Elizabethtown (Amtrak station)
Encyclopedia
Elizabethtown is an Amtrak
railroad station
on the Keystone Corridor
in Elizabethtown
, Lancaster County
in the U.S.
state of Pennsylvania
. The station is served by Amtrak's Keystone Service
between New York City
and Harrisburg
, and by the Pennsylvanian between New York and Pittsburgh. The station was built in 1915 by the Pennsylvania Railroad
to replace another that had been built in 1900. The station building
was closed in 1977 by Amtrak. The title to the building was transferred to the borough
of Elizabethtown in 1998, and it was leased back to Amtrak. From 2009 to 2011, the station underwent a 21-month renovation to make it ADA
-compliant.
(West High Street). In addition to being used by passengers originating from Elizabethtown and surrounding Lancaster County, residents of nearby Dauphin
and Lebanon
counties utilize the Elizabethtown station as well. It sees twenty-six arrivals by the Keystone Service on weekdays, thirteen from both Harrisburg and New York Penn Station
, and six from each on weekends. The Pennsylvanian arrives once daily from both New York and Pittsburgh Union Station
. The station is 18 miles (29 km) east of Harrisburg, 86 miles (138.4 km) west of 30th Street Station
in Philadelphia, and 179 miles (288.1 km) from New York. In 2010, the station saw a ridership of 95,096 passengers, a decrease of 0.1 percent from 2009.
The station is equipped with Amtrak's Quik-Trak ticket machines, public restrooms, information kiosks, and wireless internet. As the Elizabethtown station is unstaffed, all tickets from the station need to be pre-paid, purchased from Quik-Trak, or from a conductor onboard the train. Parking is in a 45-vehicle lot located in front of the station and a 100-vehicle "overflow lot [located] down the street." The Red Rose Transit Authority
's Route 18 transit bus
provides service between the station, Elizabethtown, Mount Joy
, and Lancaster
.
at nearby Bainbridge Street, the Pennsylvania Railroad
was forced to build a new station at West High Street in 1900. After 15 years, the Pennsylvania replaced the station. The new station was constructed out of Indiana Limestone
in a similar style to the nearby Masonic Homes built by the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania
. On July 4, 1915, the Liberty Bell
made a stop at the station while being transported to the Panama–Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco, California
. The Pennsylvania began electrifying its line between Philadelphia and Harrisburg in 1937, a task which was completed on January 15, 1938. In 1977, the deteriorating station building
was closed. Prior to the introduction of the Keystone Service in 1981, the Elizabethtown station was served by the Big Apple, the Silverliner Service, and the Keystone
. The Three Rivers
made stops in Elizabethtown in 1995 and 1996.
of Elizabethtown for $1 per year after ownership was transferred to the borough; ownership of the platforms and right-of-way was retained by Amtrak. Renovations began in August 2009 and were funded by $9.3 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
. The station was cited by U.S. Senator
Tom Coburn
as an example of pork barrel
spending in the stimulus bill. Elevators were built and the station's two platforms
were raised, per the requirements of Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
. The platforms were also lengthened to accommodate longer trains. Canopies were erected over the platforms to provide protection from the elements for waiting passengers. The station building was completely remodeled, including restoration of the original wood furnishings, replacement of broken slate
roof tiles, and masonry being "repointed". The completed station was unveiled in a ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 4, 2011.
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
railroad station
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
on the Keystone Corridor
Keystone Corridor
The Keystone Corridor is a Federal Railroad Administration "designated high speed corridor" with a 349-mile railroad line between Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with a top speed of...
in Elizabethtown
Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania
Elizabethtown is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, southeast of Harrisburg. Small factories existed at the turn of the century when the population in 1900 was 1,861. There was a slight increase in the next decade, with 1,970 people living in Elizabethtown in 1910. As of the 2000 census,...
