Winchester is the current terminus of the Vasona Corridor although originally the line was planned to run farther to Los Gatos. Funding constraints ended the original segment of the line here at Winchester. VTA is moving ahead to attempt to extend the line the final 1.6 miles to Vasona Junction with EIS statements written but the project is unfunded. This station and the new line opened on October 1, 2005. There was a delay of two months in opening the line caused by a dispute between VTA and the FRA over the sounding of light rail horns at grade crossings. The entire line is parallel to a Union Pacific freight branch line that still sees active service triweekly.
The station consists of a single island platform for two tracks that continue south of the station with tail tracks continuing short distance allowing the storage of about 3-4 LRVs. The UP freight track is just east of the two light rail tracks. Trains reverse and change directions using a diamond crossover switch just before the station. The platform has a single white shelter structure towards its northern end. To leave the platform there are pedestrian grade crossings at each end that cross over only the west track. These lead to end of the turn around loop of the Winchester Transit Center. The Winchester transit center is an integrated bus loop (the actual stops are along the southern side of the loop) and park and ride lot with 54 spaces in between the lanes of the bus loop and just north of it.
All Photos taken on 20 February, 2012
