Parkesburg station

Parkesburg is an Amtrak train station located between Lancaster and Philadelphia at West First Avenue and South Culvert Street in Parkesburg, Pennsylvania. It is served by most Amtrak Keystone Service trains. A station building exists at the stop, but is not currently used as a ticket office. The distance between Parkesburg and the next westbound station (Lancaster) is the longest distance between stations (23 miles (37 km)) anywhere within the Pennsylvania section of the Keystone Service.

Parkesburg, PA
Parkesburg Amtrak station on the eastbound track 1, but looking west.
Location501 Maple Street, Parkesburg, Pennsylvania
Coordinates39°57′33″N 75°55′20″W
Owned byAmtrak
Line(s)Keystone Corridor (Main Line)
Platforms2 side platforms
Tracks3
Connections TMACC Coatesville Link
Other information
Station codePAR
ElectrifiedJanuary 15, 1938[1]
Passengers
FY 201744,568[2]  5.1%
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
Lancaster
toward Harrisburg
 Keystone Service Coatesville
toward New York
     Pennsylvanian does not stop here
Former services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
Lancaster
toward Pittsburgh
 Pennsylvanian Coatesville
toward New York
Preceding station SEPTA Following station
Terminus Parkesburg Line Coatesville
toward Suburban Station
Preceding station Pennsylvania Railroad Following station
Lancaster
toward Chicago
 Main Line Coatesville
toward New York or Exchange Place
Lenover
toward Chicago
 Pomeroy
toward New York or Exchange Place

History

From c. 1914 until 1972, Parkesburg Tower was located near the Atlantic Avenue bridge. The tower served as a communication/signalling point for westbound (to Lancaster and beyond) trains, and a routing location for eastbound trains entering the Main Line of the Pennsylvania Railroad. A small service yard was also located nearby for both track service and to assist with sideling switching. Parkesburg Station once was the westernmost stop for the SEPTA R5 commuter line since 1990 (now the Paoli/Thorndale Line). It was truncated to Downingtown in November 1996[3] because of the need for trains to deadhead to Lancaster to turn around. It has since been re-extended to Thorndale, a few miles west of Downingtown.

In 1984, the station appeared in the movie Witness.[4]

Station layout

Parkesburg has two low-level side platforms. A center track is not used for passenger service.

Side platform, doors will open on the right
Track 2 ←      Keystone Service toward Harrisburg (Lancaster)
←      Pennsylvanian does not stop here
No service ← No regular service →
Track 1 ←      Pennsylvanian does not stop here →
←      Keystone Service toward Philadelphia or New York (Coatesville) →
Side platform, doors will open on the right

References
  1. "Pennsy Completes New Electric Link". The Wilkes-Barre Times Leader. January 15, 1938. p. 1. Retrieved August 22, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. "Amtrak State Fact Sheet, FY2017, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania" (PDF). Amtrak. November 2017. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
  3. "SEPTA Board Cuts Service; But Opposition is Spirited". The Philadelphia Daily News. October 25, 1996. p. 12. Retrieved July 19, 2011.
  4. "Parkesburg Yesterday". Parkesburg Today. 2011-04-07. Retrieved 2015-09-09.


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