Newark station (Delaware)

Newark station is a train station in Newark, Delaware, on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor, serving a limited number of Amtrak Northeast Regional trains and SEPTA's Wilmington/Newark Line regional rail trains.

This article is about the Amtrak station in Delaware. For the station in New Jersey, see Pennsylvania Station (Newark).
Newark
Newark station in September 2021
General information
Location10 Mopar Drive
Newark, Delaware
United States
Coordinates39°40′13″N 75°45′11″W
Owned byDART First State
Line(s)Amtrak Northeast Corridor
Platforms2 side platforms
Tracks4
Connections
Construction
Parking256 spaces[1]
Bicycle facilities5 rack spaces[1]
AccessibleYes[2]
Other information
Station codeAmtrak: NRK
SEPTA: 90201
Fare zone4 (SEPTA)[2]
History
Opened1877 (1877)
ElectrifiedJanuary 28, 1935[3] (ceremonial)
February 10, 1935[4] (regular service)
Passengers
FY 202222,125[5] (Amtrak)
2017318 boardings, 238 alightings (weekday average)[6] (SEPTA)
Rank85 of 146 (SEPTA)
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
Aberdeen
toward Norfolk, Newport News or Roanoke
 Northeast Regional Wilmington
toward Boston South or Springfield
     Acela does not stop here
     Cardinal does not stop here
     Carolinian does not stop here
     Crescent does not stop here
     Palmetto does not stop here
     Silver Meteor does not stop here
     Silver Star does not stop here
     Vermonter does not stop here
Preceding station SEPTA Following station
Terminus Wilmington/​Newark Line Churchmans Crossing
toward Temple University
Former services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
Elkton
toward Washington, D.C.
 Chesapeake Wilmington
toward Philadelphia–Suburban
Preceding station Pennsylvania Railroad Following station
Iron Hill
toward Washington, D.C.
 Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad Ruthby
toward Philadelphia
Proposed services
Preceding station MARC Following station
Elkton
towards Union Station
 Penn Line Terminus
Newark Passenger Station
Area0.1 acres (0.04 ha)
Built1877
Built byPhiladelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad
ArchitectS. T. Fuller
Architectural styleLate Victorian, High Victorian
MPSNewark MRA
NRHP reference No.82002346[7]
Added to NRHPMay 7, 1982

Service
A SEPTA train at Newark in 2018

The Newark station is the southern terminus of weekday service for SEPTA's Wilmington/Newark Line; it does not serve the station on weekends or holidays. Like all stations in Delaware, SEPTA service is provided under contract and funded through DART First State. Amtrak Northeast Regional service at Newark station is limited; the station sees one train in each direction on weekdays, an additional northbound train on Thursdays and Fridays and an additional southbound train on Fridays, and three trains in each direction on weekends.[8]

The station is located at Mopar Drive and South College Avenue, and travelers arriving at the station must walk a few blocks north along South College Avenue to reach the University of Delaware or the businesses centered on Main Street. A 380 space parking lot exists, mostly serving park and ride passengers bound for Wilmington, Delaware, or Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The James F. Hall Trail also runs along the north side of the tracks.[9]

History
The original Newark station building in April 2012

The original station building, originally constructed by the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad in 1877, is adjacent to the southbound platform, and at one time also had connecting branches to Pomeroy, Pennsylvania and Delaware City, Delaware. It is now home to the Newark Historical Society,[10] but does not function as a train station. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since May 7, 1982. The station is built on a "T" plan with a hipped cross-gable roof and Victorian detailing such as ornamental brackets and sawtooth brickwork.[11]

In 1986, Newark's city council authorized an application for a state of Delaware Bicentennial Improvement Fund grant for the acquisition and redevelopment of the Newark station, and on March 27, 1987, Amtrak deeded the station building to the city. By September, the city had hired John Milner Associates of West Chester, Pa., to develop architectural specifications for restoration. Restoration work encompassed the first floor ticket booths, the ladies' and men's waiting rooms, modernized upstairs offices, and rebuilt canopies on the exterior. SEPTA service was extended to Newark in 1997.[11]

