Green River, UT (GRI)

With the completion of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad in 1883, Green River became a shipping point for livestock and mining equipment and supplies.

250 South Broadway
Green River, UT 84525

Annual Ticket Revenue (FY 2023): $270,734
Annual Station Ridership (FY 2023): 2,123

Ownerships
Routes Served
Contact
Local Community Links

Facility Ownership: Union Pacific Railroad
Parking Lot Ownership: Union Pacific Railroad
Platform Ownership: Union Pacific Railroad
Track Ownership: Union Pacific Railroad

California Zephyr

Alex Khalfin
Regional Contact
governmentaffairsoak@amtrak.com
For information about Amtrak fares and schedules, please visit Amtrak.com or call 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245).

The Amtrak station in Green River consists of a concrete platform with open-air passenger shelter adjacent to the old buff brick depot. Constructed in the mid-twentieth century, the building exhibits a streamlined style with clean lines and minimal ornamentation. The brick is laid so that a number of layers are recessed, thereby creating the appearance of rhythmic bands that wrap around the depot. Original features such as a flat roof and a crisp, cantilevered canopy that protected passengers from inclement weather further emphasized the building’s horizontal orientation.

The structure was a combination depot, meaning that passenger and freight functions were included under one roof. On the eastern end was the passenger waiting room and the ticket office, marked on the track facade by a projecting, rounded bay with large windows that allowed the station master an unobstructed view up and down the line. To the west was the freight area, known by the large opening through which wagons and push carts could be moved to transport goods between the train and the depot. At a later date, the depot was remodeled. The casement windows were boarded up or replaced with glass block, the canopy removed, a door inserted into the projecting bay and a new gabled roof installed.

In April 2024, Amtrak completed $5 million in upgrades at the Green River and Helper, Utah, stations to provide customers with a more accessible and comfortable experience. In Green River, Amtrak installed a new concrete platform with tactile edging, as well as guardrails, lighting and signage. There are also accessible parking spots and ramps leading to the platform, and a new platform shelter for passengers. Due largely to Congressional investments, the improvements at Green River and Helper are part of Amtrak’s commitment to creating safer, accessible facilities across its National Network through its Americans With Disabilities Act Stations Program.

Originally named Blake Station, the town of Green River was first settled in the 1870s. The watercourse was named for the line of green vegetation that follows it through desert country from its origin in the Wind River Mountains of Wyoming to its confluence with the Colorado River.

With the completion of the Denver and Rio Grande Western (D&RGW) Railroad in 1883, Green River became a shipping point for livestock and mining equipment and supplies. The railroad brought workers to town, giving it its initial population. This desert oasis is famous for watermelon and cantaloupe farming. This is also prime jackalope territory.

Green River is home to the John Wesley Powell Museum which tells the story of Powell, a United States soldier and famous explorer whose three-month trip down the Green and Colorado rivers included the first passage through the Grand Canyon. Another point of interest is The Robber’s Roost where outlaws, including Butch Cassidy, hid out.

About an hour south of town is Canyonlands National Park, which offers a landscape of canyons, mesas and river gorges to explore on the Colorado Plateau. Arches National Park is also within easy driving distance and presents a stunning red rock landscape of more than 2,000 naturally carved stone arches, pinnacles and balanced rocks. In addition to the natural stone formations, both parks also provide an opportunity to observe diverse wildlife and fauna. As dusk fades and night falls over the parks, a brilliant array of stars light up the sky.