Newark station (Delaware)

Newark station, also known as Thomas R. Carper 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.

Newark
Newark station in September 2021
General information
Other names	Thomas R. Carper Station
Location	10 Mopar Drive Newark, Delaware United States
Coordinates	39°40′13″N 75°45′11″W
Owned by	DART First State
Line(s)	Amtrak Northeast Corridor
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	4
Connections	DART First State: 10, 33, 46, DART Connect Cecil Transit: 4 James F. Hall Trail
Construction
Parking	256 spaces[1]
Bicycle facilities	5 rack spaces[1]
Accessible	Yes[2]
Other information
Station code	Amtrak: NRK SEPTA: 90201
Fare zone	4 (SEPTA)[2]
History
Opened	1877 (1877)
Electrified	January 28, 1935[3] (ceremonial) February 10, 1935[4] (regular service)
Passengers
FY 2023	29,344[5] (Amtrak)
2017	318 boardings, 238 alightings (weekday average)[6] (SEPTA)
Rank	85 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      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
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Area	0.1 acres (0.04 ha)
Built	1877
Built by	Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad
Architect	S. T. Fuller
Architectural style	Late Victorian, High Victorian
MPS	Newark MRA
NRHP reference No.	82002346[7]
Added to NRHP	May 7, 1982
Location

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]

On May 17, 2024, Delaware state legislature renamed Newark Station in honor of Senator Carper, citing his advocacy for investment in passenger rail service during his tenure as Senator.^[21]

References

1. "Newark Station". SEPTA. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
2. "Wilmington/Newark Line Timetable" (PDF). SEPTA. 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.
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.
5. "Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal Year 2023: State of Delaware" (PDF). Amtrak. March 2024. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
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.
21. "Officials Celebrate the Naming of the Thomas R. Carper Train Station in Newark". carper.senate.gov. Office of Senator Tom Carper. May 17, 2024. Retrieved June 30, 2024.

External links

Media related to Newark Rail Station (Delaware) at Wikimedia Commons

• Newark, DE – Amtrak
• Newark, DE – Station history at Great American Stations (Amtrak)
• SEPTA – Newark station