Amtrak and the City of Needles, with mayor Edward Paget, recently held a dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony for a new waiting room inside the El Garces Intermodal Transportation Facility in downtown Needles.
Route Director of Amtrak’s Coast Starlight and Southwest Chief, Eric Smith was there on behalf of Amtrak. “More than 8,650 Amtrak passengers traveled through Needles last year,” said Smith. “The waiting room is just a step in a long journey that began back in 1995 to save the El Garces from demolition.”
The waiting room is open to Amtrak passengers between 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. during the arrival and departure times of the Southwest Chief. The doors are on a time lock system, allowing passengers to enter only during those designated hours. There are restrooms and seating available just steps away from the platform. Amtrak and the city were presented with a handmade quilt by Needles Quiltmania Quilting Group that will be displayed in the station. El Garces is listed in the National Register of Historic Places by the National Park Service.
