Wilmington Station Renovation Project. The station is located on the Riverfront in downtown Wilmington, Delaware, at 100 South French Street.
Extensive work is underway to restore and renovate the historic Wilmington Station along Wilmington’s Christina River. Built in 1907, the station fell into a state of disrepair after years of deferred maintenance. Construction includes the restoration and waterproofing of the building’s exterior and a complete restoration of the interior.
The Wilmington station is one of Amtrak’s busiest and one of the few passenger stations with the railroad operating directly over it. The renovation of this local landmark will provide Amtrak and SEPTA passengers, as well as the local community and visitors, with a more comfortable and convenient station. The modern station will include safety improvements and enhanced accessibility for passengers with disabilities. In addition, the project helps stimulate economic vitality along the Riverfront, which offers recreational, cultural, retail and culinary attractions.
The project is funded with $20 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, $12 million from the Delaware Department of Transportation, and $3.7 million from Amtrak with support from the Federal Transit Administration.
This project involves the architectural restoration of the original building exterior, with special care taken to preserve the station’s original Victorian style. Highlights of this project include the following:
The Wilmington Station was designed by renowned architect Frank Furness and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The station was last renovated between 1981 and 1984. The historical structure ranks as the eleventh busiest station in the Amtrak system, serving 89 Amtrak trains and 54 SEPTA trains on weekdays and nearly 700,000 passengers annually.
The Wilmington station is served by two of Amtrak’s most popular services, Acela Express and Northeast Regional. Seven additional services stop at the station:
While the station interior is being renovated, a temporary full-service station, including ticket sales, baggage and station vendors, will be in service just east of the original station on the corner of Martin Luther King Blvd. and Walnut St. The completely accessible temporary station will be in use through December 5, 2010.
Station operations will resume at the newly renovated station on Monday, December 6.
For questions or comments concerning this project, call Amtrak at the toll free hotline 1-800-288-1310 or e-mail us at askamtrak@amtrak.com.
