Allentown station (Lehigh Valley Railroad)


Allentown was a train station in Allentown, Pennsylvania. It was opened by the Lehigh Valley Railroad in 1890 and closed in 1961. The building was demolished in 1972. The station was located one block west of the Central Railroad of New Jersey's Allentown station.

History

The Lehigh Valley Railroad opened its original line between Allentown and Easton, Pennsylvania in 1855; the first passenger train ran between the two cities on June 11. In 1890 the Lehigh Valley relocated its station to downtown Allentown, just off its main line. The station stood near the intersection of Hamilton and 4th Street, adjacent to Jordan Creek. Named long distance passenger trains included the Asa Packer, the John Wilkes, the Black Diamond and the Star and the Maple Leaf. Each of these had continuing equipment or connecting services to Philadelphia.
The railroad abandoned its remaining passenger trains on February 4, 1961, after years of financial losses and declining patronage. Allentown was one of several passenger-only stations which was closed as a result. The abandoned station was demolished in 1972 to permit the construction of an enlarged road bridge over Jordan Creek.
Service along the former Lehigh Valley route to Allentown resumed in 1978. Conrail, which had taken over the Lehigh Valley's lines in 1976, began operating commuter trains from Allentown to Philadelphia. The service was funded by the federal government and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Trains stopped at a platform at 3rd and Union, approximately a block south of where the Lehigh Valley's station had stood. Service began on July 31, 1978, with four round-trips to Philadelphia. The service was an extension of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority's existing Bethlehem Line trains. The station consisted of a platform, small shelter, and an unpaved parking lot. Service between Allentown and Bethlehem ended on August 20, 1979, amid low patronage and a dispute over the subsidy for the service.