New Amtrak ticket counters open at Sacramento train station

A new Amtrak train ticketing office opened this weekend in the west wing of the downtown Sacramento Valley Station as part of the major renovation of the 90-year-old facility.

The city of Sacramento, which owns the building, is overseeing a $33 million project to turn the depot into a gateway building between the existing downtown and the railyard to the north, which is scheduled for major redevelopment in the coming years.

The building will remain a train depot. The city plans to increase the usable space of the building, adding office and retail space, as well as a restaurant, and expanded bike rack areas. The project is expected to wrap up by the end of the year.

Amtrak spokeswoman Vernae Graham said the move is part of several upgrades planned at the site for Amtrak, including a new indoor baggage claim area to open this summer. “Amtrak is very pleased with the outcome,” Graham said. “We will continue to work around the construction.”

The new counter is in a part of the building that has been closed to the public since the 1950s. Construction crews are closing up the previous ticket booths at the north end of the building and will begin remodeling that area, restoring two original arched exit doors from the main waiting hall that were closed decades ago. Those portals will open in June.

“You’ll be able to walk out the three openings on the north side of the room,” project manager Greg Taylor said.

This story was originally published March 22, 2016 at 2:30 AM with the headline "New Amtrak ticket counters open at Sacramento train station."