Bakersfield Fights to Save Historic Sumner Train Station

City Council extends lease but seeks investor to revitalize aging transportation hub

Jan. 31, 2026 at 8:31pm

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Bakersfield's iconic Sumner train station, which opened in 1889 and has survived numerous disasters, is again facing an uncertain future as the city's lease with Union Pacific Railroad is set to expire. City Council members have agreed to extend the lease only until June, sparking debate over whether to continue investing in the historic building's preservation or allow its demolition. Supporters argue the station is a key economic and cultural asset that could catalyze revitalization of the surrounding east Bakersfield neighborhood, while critics say the city has spent enough on the building with no investor stepping forward to fund its renovation.

Why it matters

The Sumner train station is a symbol of Bakersfield's history, having played a crucial role in the city's recovery from major fires and earthquakes over the past century. Preserving this historic asset is seen as vital to revitalizing the economically-challenged east Bakersfield area, but the city's ongoing costs to secure and maintain the vacant building have some council members questioning whether to let the railroad demolish it.

The details

For the past five years, the city of Bakersfield has leased the closed Sumner train station from Union Pacific Railroad at a cost of $28,000 per year to prevent its demolition. However, with no investor stepping forward to fund the station's renovation, some council members argue it's time to end this expenditure and allow the railroad to tear down the building. Supporters counter that abandoning the station would perpetuate a pattern of disinvestment in east Bakersfield, and that the station could serve as an economic catalyst if properly restored and repurposed.

  • The Sumner train station opened in 1889.
  • In 1898, the station survived the Great Kern City/Sumner Fire.
  • In 1952, the station was one of the few commercial buildings to withstand the devastating Bakersfield earthquake.
  • Passenger service at the station was discontinued in 1970.
  • Since 2021, the city has leased the closed station from Union Pacific Railroad.

The players

Zack Bashirtash

Ward 6 Councilman who agrees historic preservation is important but argues the city has more pressing financial needs.

Andrae Gonzales

Ward 2 Councilman whose district includes the Sumner train station, and who insists the city cannot abandon this opportunity to revitalize east Bakersfield.

Mike McCoy

Kern County Museum Executive Director who has toured the closed station and believes it can be successfully restored, citing examples of revitalized train stations he has seen around the world.

Union Pacific Railroad

The owner of the Sumner train station, which has desired to demolish the building but has been in negotiations with the city to preserve it.

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What they’re saying

“We're talking about an asset, a historic asset, but it's not just about conserving history, it's also about creating an economic catalyst, an anchor, so that we can spur future economic growth throughout Baker Street.”

— Andrae Gonzales, Ward 2 Councilman (The Bakersfield Californian)

“We can do this.”

— Mike McCoy, Kern County Museum Executive Director (The Bakersfield Californian)

What’s next

The Bakersfield City Council will decide in June whether to extend the city's lease of the Sumner train station from Union Pacific Railroad for another year, to allow more time to negotiate terms that could attract an investor to fund the station's restoration.

The takeaway

The fight to save Bakersfield's historic Sumner train station highlights the ongoing tension between preserving the city's cultural heritage and addressing more immediate financial priorities. Ultimately, the station's fate will depend on the city's ability to find a compromise with the railroad and secure an investor willing to revitalize this iconic transportation hub as an economic catalyst for the surrounding east Bakersfield neighborhood.