Riders stepping off the train onto the Amtrak Olympia-Lacey Centennial Station platform are always greeted by a friendly face welcoming them to Thurston County. While passengers might think the person is a railroad employee, in fact that greeter is one of the local volunteers who have staffed the station every day since the depot opened three decades ago. And if you want to join that volunteer crew, the rail station is looking for more helpers.
“We meet every train, no matter what,” says volunteer Larry Ganders.
Centennial Station Volunteers Give Passengers Award-Winning Customer Service
The station celebrated its 30th anniversary on May 1 this year after opening to the public in 1993. But that almost didn’t happen. Amtrak had weighed not stopping at the station because they said no Amtrak employees were available for staffing. That’s what led to all-volunteer staffing, guaranteeing Olympia, Tumwater and Lacey have their station stop, which is located on the Yelm Highway.
Ganders serves on the nonprofit board overseeing volunteers. He says the station is the sole U.S. depot serving Amtrak that has operated for 30 consecutive years using only volunteers who meet every train – no matter what time they arrive.
The station is open 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. each day, rain or shine, and remains open to any train arriving after 9:30 p.m. Volunteers won’t abandon passengers if the trains run behind schedule. Volunteer and board member Dave Norton remembers waiting for a late train that didn’t pull into the station until about 4:30 a.m. “I didn’t sleep,” he says, explaining he wanted to make sure the passengers were met and found their connecting rides after they arrived.
Ganders describes customer service as the most satisfying part of the volunteer effort. And Amtrak recognizes that the local volunteers do a great job. A November 2022 Amtrak survey rated the Centennial Station as number one in customer support. The station also received the Amtrak President’s “Champion of the Rails” award in 2000 for its services, and a Lacey City Council “Compassion is Contagious” recognition in 2017.
Volunteers Perform Many Railway Duties to Support Passengers
While volunteers marked the 30th anniversary this year, they are also looking ahead. The Centennial Station currently has about 45 volunteers. “It’s a pretty low number,” Ganders says. He explains that more are needed, encouraging interested persons to consider offering their time.
New volunteers are trained and paired with an experienced volunteer. Shifts normally include two volunteers. Volunteers work one of the three 4.5 hour shifts, performing many railway duties to assist passengers. They watch and post train arrival status on station monitors, make announcements, open the platform gates when trains arrive, assist passengers to board or deboard, answer questions and help individuals obtain tickets from the kiosk.
Volunteers currently meet 10 Amtrak Cascades and Coast Starlight trains daily, with four more to be added. Ganders says the depot usually ranks among Washington’s four busiest Amtrak stations.
Centennial Station Volunteers Document the Area’s Vibrant Railroad History
While not an official duty, railroad buffs like Ganders also document local rail history at the depot. They have donated photos of early railroad stations in Thurston County and the surrounding area. Some 30 historic photos are exhibited in the waiting room, giving visitors and passengers a great view into the active local railroading past.
The Centennial Station likewise has a rich history. Ganders says the station is the only remaining Amtrak stop for Olympia, Tumwater and Lacey, the last of several dozen passenger stations that once served the county. One of the displayed photos is of the original three-sided wooden station nicknamed “AmShack,” which was just off Rich Road and pre-dated the Centennial Station. Ganders says that individuals and businesses in Thurston County donated much of the labor and materials for the current beautiful building.
On its 1993 calendar, Amtrak featured a Centennial Station poster by well-known railroad artist J. Craig Thorpe. The building has custom stained-glass windows with railroad logos from the past, 180-year-old solid cypress corbels, specially made interior light fixtures that are smaller replicas of those in Grand Central Station, and an antique-looking platform clock. The volunteers transferred building ownership to Intercity Transit, and free local bus services from the station are offered to rail customers until 9:30 p.m. Free parking is also available.
You Can Volunteer at the Olympia-Lacey Centennial Station
Norton says he started at the Centennial Station in 2007 when he saw an ad seeking volunteers. “I decided, I like Amtrak and I like trains,” he says. “Let me see what this is all about. When I was told what the job entailed I said, ‘Where do I sign up?’” If you are also interested, contact Harold Rorden at 360.438.5340 or talk to a volunteer at the station. More station information is on the website and Facebook.
