Lancaster (Amtrak station)
Encyclopedia
Lancaster Station is an Amtrak
railway station and intercity bus facility located at 53 McGovern Avenue, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
. The station is located at the north end of the city, roughly a mile from downtown Lancaster.
The station building was constructed in 1929 by the Pennsylvania Railroad
. Currently owned by Amtrak
, the station is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
as part of the Lancaster City Historic District. Composed mostly of brick, the station's main entrance features concrete columns and large, rounded windows, giving the station a stately appearance. The interior contains standard amenities such as restrooms and seating areas in the second floor waiting area. It also has a small snack bar open weekdays during high passenger volume periods. The locals know the station best by its Christmas lights inside behind the frosted glass ceiling that stay hung all year long.
Lancaster Station is served by all Amtrak Keystone Service
and Pennsylvanian
trains. As of April 2007, there are 14 weekday and 8 weekend departures. Primary cities served on Amtrak to and from Lancaster include Philadelphia
, Trenton
, and New York to the east and Harrisburg
, Altoona
(Pennsylvanian only), and Pittsburgh
(Pennsylvanian only) to the west. Both staffed and Quik-Trak machine ticket service are available for all departures. There is also an intercity bus operator, Bieber Tourways & Trailways, that provides service to the station. Bieber Tourways connects Lancaster to York
and Harrisburg to the west and to King of Prussia
and New York to the east, as well as many cities and towns beyond those listed via transfers.
The public transit operator in the Lancaster area, Red Rose Transit Authority
, has one metro area bus (Route 3) that stops along McGovern Avenue next to the station and a few county-wide buses operating north of Lancaster city that stop within two blocks of the station. Red Rose Transit also provides shuttle service (Red Rose Trolley) to downtown Lancaster.
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...
railway station and intercity bus facility located at 53 McGovern Avenue, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
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...
. The station is located at the north end of the city, roughly a mile from downtown Lancaster.
The station building was constructed in 1929 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....
. Currently owned by Amtrak
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...
, the station is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
as part of the Lancaster City Historic District. Composed mostly of brick, the station's main entrance features concrete columns and large, rounded windows, giving the station a stately appearance. The interior contains standard amenities such as restrooms and seating areas in the second floor waiting area. It also has a small snack bar open weekdays during high passenger volume periods. The locals know the station best by its Christmas lights inside behind the frosted glass ceiling that stay hung all year long.
Lancaster Station is served by all Amtrak 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...
and Pennsylvanian
Pennsylvanian (Amtrak)
The Pennsylvanian is a 444-mile daytime Amtrak train running between New York and Pittsburgh via Philadelphia. The trains travel through Pennsylvania's capital, the Pennsylvania Dutch Country, suburban and central Philadelphia, and pass through New Jersey up to New York. Trains run once daily in...
trains. As of April 2007, there are 14 weekday and 8 weekend departures. Primary cities served on Amtrak to and from Lancaster include Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, Trenton
Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Trenton had a population of 84,913...
, and New York to the east 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...
, Altoona
Altoona, Pennsylvania
-History:A major railroad town, Altoona was founded by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1849 as the site for a shop complex. Altoona was incorporated as a borough on February 6, 1854, and as a city under legislation approved on April 3, 1867, and February 8, 1868...
(Pennsylvanian only), and Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
(Pennsylvanian only) to the west. Both staffed and Quik-Trak machine ticket service are available for all departures. There is also an intercity bus operator, Bieber Tourways & Trailways, that provides service to the station. Bieber Tourways connects Lancaster to York
York, Pennsylvania
York, known as the White Rose City , is a city located in York County, Pennsylvania, United States which is in the South Central region of the state. The population within the city limits was 43,718 at the 2010 census, which was a 7.0% increase from the 2000 count of 40,862...
and Harrisburg to the west and to King of Prussia
King of Prussia, Pennsylvania
King of Prussia is a census-designated place in Upper Merion Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population was 19,936. The community took its name in the 18th century from a local tavern named the King of Prussia Inn, which was named after...
and New York to the east, as well as many cities and towns beyond those listed via transfers.
The public transit operator in the Lancaster area, 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...
, has one metro area bus (Route 3) that stops along McGovern Avenue next to the station and a few county-wide buses operating north of Lancaster city that stop within two blocks of the station. Red Rose Transit also provides shuttle service (Red Rose Trolley) to downtown Lancaster.