Parkesburg (Amtrak station)
Encyclopedia
Parkesburg Station is an Amtrak
rail 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) anywhere along the Keystone Corridor
.
In 1984, the station appeared in the Witness
. Filming took place over a three-day period, and devout fans of the film make annual pilgrimages to the station and other select stops each year.
From [approximately] 1914 through 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 Rail Road. A small service yard was also located nearby for both track service and to assist with sideling switching.
Parkesburg Station once was the western-most stop for the SEPTA R5 commuter line (now the Paoli/Thorndale Line
). It was truncated to Downingtown
in November 1996 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.
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...
rail station located between Lancaster
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...
and 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,...
at West First Avenue and South Culvert Street in Parkesburg, Pennsylvania
Parkesburg, Pennsylvania
Parkesburg is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,593 at the 2010 census. The Zip code is 19365.-History:...
. It is served by most 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...
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
Lancaster (Amtrak station)
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....
) is the longest distance between stations (23 miles) anywhere along the Keystone Corridor
Keystone Corridor
The Keystone Corridor is a Federal Railroad Administration "designated high speed corridor" with a 349-mile railroad line between Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with a top speed of...
.
In 1984, the station appeared in the Witness
Witness
A witness is someone who has firsthand knowledge about an event, or in the criminal justice systems usually a crime, through his or her senses and can help certify important considerations about the crime or event. A witness who has seen the event first hand is known as an eyewitness...
. Filming took place over a three-day period, and devout fans of the film make annual pilgrimages to the station and other select stops each year.
From [approximately] 1914 through 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 Rail Road. A small service yard was also located nearby for both track service and to assist with sideling switching.
Parkesburg Station once was the western-most stop for the SEPTA R5 commuter line (now the Paoli/Thorndale Line
Paoli/Thorndale Line
The Paoli/Thorndale Line is a SEPTA Regional Rail line running from Center City Philadelphia to Thorndale in Chester County.-Route:This branch utilizes one of the oldest sections of what is now Amtrak's Keystone Corridor, an electrified 104-mile two to four-track high-speed route between Harrisburg...
). It was truncated to Downingtown
Downingtown (SEPTA station)
Downingtown Station is a commuter rail station located in the western suburbs of Philadelphia at West Lancaster Avenue & Stuart Avenue in Downingtown, Pennsylvania...
in November 1996 because of the need for trains to deadhead to Lancaster to turn around. It has since been re-extended to Thorndale
Thorndale (SEPTA station)
Thorndale Station is a commuter rail station located in the Chester County, Pennsylvania at South Bailey Road and East Lincoln Highway , Thorndale, Pennsylvania. It is served by SEPTA's Paoli/Thorndale Line...
, a few miles west of Downingtown.