Redondo Junction Amtrak Maintenance Facility in California

Redondo Junction is a critical infrastructure site in Los Angeles, California, serving as a primary maintenance facility for Amtrak. Located 3.5 miles south of Los Angeles Union Station, the junction is situated southwest of Boyle Heights, near Washington Boulevard and the Los Angeles River.

Services and Operations

The facility at Redondo Junction provides essential services for several of Amtrak's long-distance and regional trains, including:

• Southwest Chief
• Coast Starlight
• Sunset Limited
• Texas Eagle
• Pacific Surfliner

History of Redondo Junction

The site's rail history began with the California Central Railway, which opened a 13-mile line from Port Ballona (now Playa del Rey) to Redondo Junction in September 1887. This location quickly became a major maintenance hub. The railway also established a line connecting Redondo Junction to the Los Angeles-La Grande Station.

The Redondo Beach Railway, incorporated in April 1888 and largely controlled by Henry E. Huntington, began operations on September 1, 1888. This 11-mile line ran from Redondo Beach to Inglewood, California, and connected to Redondo Junction.

In 1890, the opening of the Hotel Redondo helped establish Redondo Beach as a premier tourist destination, facilitated by the rail lines. The first train from Inglewood to downtown Los Angeles via Redondo Junction ran on April 16, 1888.

Expansion and Consolidation

The California Central Railway completed a line that had been started by the San Bernardino and San Diego Railway, extending from Redondo Junction to Orange, Anaheim, San Juan Capistrano, and eventually to Oceanside and San Diego. The Pacific Surfliner continues to operate on this line today.

On November 7, 1889, the California Central Railway was consolidated into the Southern California Railway Company, which had become a subsidiary of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (Santa Fe) in June 1888. In 1914, Santa Fe built a 25-track roundhouse at the junction to service trains, featuring a 120-foot through plate girder turntable.

The 1956 Train Wreck

On January 22, 1956, 30 people were killed and 117 injured in a deadly wreck involving Santa Fe RDCs (Budd Rail Diesel Cars). The train, which ran return trips between the more conventional streamliners on the San Diegan line, overturned on a sharp curve near the tower. This event was the worst train wreck in the city's history and the first major disaster in Los Angeles covered on live television.

Modernization and the Redondo Junction Project

Redondo Junction was sold to Amtrak in January 1977. In May 1999, Amtrak constructed new facilities north of the 1914 roundhouse. The original roundhouse was demolished in August 2000 to make room for future servicing areas, although the railway turntable remains on site.

In 2002, the Redondo Junction project was completed. This major infrastructure project separated passenger rail from freight rail by elevating Amtrak and Metrolink lines over the Alameda Corridor in Los Angeles, improving efficiency and efficiency of rail traffic.