An active Southern California railroad junction where historic depots, modern passenger service, and busy freight operations meet in the heart of Orange County.
Overview
The Fullerton Transportation Center is one of the most important passenger-rail locations in Orange County. Located beside downtown Fullerton, the station is served by Amtrak and Metrolink while remaining part of an active railroad corridor used by passenger and freight trains.
Fullerton’s identity is inseparable from the railroad. The community developed after George and Edward Amerige persuaded George Fullerton, president of the Santa Fe–affiliated Pacific Land Improvement Company, to route a new railway through their property. The resulting rail connection helped shape the city’s location, economy, and early development.
Today, Fullerton combines several layers of railroad history in one accessible location. Historic Santa Fe and Union Pacific depot buildings stand beside contemporary platforms, parking facilities, bus connections, and an operating main line.
For Western Rail Archive, Fullerton is an ideal foundational location because it connects railroad history, preserved architecture, modern passenger service, and current freight operations in one place.
Quick Facts
| Location | Downtown Fullerton, California |
| Facility | Fullerton Transportation Center |
| Rail Service First Reached Fullerton | 1888 |
| Historic Railroad Connections | Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway; Union Pacific Railroad; Pacific Electric Railway |
| Current Passenger Services | Amtrak Pacific Surfliner; Amtrak Southwest Chief; Metrolink Orange County Line; Metrolink 91/Perris Valley Line |
| Other Connections | OC Bus; local pedestrian and bicycle access; parking facilities |
| Related Historic Structures | Santa Fe passenger and freight depot; Union Pacific depot; former Pacific Electric depot |
Historical Background
The Railroad Creates a Community
In 1887, brothers George and Edward Amerige purchased land north of Anaheim. They subsequently persuaded George H. Fullerton, president of the Pacific Land Improvement Company (a Santa Fe subsidiary) and the railroad’s right-of-way agent, to route the railway through the property. The arrival of the railroad created the foundation around which the new community developed.
Fullerton’s location proved strategically useful. Rail lines provided connections toward Los Angeles and south through Orange County toward San Diego. In 1910, the Santa Fe’s Fullerton cutoff added a direct route east toward Riverside via Santa Ana Canyon. Agricultural products, oil, manufactured goods, passengers, and mail could move through the growing community.
The town that developed around the railroad was named Fullerton, honoring George Fullerton.
The Santa Fe Railway
The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway opened its first Fullerton station in 1888. The present Santa Fe depot was constructed in 1930 and reflects the Spanish Colonial Revival character found in numerous Southern California buildings of the period.
The Santa Fe route through Fullerton became an important passenger and freight corridor. Trains traveling between Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, and points east passed through the city, making Fullerton a recognizable stop on the Southern California rail map.
Following the creation of Amtrak in 1971, intercity passenger service continued at Fullerton. The station remains an Amtrak stop today.
Union Pacific in Fullerton
Union Pacific was the third railroad to reach Fullerton, after the Santa Fe and Pacific Electric. It completed a branch from Los Angeles via Whittier and La Habra in 1923 and constructed its own depot. The building was designed in the Mission Revival and Spanish Colonial Revival tradition and was later moved alongside the Santa Fe depot as part of the effort to preserve Fullerton’s railroad heritage.
Although it no longer functions as an active Union Pacific passenger station, the building preserves an important part of Fullerton’s multi-railroad history.
Pacific Electric
Pacific Electric provided another layer of passenger transportation in Fullerton. Its interurban service connected the community with the larger electric railway network that once covered much of Southern California.
The surviving depot associated with Pacific Electric helps demonstrate that Fullerton was served not only by conventional main-line railroads but also by the region’s extensive interurban system.
Pacific Electric’s line between Fullerton and La Habra opened in 1918: the first scheduled train left Fullerton on February 1, 1918, and the last passenger train ran on January 22, 1938.
Modern Transportation Center
The historic station area eventually became the Fullerton Transportation Center, bringing passenger rail, bus service, parking, and downtown access together around the original railroad corridor.
Metrolink’s Orange County Line opened in 1994, making Fullerton part of Southern California’s expanding regional rail system. The 91 Line followed in 2002 and was extended to Perris in June 2016 as the 91/Perris Valley Line. The station is now served by both lines.
Historic Depot Buildings
Santa Fe Depot
The 1930 Santa Fe depot remains the station’s principal historic railroad building. Its architectural features include:
- Stucco exterior walls
- Red tile roofing
- Decorative ironwork
- Mission Revival and Spanish Colonial Revival influences
- Traditional passenger waiting areas
The building continues to connect present-day passengers with Fullerton’s Santa Fe heritage.
Union Pacific Depot and The Old Spaghetti Factory
The former Union Pacific depot dates to 1923. Designed in the Mission Revival and Spanish Colonial Revival style, it was relocated beside the Santa Fe depot in 1980 to preserve the structure. The depot is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The historic Union Pacific station currently hosts The Old Spaghetti Factory restaurant. Its lobby includes a brief history display, while historic railroad artifacts and photographs are exhibited throughout the interior. The restaurant also features a reproduction trolley or cable car with dining tables inside, allowing guests to dine within a rail-themed centerpiece.
The adaptive reuse keeps the depot open to the public and gives visitors an opportunity to experience railroad history as part of the modern downtown Fullerton district.
