(The following article by K. Franke Santos was posted on the Press-Enterprise website on May 20.)
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — Amtrak pulled its ticket office out of the Santa Fe Depot in San Bernardino and the company has not made a commitment to occupy space in the renovated station, said an Amtrak spokeswoman.
The rail company won’t be able to move into the renovated depot until its ticket counter has been wired for electricity, phone and data, said Vernae Graham, an Amtrak spokeswoman.
But Graham said that, although state funding was not available to install the wiring, Amtrak plans to use its money make the improvements, Graham said.
“It’s safe to say it’s a temporary situation,” she said.
At restored depots served by the Pacific Surfliner train, which runs from San Diego to San Luis Obispo, Amtrak was able to get state funding to make tenant improvements, said Cheryl Donahue, spokeswoman for San Bernardino Associated Governments, the county’s transportation agency.
Because San Bernardino is not on the Surfliner route, the depot did not receive the funding for Amtrak, Donahue said.
Other tenants have paid for necessary improvements, including Metrolink, which spent $350,000 to upgrade its offices.
Under a previous agreement, Amtrak did not pay a rental fee for its space at the depot, Graham said.
The Amtrak ticket office has been housed in a trailer since 2002, when restoration on the depot began, but the trailer was moved last week to allow for repaving of the parking lot it was sitting on, she said.
Until a ticket counter is open, passengers wishing to buy tickets can either buy online or go to the ticket sales office in Riverside, 4066 Vine St.