Wasco has been a station stop on the San Joaquin for almost its entire existence missing a little over its first year since the first trip started in 1974. The first Amtrak timetable to include the station is the November 30, 1975 edition with a note of e (stops only on signal to train crew, basically a flag stop) strangely the stop also claims to handle checked baggage, this is because the old ATSF depot still existed at the station (and I believe baggage and station services at that time were still handled by the host railroads) but was torn down in 1978. The station serves a town of 25,000 that has rural crowded bus service down to Bakersfield as well which stops at the Amtrak station. Today the station is still in the same location and consists of the standard long modern with a tactile warning strip California low platform that has recently received modern metal signage and a brown wheelchair lift enclosure. This is on the edge of a train yard with about six tracks. Access to the platform is from a single entrance in the middle of the platform, here a small ramp alongside two steps lead down the approximate 8 inches to the main entrance plaza. The first feature of this area is a California LED information panel that does a very good job informing passengers of the train status. Next is the main canopy for waiting passengers, it has a simple roof and two concrete slaps that hold it up on either side. At the bottom of these slaps the concrete because wider forming a built in bench. Continuing back from the platform is the main little modern depot with out an enclosed waiting area. The building is made of concrete with a mission style clay roof designed in the style of the previous main depot. The main corridor to reach the trains travels straight through where there is a Quik-Trak machine out in the open. On one side and wing of the depot is the Office for the Chamber of Commerce and City of Wasco dial-a-ride, it does not serve as a waiting area. There is also a well guarded gated in Coke machine. The other wing houses water fountains and restrooms and they are only open Monday to Friday 8:00am to 4:00pm. Exiting this building (Amtrak's website calls it just a shelter) there is a passenger drop-off area at the end of 7th Street, one of the Main Streets in town, and alongside G Street parallel to the tracks. Along the tracks just south of the little shelter/station is the station's 34 space station parking lot.
All photos taken on 27 February, 2012
Corcoran, CA 