For passenger rail travel to remain accessible and welcoming to all future generations, we must ensure the gems of America’s past are well taken care of today.

Making improvements to our stations allows communities to showcase their civic pride and highlight unique architectural aspects that define their locality.

After decades of hosting commuters, travelers, luggage and memories, America’s stations can exhibit natural wear and tear. However, station appearances are much more than what meets the eye. Investing in aesthetic and architectural renovation is an investment in a community’s well-being and future. Investments bring stations up to modern health and safety standards, serve the riders whom the station welcomes each day and can be a first step in wider efforts to revitalize city centers through façade improvements and streetscaping.

Elizabethtown Station Maintains Its Character While Restoring Its Connection to the Region

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The Elizabethtown depot rehabilitation project nears completion in early 2011.

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The passenger shelters, which had fallen into disrepair, were replaced with new canopies that complement the historic depot.

Hosting a dozen daily trains, the Elizabethtown, Pa. station serves as an important part of Pennsylvania’s railroad history. Located on the vital route between Philadelphia and the capital of Harrisburg, the building closed in 1979 and sat abandoned. Three decades later, town officials sought funds for a full restoration, which was completed in 2011.

Improvements included:
  • Ramps and elevators for users of wheeled mobility devices
  • Removal of old transformers to meet U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards
  • New platforms of precast concrete
  • Canopies to protect riders from inclement weather
  • Restoration of the depot’s flooring, woodwork and lighting
  • Cleaning of granite walls and re-pointing of the mortar
  • Replacement of the slate roof

The meticulous restoration retained the station’s historic fabric and provided improved safety features for customers. According to Borough Manager Roni Ryan, “It was important to the community to preserve the existing historic elements of the building to maintain its character.”

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