houses an office for the local transit agencies, these are just south of the main bus loop used by all the local services. Just north of the depot is another modern building in the style of the depot and outside of it is a City of Lodi 25 year time capsule, north of this extending to Pine Street's grade crossing is the depot's parking lot.
Also of local note, just north of the station between Pine Street's grade crossing and Sacramento Street (parallel to the station) is Lodi's mission revival ceremonial entrance arch built in 1987. Just north of the arch is the Lodi Station Parking Garage a multilevel structure. On this garage is a large mural dedicated to the California Central Traction Company that from 1910 ran electric interurban streetcar service (using catenary in cities, third rail in rural areas) all the way from Stockton to Sacramento via Lodi. This railway is still in operation for freight, and is listed as the donor for the mural. A nearby plaque also commemorates the city as the location of the founding of A & W Root Beer in 1919.
All photos taken on 14 February, 2011
Sacramento, CA 