Allentown station (Lehigh Valley Railroad)

Allentown was a train station in Allentown, Pennsylvania. It was opened by the Lehigh Valley Railroad in 1890 and closed in 1961. The building was demolished in 1972. The station was located one block west of the Central Railroad of New Jersey's Allentown station.

Allentown
The station in 1912, looking from the southeast.
Location4th and Hamilton
Coordinates40°36′14″N 075°27′51″W
Line(s)Lehigh Valley Railroad
History
Opened1890
Closed1961
Former lines & services
Preceding station Lehigh Valley Railroad Following station
Catasauqua
toward Buffalo
 Main Line Bethlehem
toward New York or Jersey City
Fullerton
toward Buffalo
Preceding station SEPTA Following station
Terminus Bethlehem Line Bethlehem
toward Reading Terminal

History

The Lehigh Valley Railroad opened its original line between Allentown and Easton, Pennsylvania in 1855; the first passenger train ran between the two cities on June 11.[1] In 1890 the Lehigh Valley relocated its station to downtown Allentown, just off its main line. The station stood near the intersection of Hamilton and 4th Street, adjacent to Jordan Creek.[2] Named long distance passenger trains included the Asa Packer (New York City - Mauch Chunk), the John Wilkes (New York City - Wilkes-Barre), the Black Diamond and the Star (New York City - Buffalo) and the Maple Leaf (New York City - Toronto). Each of these had continuing equipment or connecting services to Philadelphia.[3]

The railroad abandoned its remaining passenger trains on February 4, 1961, after years of financial losses and declining patronage.[4] Allentown was one of several passenger-only stations which was closed as a result.[5] The abandoned station was demolished in 1972 to permit the construction of an enlarged road bridge over Jordan Creek.[6]

Service along the former Lehigh Valley route to Allentown resumed in 1978. Conrail, which had taken over the Lehigh Valley's lines in 1976, began operating commuter trains from Allentown to Philadelphia. The service was funded by the federal government and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Trains stopped at a platform at 3rd and Union, approximately a block south of where the Lehigh Valley's station had stood. Service began on July 31, 1978, with four round-trips to Philadelphia. The service was an extension of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority's existing Bethlehem Line trains.[7] The station consisted of a platform, small shelter, and an unpaved parking lot. Service between Allentown and Bethlehem ended on August 20, 1979, amid low patronage and a dispute over the subsidy for the service.[8][9]

Notes
  1. Archer 1977, p. 32
  2. Archer 1977, p. 174
  3. Lehigh Valley Railroad September 1953 timetable, Tables 1, 2 http://www.viewoftheblue.com/photography/timetables/LV092753.pdf
  4. Archer 1977, p. 275
  5. "LVRR To Close Six Passenger Depots Monday". Jim Thorpe Times-News. February 7, 1961. p. 1. Retrieved April 14, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. Storch, Phil H. (June 18, 1973). "Hamilton Span Opening Set For Tomorrow". The Morning Call. p. 6. Retrieved April 14, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Conrail adds trains today to-from Lehigh Valley". The Morning Call. July 31, 1978. p. 13. Retrieved April 14, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. Clark, John (June 15, 1979). "Lack of commuters danger signal for route". The Morning Call. p. 9. Retrieved April 14, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. Coyle, Marcia (August 3, 1979). "Conrail cancels Allentown train". The Morning Call. p. 5. Retrieved April 14, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.

References
  • Archer, Robert F. (1977). The History of the Lehigh Valley Railroad. Berkeley: Howell-North Books. ISBN 978-0-8310-7113-4.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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