Pennsylvania Station (Newark)

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It has been suggested that Newark (PATH station) be merged into this article or section. (Discuss)

Newark Penn Station is a busy Amtrak and New Jersey Transit hub. The station was designed by McKim, Mead, and White.

Pennsylvania Station (also known as Newark Penn Station) is the larger of the two main train stations in Newark, New Jersey. It is located at Raymond Plaza, between Market Street and Raymond Boulevard.

Designed by the renowned architectural firm McKim, Mead and White, the station is a mixture of Art Deco and Neo-Classical. The interior of the main waiting room has medallions illustrating the history of transportation, from wagons to steamships to cars and airplanes, the eventual doom of the railroad age. The current building was dedicated on March 23, 1935, and replaced a smaller structure; the first regular train to use it was a New York-Philadelphia express at 10:17 on March 24. Except for the separate Newark City Subway station, tracks are located above the ground.

It was built to be one of the centerpieces of the former Pennsylvania Railroad's (PRR's) train network, and was the western hub of its Newark-New York City train service to Penn Station New York, as well as a transfer point to the Hudson and Manhattan Railroad (now PATH), which was partially funded by the PRR, for travel to lower Manhattan. At the time, the PRR operated no fewer than 232 trains between the two cities daily. The trip, one-way, took an average of 16 minutes.

The station, the adjacent 230-foot lift bridge over the Passaic River (the longest three-track railway lift span in existence at the time), the Newark City Subway and the realignment of PATH were built at a cost of $42 million, borne almost evenly by the PRR and the City of Newark.

Newark Penn Station is still frequented by the intercity Northeast Corridor Amtrak service, but most of its passenger train traffic serves commuters. Three New Jersey Transit regional rail lines converge here — the Raritan Valley Line, which terminates here, and the Northeast Corridor Line and North Jersey Coast Line, which continue into Manhattan.

It is the western terminus for the Newark-World Trade Center line of the PATH train operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. It is also the southern terminus of the Newark City Subway, operated by New Jersey Transit. Both of those services were extended or realigned to the station on June 20, 1937, closing Manhattan Transfer.

The lower level of this station serves as the southern terminus for the Newark City Subway and its new Broad Street Extension. Passengers traveling along this light rail line from Newark and its key suburbs can transfer to Amtrak or PATH trains, or travel directly to Newark Broad Street Station or to any of four key sites in downtown Newark.

Newark Penn Station carries the IATA airport code of ZRP. [1]

Tracks at Newark Penn Station

[edit] Tracks and platforms

There are eight tracks at Newark Penn Station, not including those for the Newark City Subway. Seven of these are located on one level, with PATH arrivals happening on an upper-level track, with a platform on the west (right) side.

From right to left in the diagram, Track A is less commonly used and is served by a side platform.

Track 1 is usually used by New Jersey Transit trains bound for New York Penn Station and is served by an island platform shared with the track for departing PATH trains.

Track 2 is typically used by Amtrak and some New Jersey Transit trains heading towards New York Penn Station. This track is served by an island platform that is also shared with the PATH departure track. In evening rush hours, Track 2 is typically used in the outbound direction by some of the longer-distance express trains on New Jersey Transit's Coast Line.

Track 3 is usually used by southbound Amtrak trains, though southbound New Jersey Transit Northeast Corridor express trains will often use this track in the evening rush hours. This platform is served by an island platform shared with Track 4.

Track 4 is primarily used by southbound New Jersey Transit trains on the Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coast lines.

Track 5 is typically reserved for outbound New Jersey Transit Raritan Valley Line service. This track is served by a side platform.

The PATH arrivals and departures tracks are designed for quick, convenient transfers. The departures track, located between Tracks 1 and 2, permits across-the-platform transfers for most morning rush hour passengers. The PATH arrivals track (H) has stairs down to Track 2, a ramp to Tracks 3 & 4, and another ramp to Track 5; these enable direct transfers in the afternoon rush hours -- avoiding a trip down 2 flights to the main station concourse and back up another.

[edit] Amtrak Lines

There are ten different lines that have stops at Penn Station Newark on Amtrak:

• Acela Express (Boston-Washington)
• Cardinal (New York-Chicago)
• Carolinian (New York-Charlotte)
• Crescent (Amtrak) (New York-New Orleans)
• Keystone (New York-Harrisburg)
• Metroliner (New York-Washington)
• Pennsylvanian (New York-Pittsburgh)
• Regional (Boston-Newport News)
• Silver Service/Palmetto (New York-Miami)
• Vermonter (St. Albans-Washington)

[edit] References

• Newark Dedicates New Station Today, New York Times March 23, 1935 page 13
• Newark Dedicates its New Terminal, New York Times March 24, 1925 page N1
• New Station Open for Hudson Tubes, New York Times June 20, 1937 page 35

[edit] See also

• Newark Broad Street Station
• Newark (PATH station) (Follow this link for details on PATH rail service.)