, Lancaster County
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Lancaster County, known as the Garden Spot of America or Pennsylvania Dutch Country, is a county located in the southeastern part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010 the population was 519,445. Lancaster County forms the Lancaster Metropolitan Statistical Area, the...
in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
state of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. The station is served by Amtrak's Keystone Service
Keystone Service
Amtrak's Keystone Service provides frequent passenger train service along the Amtrak-owned Keystone Corridor and Northeast Corridor between the Harrisburg Transportation Center in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania Station in New York via 30th Street Station in Philadelphia. It is...
between New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Harrisburg
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
, and by the Pennsylvanian between New York and Pittsburgh. The station was built in 1915 by the Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
to replace another that had been built in 1900. The station building
Station building
A station building, also known as a head house, is the main building of a passenger train station. It is typically used principally to provide services to passengers.A station building is not to be confused with the station itself...
was closed in 1977 by Amtrak. The title to the building was transferred to the borough
Borough (Pennsylvania)
In the U.S. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, a borough is a self-governing municipal entity that is usually smaller than a city. There are 958 boroughs in Pennsylvania. All municipalities in Pennsylvania are classified as either cities, boroughs, or townships...
of Elizabethtown in 1998, and it was leased back to Amtrak. From 2009 to 2011, the station underwent a 21-month renovation to make it ADA
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 is a law that was enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1990. It was signed into law on July 26, 1990, by President George H. W. Bush, and later amended with changes effective January 1, 2009....
-compliant.
Services and facilities
The Elizabethtown station is located on South Wilson Avenue, off of Pennsylvania Route 241Pennsylvania Route 241
Pennsylvania Route 241 is a 23 mile long state highway in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The route runs from Pennsylvania Route 441 in Conoy Township, Lancaster County northeast to Pennsylvania Route 72 in the city of Lebanon in Lebanon County....
(West High Street). In addition to being used by passengers originating from Elizabethtown and surrounding Lancaster County, residents of nearby Dauphin
Dauphin County, Pennsylvania
Dauphin County is a county in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and is one of the three counties comprising the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010 census, the population was 268,100. The county includes the city of Harrisburg, which has served as the state capital...
and Lebanon
Lebanon County, Pennsylvania
As of the census of 2000, there were 120,327 people and 32,771 families residing in the county. The population density was 332 people per square mile . There were 49,320 housing units at an average density of 136 per square mile...
counties utilize the Elizabethtown station as well. It sees twenty-six arrivals by the Keystone Service on weekdays, thirteen from both Harrisburg and New York Penn Station
Pennsylvania Station (New York City)
Pennsylvania Station—commonly known as Penn Station—is the major intercity train station and a major commuter rail hub in New York City. It is one of the busiest rail stations in the world, and a hub for inbound and outbound railroad traffic in New York City. The New York City Subway system also...
, and six from each on weekends. The Pennsylvanian arrives once daily from both New York and Pittsburgh Union Station
Union Station (Pittsburgh)
Union Station is a historic train station at Grant Street and Liberty Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the United States.-History:Unlike many union stations built in the U.S...
. The station is 18 miles (29 km) east of Harrisburg, 86 miles (138.4 km) west of 30th Street Station
30th Street Station
30th Street Station is the main railroad station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and one of the five stations in SEPTA's Center City fare zone. It is also a major stop on Amtrak's Northeast and Keystone Corridors...
in Philadelphia, and 179 miles (288.1 km) from New York. In 2010, the station saw a ridership of 95,096 passengers, a decrease of 0.1 percent from 2009.
The station is equipped with Amtrak's Quik-Trak ticket machines, public restrooms, information kiosks, and wireless internet. As the Elizabethtown station is unstaffed, all tickets from the station need to be pre-paid, purchased from Quik-Trak, or from a conductor onboard the train. Parking is in a 45-vehicle lot located in front of the station and a 100-vehicle "overflow lot [located] down the street." The Red Rose Transit Authority
Red Rose Transit Authority
The Red Rose Transit Authority is a transit agency serving Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. RRTA is headquartered in downtown Lancaster.RRTA has routes both within Lancaster city, and between Lancaster and other areas of the county. RRTA coordinates a Paratransit service, Red Rose Access, which is...
's Route 18 transit bus
Transit bus
A transit bus , also known as a commuter bus, city bus, or public bus, is a bus used for short-distance public transport purposes...
provides service between the station, Elizabethtown, Mount Joy
Mount Joy, Pennsylvania
Mount Joy is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 6,765 at the 2000 census.-Name and origin:Mount Joy is often named in lists of "delightfully-named towns" in Pennsylvania Dutchland, along with Intercourse, Blue Ball, PenisPallooza, Amish Land, Dick-in-Hand...
, and Lancaster
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
.
