Charleston, WV (CHW)

350 MacCorkle Avenue - Southeast
Charleston, WV 25314

Station Hours

Annual Ticket Revenue (FY 2023): $527,208
Annual Station Ridership (FY 2023): 6,352

• Ownerships
• Routes Served
• Contact
• Local Community Links

• Facility Ownership: General Corporation
• Parking Lot Ownership: General Corporation
• Platform Ownership: CSX Transportation (CSXT) / General Corporation
• Track Ownership: CSX Transportation (CSXT)

• Cardinal

Derrick James
Regional Contact
governmentaffairschi@amtrak.com
For information about Amtrak fares and schedules, please visit Amtrak.com or call 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245).

• City of Charleston
• Kanawha Valley Regional Transportation Authority buses

The Charleston station was built for the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway (C&O) in 1905, and sits on the south bank of the Kanawha River, opposite downtown Charleston. The principal architects were J.C. and A.L. Pennock. The station is located at the foot of the South Side Bridge, and the track itself sits at the bottom of a shored-up cut into the hillside along the river. The two-story neoclassical style structure is of blonde brick and stone construction. The façade features a shallow single-story portico of paired Roman Doric columns facing the river. The low hipped, terra-cotta tile-covered roof’s deep eaves are supported with brackets. This building is the only railroad passenger station structure remaining in Charleston. The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 and substantially renovated in 1987. Today, it houses offices and commercial space.

In October 2023, West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin joined Charleston Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin and Amtrak officials to cut the ribbon on a $6.4 million accessibility improvement project at the Charleston station. Amtrak built a new 800-foot-long concrete platform with new lighting, guardrails, signage and a stormwater system. Additional improvements included the creation of pathways extending from both parking lots to the station, and three accessible parking spaces for customers. The station building received two new entrances, a renovated waiting room and restrooms. A new fire system was also installed, and heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems were updated. Crack repairs were made to the building’s exterior walls, and a new roof was provided.

These enhancements were performed in close coordination with the Federal Railroad Administration, CSX – which owns the railroad over which the Cardinal operates in the state, West Virginia Division of Culture and History, West Virginia Department of Highways and the city of Charleston.

Traders and land surveyors made their way into the Kanawha River valley as early as 1760. To protect the settlers from Indian attacks that were common at the time, Colonel George Clendenin organized a fort on some of his land on the Kanawha. The protection afforded by Fort Lee made the immediate area quite popular, and by 1794 the Virginia Assembly was dividing Clendenin’s holdings into lots. When the town was chartered in 1818, it was named in honor of Clendenin’s father, Charles. The shortened form was recorded, to distinguish it from Charles Town in the northern part of the state.

Natural salt brine wells were discovered along the Kanawha River early on, and the first salt furnace constructed at Malden in 1797. While drilling for salt brine, Captain James Wilson struck the area’s first natural gas well in 1815. Two years later, coal was discovered, and these provided fuel for the salt works. Kanawha Valley salt was a major export from Charleston until 1861 when the market tapered off. However, the need for chlorine and sodium hydroxide, both easily obtainable from brine, revived the industry during World War I.

Along with being a center for state government, as the capital, Charleston also expanded into the 20th century due to the growth of the coal, natural gas, and railroad industries. Modern development post-war has relied upon government, culture, medicine, and service industries. Downtown revitalization efforts have also contributed to post-1980 growth.

The Charleston Sternwheel Regatta was founded in 1970 to showcase privately owned riverboats, and for a time took on the proportions of a major fall festival in the city, being held over Labor Day weekend.

Station Building (with waiting room)