 Sacramento, CA | Capitol Corridor | Rocklin, CA  |
| California Zephyr | Colfax, CA |
Roseville is a station located in the northeastern suburbs of Sacramento. Just south of the station is the huge (largest Union Pacific Rail Facility on the West Coast) Roseville Yard, dedicated to J.R. Davis. The Yard's engine shop is clearly visible from the Amtrak platform. The station wasn't originally an Amtrak station stop and didn't become one on the California Zephyr until late 1987 or early 1988. The October 1987 timetable has a "69 — Service to Commence on a Date to be announced" and the May 1988 timetable has a time with the Zephyr stopping in Roseville.
On December 12, 1991 the Capitols began operations with what were then three daily-round trips between Sacramento and San Jose. The first southbound morning trip and last evening northbound trip was extended north to Roseville with an overnight layover near the station (I assume Amtrak had an arrangement in one of the UP's yards). This one daily round-trip designed to take passengers from Roseville in the morning to Sacramento or the Bay Area and back in the evening allowing day-trips and catering to commuters continues to this day although Roseville's status as a terminal ended on January 26, 1998 when the one daily Capitol Corridor round-trip was extended farther in the foothills of the Sierra's to Colfax (cut-back due to low ridership at Colfax in 2000).
Today the two daily trains, the California Zephyr and one extended to Placer County Capitol Corridor train (with the numerous daily Capitol Corridor Trains its no longer the first AM and last PM trip but trains at optimal times for commuters) serve Roseville on a daily bases. They are supplemented by many Thruway Connecting Buses that shuttle passengers to Sacramento to board trains farther into the Bay Area. Amtrak even has an agreement with Roseville Transit so Amtrak monthly pass holders can use these city buses to get to Sacramento and bus passengers can use Amtrak Capitol Corridor Trains and Buses with step-up tickets.
The station consists of a single low-level side platform (like all in California) with a tactile warning strip and a yellow line about two feet from the edge of the track with a pink fence. A small extra large bus stop shelter is in the middle of the platform and inside are two blue benches and a QuikTrak machine. An LED sign for the departure status of Capitol Corridor trains is on the outside of this shelter. A small sign that is the timetable of the Zephyr is inside the shelter. The platform is lined with black lampposts and there is a mobile-lift located on it.
This is the second platform at Roseville because a track relocation project (sometime between 1998 and 2001) moved the tracks farther away from the already built depot and parking lot. Two short walkways (with the same pink fencing) lead across this former ballast that the vegetation is slowly reclaiming. The previous platform is along the edge of the station's drop off area off Grant Street that continues and becomes the main bus stop (used by Amtrak California, Greyhound, and Roseville Transit Express Buses) towards its western end. It is about half the length of today's platform and still has a fading green safety line and pink fence running down the middle of it. It has green park-style lampposts and a small Amtrak California information display. There is a second LED sign for train departure information. South of the original platform (with a final entrance to the southern end of the current platform) is a small 45 space parking lot bounded by Grant Street turning away from the station and Church Street.
North of the original platform (and behind the longer, current platform) is a two story depot that was built in 1995. It is painted yellow with brown trim and is a replica or the original Roseville depot. Inside are no public areas for waiting although the roofline extends out from the depot towards the main bus stop covering some benches and a second Amtrak Passenger Information display. The depot is used by Roseville Travel that I believe is the local Greyhound Agency with limited Monday-Saturday hours (9:00am to 11:30am and 12:30 to 3:00pm) and Yellow Cab of Roseville. No normal Greyhound station signs were round in the depot windows. The depot has a bunch of replica white with black text signs, some include 106.6 miles to San Francisco and 2,162 miles to Chicago (via the direct Overland route through Wyoming I assume since the Zephyr timetable lists 2,336 miles). The only other signage are a couple of blue pointless arrow signs at odd locations along the current platform. One is nearly totally lost in the buses.
Photo 1: 13 March, 2010, 2-88: 17 June, 2013
