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Pennsylvania Station, often called Newark Penn Station so as not to confuse it with Pennsylvania Station in New York City, is one of the two main train stations in Newark, New Jersey. It is located at Raymond Plaza, between Market Street and Raymond Boulevard.
Designed by the renowned architectural firm McKim, Mead and White, the station is a mixture of Art Deco and Neo-Classical. The interior of the main waiting room has medallions illustrating the history of transportation, from wagons to steamships to cars and airplanes, the eventual doom of the railroad age. The station opened on March 24, 1935 and replaced a smaller structure. Except for the Newark City Subway, tracks are located above the ground.
It was built to be one of the centerpieces of the former Pennsylvania Railroad Company's train network, and was the western hub of its Newark-New York City train service. At the time, the Pennsylvania Railroad operated no fewer than 232 trains between the two cities daily. The trip, one-way, took an average of 16 minutes.
The station was built at a cost of $42 million, borne by the railroad and the City of Newark.
Newark Penn Station is still frequented by the intercity Northeast Corridor Amtrak service, but most of its passenger train traffic serves commuters. Three New Jersey Transit regional rail lines -- the Raritan Valley Line, Northeast Corridor Line, and North Jersey Coast Line -- converge here before continuing into Manhattan.
It is the western terminus for the Newark-World Trade Center line of the PATH train operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. It is also the southern terminus of the Newark City Subway.
Tracks and platforms
There are eight tracks at Newark Penn Station. Seven of these are located on one level, with PATH arrivals happening on an upper-level track.
Tracks A & 1 are usually used by Amtrak and New Jersey Transit trains bound for New York Penn Station. Track A is served by a side platform, while Track 1 is serviced by an island platform shared with the track for departing PATH trains.
Track 2 is typically used by Amtrak trains heading towards New York Penn Station. This track is served by an island platform that is also shared with the PATH departure track.
Track 3 is usually used by southbound Amtrak trains, though southbound New Jersey Transit trains will sometimes use this track. This platform is served by an island platform shared with Track 4. This platform also has a ramp to the PATH arrival track on the upper level.
Track 4 is primarily southbound New Jersey Transit trains on the Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coast lines. This track shares a platform with Track 3.
Track 5 is typically reserved for outbound New Jersey Transit's Raritan Valley service. This track is served by a side platform.
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