Amtrak renovates Pa. train station

On Monday, representatives from Amtrak, the city of Lancaster, Lancaster County and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) celebrated the start of the 18-month state and county-led project to renovate the Lancaster train station.

The station is served by Amtrak’s state-supported Keystone (Harrisburg - Philadelphia - New York) and Pennsylvanian (Pittsburgh - Harrisburg - Philadelphia - New York) routes.

The $12 million project includes a complete rehabilitation of the station's interior and exterior; a new heating, ventilation and air conditioning system; new restrooms; improved landscaping and increased parking capacity (from 175 parking spaces to 237).

A new taxi loading and unloading area will be provided as will a new waiting and ticketing area for the Trailways Bus Co. The station also will have retail space and meeting rooms.

Funding for the renovation of the station, built by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1929, was secured from county, state and federal sources — $9.6 million in federal funds, $2 million in state funds and $400,000 in county funds.

For more information on the Lancaster Station Improvement Project, visit http://www.lancasteramtrakstation.com/amtrakstation/site/default.asp.