Pen City Current, Fort Madison, IA 12/1/21
City set to christen new depot on Dec. 10
Fort Madison officials will step off an Amtrak train on Dec. 10 as the first passengers to be dropped off at the relocated Amtrak depot at 6 p.m. with a ribbon cutting at 6:30 p.m. The community is invited to come out to the reception that is set to start at about 6 p.m. with fireworks, bands, speakers and refreshments. Photo by Chuck Vandenberg/PCC
FORT MADISON – It’s been a long road, and not without controversy, but Fort Madison city officials will step off onto the new Amtrak Depot next Friday, Dec. 10 at 6 p.m.
Fort Madison Mayor Matt Mohrfeld is welcoming the entire community out to witness the ribbon cutting of the new Amtrak Depot on the east side of the refurbished North Lee County Historical Museum in Riverview Park next week.
SNIP
Several different lease agreements between Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Amtrak, and the city were written and rewritten and rewritten before eventually going back to an original agreement that requires a manned ticket booth inside the depot.
But with all that in the city’s rearview mirror, Mohrfeld and about 14 other dignitaries will board the train Friday morning on the 10th and take the train into Galesburg for lunch and a short stay to look at the Galesburg railroad district. Then the group will reboard the train and head back to Fort Madison where they will step off onto the platform, kicking off the celebration.
Continue here.
Note: 3(8) made a brief 'crew training stop' at the new station tonight. The conductor and some crew members opened doors and checked the trains positioning on the platform.
Stops at this station will be viewable on Virtual Railfan:
Pan, Tilt, Zoom camera if operator on duty - https://www.youtube....h?v=CwnlNQSHBfc
Distant fixed camera view -- https://www.youtube....h?v=DRA2r1h70vw