History
Because of the construction of an embankmentEmbankment (transportation)
To keep a road or railway line straight or flat, and where the comparative cost or practicality of alternate solutions is prohibitive, the land over which the road or rail line will travel is built up to form an embankment. An embankment is therefore in some sense the opposite of a cutting, and...
at nearby Bainbridge Street, the Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
was forced to build a new station at West High Street in 1900. After 15 years, the Pennsylvania replaced the station. The new station was constructed out of Indiana Limestone
Indiana Limestone
Indiana Limestone, also known as Bedford Limestone is a common regional term for Salem limestone, a geological formation primarily quarried in south central Indiana between Bloomington and Bedford....
in a similar style to the nearby Masonic Homes built by the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania
Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania
The Right Worshipful Grand Lodge of the Most Ancient and Honorable Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons of Pennsylvania and Masonic Jurisdiction Thereunto Belonging is the premier masonic organization in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania...
. On July 4, 1915, the Liberty Bell
Liberty Bell
The Liberty Bell is an iconic symbol of American Independence, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Formerly placed in the steeple of the Pennsylvania State House , the bell was commissioned from the London firm of Lester and Pack in 1752, and was cast with the lettering "Proclaim LIBERTY...
made a stop at the station while being transported to the Panama–Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The Pennsylvania began electrifying its line between Philadelphia and Harrisburg in 1937, a task which was completed on January 15, 1938. In 1977, the deteriorating station building
Station building
A station building, also known as a head house, is the main building of a passenger train station. It is typically used principally to provide services to passengers.A station building is not to be confused with the station itself...
was closed. Prior to the introduction of the Keystone Service in 1981, the Elizabethtown station was served by the Big Apple, the Silverliner Service, and the Keystone
Keystone (Amtrak)
Amtrak's Keystone was a train service between New York Penn Station and Pittsburgh Penn Station. That route is now served by the Pennsylvanian. Prior to Amtrak the route was known as the Duquesne, named after Fort Duquesne in Pittsburgh, and was operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad...
. The Three Rivers
Three Rivers (Amtrak)
The Three Rivers was a daily Amtrak train running between New York, New York and Chicago, Illinois. It operated via Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Akron, Ohio. The Three Rivers replaced the Broadway Limited in 1995...
made stops in Elizabethtown in 1995 and 1996.
Renovations
In August 1998, the station building was leased to Amtrak for 99 years by the boroughBorough (Pennsylvania)
In the U.S. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, a borough is a self-governing municipal entity that is usually smaller than a city. There are 958 boroughs in Pennsylvania. All municipalities in Pennsylvania are classified as either cities, boroughs, or townships...
of Elizabethtown for $1 per year after ownership was transferred to the borough; ownership of the platforms and right-of-way was retained by Amtrak. Renovations began in August 2009 and were funded by $9.3 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, abbreviated ARRA and commonly referred to as the Stimulus or The Recovery Act, is an economic stimulus package enacted by the 111th United States Congress in February 2009 and signed into law on February 17, 2009, by President Barack Obama.To...
. The station was cited by U.S. Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Tom Coburn
Tom Coburn
Thomas Allen "Tom" Coburn, M.D. , is an American politician, medical doctor, and Southern Baptist deacon. A member of the Republican Party, he currently serves as the junior U.S. Senator from Oklahoma. In the Senate, he is known as "Dr. No" for his tendency to place holds on and vote against bills...
as an example of pork barrel
Pork barrel
Pork barrel is a derogatory term referring to appropriation of government spending for localized projects secured solely or primarily to bring money to a representative's district...
spending in the stimulus bill. Elevators were built and the station's two platforms
Railway platform
A railway platform is a section of pathway, alongside rail tracks at a train station, metro station or tram stop, at which passengers may board or alight from trains or trams. Almost all stations for rail transport have some form of platforms, with larger stations having multiple platforms...
were raised, per the requirements of Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 is a law that was enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1990. It was signed into law on July 26, 1990, by President George H. W. Bush, and later amended with changes effective January 1, 2009....
. The platforms were also lengthened to accommodate longer trains. Canopies were erected over the platforms to provide protection from the elements for waiting passengers. The station building was completely remodeled, including restoration of the original wood furnishings, replacement of broken slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
roof tiles, and masonry being "repointed". The completed station was unveiled in a ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 4, 2011.
See also
- List of Amtrak stations
- Transportation in Lancaster County, PennsylvaniaTransportation in Lancaster County, PennsylvaniaTransportation in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania has a long and variegated history. An early-settled part of the United States, and lying on the route between Philadelphia and Harrisburg, it has been the site of early experiments in canals, railroads, and highways...