In 2012 a new federal grant was awarded to upgrade the station into a multi-modal hub. This includes new platform, eliminating grade crossings, upgrades to the adjacent rail yard and new ticketing machines.[12]

Track upgrades to increase capacity between Newark and Wilmington rebuilt and reconfigured interlockings and added a third track to 1.5 miles of the line.[13] Construction on these track upgrades was completed in 2020.[14]

An extension of MARC's Penn Line commuter rail service from its current terminus at Perryville, Maryland has been discussed, connecting Newark to Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Currently, the MTA funds a local bus connection between Newark and Baltimore with a transfer at Elkton station.[15] A bill in Maryland awaiting the signature of Governor Larry Hogan would extend MARC service from Perryville to Newark. In 2020, Representative Edward Osienski and Senator Stephanie Hansen cosponsored a resolution to the Delaware General Assembly that will add commuter rail service between Newark and Perryville, involving an extension of MARC service to connect with SEPTA at Newark and provide an alternate to Amtrak for Delaware residents wanting to travel to Baltimore and Washington, D.C. This resolution was planned to be introduced into the Delaware General Assembly in 2021.[16]

On July 17, 2017, construction began on a project that will add new tracks, accessible platforms and a new station building. A groundbreaking ceremony was held with Governor John Carney, U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons, and U.S. Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester in attendance. The first phase of the project added more parking spaces and reconfigured the intersection with South College Avenue at the station. The second phase constructed the new station building, which has restrooms, a waiting area, and parking for bicycles. A covered pedestrian bridge is also planned to be constructed over the tracks. The new station will have a high-level accessible platform between two tracks, allowing the station to serve two trains at one time.[17] On May 30, 2018, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the new station building, with Governor Carney and Senator Carper in attendance.[18] The new station building was completed in 2020.[19] Construction of rail upgrades and the new platform have yet to take place; the Delaware Department of Transportation is working with Amtrak to finalize funding and the timeline of construction.[20] The project will allow for the expansion of SEPTA service at the station and for a possible extension of MARC service from Maryland.[17]

References
  1. "Newark Station". Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
  2. "Wilmington/Newark Line Timetable" (PDF). Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority. April 16, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  3. "Pennsy's New Electric Train Breaks Record". The Evening Sun. Baltimore, Maryland. January 28, 1935. p. 28. Retrieved January 31, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  4. "N.Y.-Washington Electric Train Service Starts Sunday on P.R.R." The Daily Home News. New Brunswick, New Jersey. February 9, 1935. p. 3. Retrieved January 31, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  5. "Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal Year 2022: State of Delaware" (PDF). Amtrak. June 2023. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
  6. "Fiscal Year 2021 Service Plan Update". SEPTA. June 2020. p. 24. Retrieved March 11, 2022.|pass_year=2017
  7. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  8. "Northeast Corridor New York-DC schedule" (PDF). Amtrak. Retrieved June 20, 2019.
  9. "James F. Hall Trail". Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. Retrieved December 5, 2010.
  10. "Newark Historical Society". NEWARK HISTORICAL SOCIETY. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
  11. "Newark, DE (NRK)". Great American Stations. Retrieved March 8, 2013.
  12. "Tiger IV Rail Grant".
  13. "Delaware Third Track Project". The Northeast Corridor. Amtrak. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
  14. Luczak, Marybeth (December 7, 2020). "Amtrak, Delaware Complete $71.2MM NEC Project". Railway Age. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
  15. "MARC Riders Advisory Council Meeting Summary Minutes" (PDF). MTA Maryland. January 18, 2018. Retrieved April 16, 2018.
  16. Irizarry, Joe (April 8, 2020). "Lawmakers seek to link regional rail at new Newark train station". Delaware Public Media. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  17. Baker, Karl (July 17, 2017). "State officials break ground on $50 million Newark train station". The News Journal. Delaware Online. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
  18. "Ground Broken for Newark Regional Transportation Center Building" (Press release). Delaware Department of Transportation. May 30, 2018. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
  19. "Newark Regional Transportation Center Phasing Plan". Delaware Department of Transportation. July 2020. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
  20. "Newark Regional Transportation Center". Delaware Department of Transportation. Retrieved July 3, 2021.

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