Pacific Electric Depot
Built in late 1917 at 136 East Commonwealth Avenue, the former Pacific Electric depot is a Mission Revival building that now houses a restaurant. It represents the city’s connection with Southern California’s interurban railway era.
Together, the three depot buildings make Fullerton a particularly valuable location for documenting how main-line, regional, and interurban passenger transportation developed in the same community.
Passenger Rail Operations Today
Amtrak Pacific Surfliner
The Pacific Surfliner provides intercity passenger service through Fullerton, connecting the station with Los Angeles and communities through Orange and San Diego counties.
Amtrak Southwest Chief
The Southwest Chief also serves Fullerton, maintaining the station’s connection with long-distance passenger travel across the American Southwest and Midwest.
Metrolink Orange County Line
The Orange County Line connects Fullerton with Los Angeles Union Station, Orange County communities, and Oceanside.
Metrolink 91/Perris Valley Line
The 91/Perris Valley Line links Fullerton with Riverside County communities. At Fullerton, the route diverges from the coastal passenger corridor and travels east through Santa Ana Canyon.
Freight Operations
Fullerton remains part of an active freight-rail network. BNSF freight movements share the broader rail corridor with Amtrak and Metrolink passenger trains.
The combination of passenger and freight activity makes Fullerton an especially useful place to document contemporary railroad operations. Potential subjects include:
- Intermodal trains
- Manifest freight trains
- Local freight movements
- Amtrak intercity trains
- Metrolink regional trains
- Maintenance equipment
- Locomotive and equipment variations
Train movements and operating patterns can change. Any photography or observation should remain within clearly public areas and comply with posted restrictions.
Fullerton’s Railroad Geography
Fullerton occupies an important position where Southern California rail routes divide toward different destinations. From the station area, rail traffic can continue:
- Northwest toward Los Angeles
- South toward Anaheim, Orange County, Oceanside, and San Diego
- East through Santa Ana Canyon toward Riverside and the Inland Empire
This geography helped establish Fullerton as an important railroad community and continues to shape its passenger and freight operations.
Why Fullerton Matters
Fullerton is significant because the railroad did more than serve the city. It played a central role in creating and shaping it.
- Nineteenth-century community development
- Santa Fe passenger and freight operations
- Union Pacific’s presence in northern Orange County
- Pacific Electric interurban service
- Amtrak intercity passenger service
- Metrolink regional rail expansion
- Contemporary BNSF freight operations
Few Southern California locations combine this range of railroad history with such visible present-day activity.
Railfan and Photography Information
Public Viewing
The Fullerton Transportation Center offers several opportunities to observe trains from public station and downtown areas. Access conditions and posted rules should always be checked during each visit.
Photography Opportunities
- Historic depots with modern trains
- Northbound and southbound passenger service
- Trains arriving beneath the pedestrian bridge
- Freight and passenger operations sharing the corridor
- Station activity after dark
- Architectural details
- Changes in locomotives and passenger equipment
- Comparisons between historic and contemporary views
Safety and Courtesy
- Remain within public station areas
- Stay behind platform safety markings
- Use designated pedestrian crossings
- Never enter the tracks or railroad right-of-way
- Keep tripods and equipment clear of passengers
- Follow instructions from station and railroad personnel
- Respect passengers, employees, and nearby businesses
Railroad photography should always be conducted legally, safely, and without interfering with transportation operations.
Nearby Railroad and Historical Context
The station’s downtown location makes it possible to document railroad history as part of the larger Fullerton community.
- Historic commercial buildings
- Railroad-oriented street patterns
- Preserved depot architecture
- Public art related to Fullerton history
- Transportation-center improvements
- Changes in the downtown district
- Former industrial and railroad-served properties
Related Railroads
- Amtrak
- Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway
- BNSF Railway
- Metrolink
- Pacific Electric Railway
- Union Pacific Railroad
Related Locations
- Anaheim
- Glendale
- Los Angeles Union Station
- Oceanside
- Perris
- Riverside
- San Bernardino
- San Juan Capistrano
- Santa Ana
Related Routes
- Amtrak Pacific Surfliner
- Amtrak Southwest Chief
- Former Pacific Electric service
- Former Santa Fe routes
- Former Union Pacific routes
- Metrolink 91/Perris Valley Line
- Metrolink Orange County Line
Gallery
Photo gallery coming soon.
- Santa Fe depot
- Union Pacific depot and Old Spaghetti Factory interior
- Pacific Electric depot
- Amtrak operations
- Metrolink operations
- BNSF freight trains
- Station infrastructure
- Signals and trackwork
- Night photography
- Historic comparisons
- Downtown railroad context
Western Rail Archive Notes
Fullerton is one of the clearest examples of a Southern California community whose identity was shaped by the railroad. Its preserved depots document the competing rail systems that once served the city, while today’s Amtrak, Metrolink, and freight movements demonstrate that Fullerton remains an active railroad location.
For Western Rail Archive, Fullerton offers the opportunity to combine original contemporary photography with architectural documentation, historical research, equipment records, and future then-and-now comparisons. It should become one of the archive’s principal Orange County collections.
Archive Status
| Page Status | Category | Region | Gallery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foundational Article | Locations | Southern California | In Development |