Tempe station is a former train station in Tempe, Arizona. Previously, Amtrak's Sunset Limited and Texas Eagle trains stopped at the station, but they were shifted to a more southerly route in June 1996. However, an Amtrak Thruway shuttle route connects the station to the Maricopa station on the new routing.
The city of Tempe purchased the building in 1987 and renovated it. The station was served by Amtrak's Sunset Limited and Texas Eagle from 1987 until June 3, 1996, when Amtrak was forced to re-route the trains due to deteriorated track conditions on the secondary Union Pacific Railroad line which diverged from the mainline to serve Phoenix and Tempe. Amtrak opened the Maricopa station to serve Phoenix, Tempe and the greater Central Arizona area. After Amtrak left the station, Macayo's Depot Cantina, a Mexican restaurant, was built on the site, but the historic train depot was untouched.
In the early 2000s, the area saw the construction of several new rail lines. In 2008, the Valley Metro Rail line opened with light rail trains running parallel to the Union Pacific tracks, and curving east onto 3rd Avenue just north of the historic train depot. In Spring 2022, the Tempe Streetcar is expected to open, with southbound cars passing right by the station site.
In January 2021, the city of Tempe approved a plan to redevelop the station site into a mixed-use development, which also will preserve and restore the train depot on the site. The development will include two towers: a 17-story office tower and a 18-story Hilton-branded hotel tower. The two towers will connect with a bridge over the light rail tracks.[1]
