Wilmington station (Delaware)

Wilmington, DE
Wilmington station in July 2014
General information
Other namesJoseph R. Biden, Jr., Railroad Station
Location100 South French Street
Wilmington, Delaware
United States
Coordinates39°44′12″N 75°33′04″W / 39.736759°N 75.551093°W / 39.736759; -75.551093
Owned byAmtrak
Line(s)Amtrak Northeast Corridor
Platforms2 side platforms, 1 island platform
Tracks3
Connections
Construction
ParkingPaid parking nearby
Bicycle facilities20 rack spaces[2]
AccessibleYes[1]
Other information
Station codeAmtrak: WIL
SEPTA: 90203
IATA codeZWI
Fare zone4 (SEPTA)[1]
History
Opened1908 (1908)
Rebuilt2011
Electrified1928[3] (toward Philadelphia)
1935[4] (toward Washington D.C)
Previous namesFrench Street
Wilmington Pennsylvania Station
Passengers
FY 2023625,373[5] (Amtrak)
2017878 boardings, 632 alightings (weekday average)[6] (SEPTA)
Rank19 of 146 (SEPTA)
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
Baltimore Acela Philadelphia
Vermonter Philadelphia
toward St. Albans
Baltimore
toward Chicago
Cardinal Philadelphia
toward New York
Baltimore
toward Charlotte
Carolinian
Baltimore Crescent
Baltimore
toward Savannah
Palmetto
Baltimore
toward Miami
Silver Meteor
Newark, Delaware Northeast Regional Philadelphia
Preceding station SEPTA Following station
Churchmans Crossing
toward Newark
Wilmington/​Newark Line Claymont
Former services
Preceding station Pennsylvania Railroad Following station
Newport Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad Edge Moor
Terminus Wilmington Line Edge Moor
New Castle Delmarva Division Terminus
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
Newark, Delaware Chesapeake Chester
Baltimore Federal Philadelphia
Aberdeen
toward Tri-State
Hilltopper
Baltimore Metroliner Philadelphia
toward New York
Montrealer Philadelphia
toward Montreal
Baltimore
toward Miami
Silver Star Philadelphia
toward New York
Wilmington Station
Area2 buildings and 1 structure on 3.3 acres (1.3 ha)
ArchitectFurness, Evans & Co.
Architectural styleRomanesque Revival
NRHP reference No.76000581[7]
Added to NRHPNovember 21, 1976
Location
Map

Wilmington station, also known as the Joseph R. Biden, Jr., Railroad Station, is a passenger rail station in Wilmington, Delaware. It serves nine Amtrak train routes and is part of the Northeast Corridor. It also serves SEPTA Regional Rail commuter trains on the Wilmington/Newark Line as well as DART First State local buses and Greyhound Lines intercity buses.

Built in 1907 as Pennsylvania Station, the station was renamed in 2011 for then-Vice President (now President) Joe Biden, an advocate for passenger rail who routinely took the train from Wilmington to Washington, D.C. during his time as a Senator from 1973 to 2009.[8] In 1987, Biden formally announced his ultimately unsuccessful bid for the 1988 Democratic presidential nomination at this station. Located on Front Street between French and Walnut Streets in downtown Wilmington, the station has one inside level with stores, a cafe/newsstand, Amtrak and SEPTA ticket offices, a car rental office, and restrooms. Passengers board their trains on the second-story train platforms.

  1. ^ a b c "Wilmington/Newark Line Timetable" (PDF). SEPTA. April 16, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  2. ^ "Wilmington Station". SEPTA. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
  3. ^ "Electric Trains in Service on Pennsy". The Every Evening. Wilmington, Delaware. October 1, 1928. p. 1. Retrieved January 31, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  4. ^ "N.Y.-Washington Electric Train Service Starts Sunday on P.R.R." The Daily Home News. New Brunswick, New Jersey. February 9, 1935. p. 3. Retrieved January 31, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  5. ^ "Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal Year 2023: State of Delaware" (PDF). Amtrak. March 2024. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
  6. ^ "Fiscal Year 2021 Service Plan Update". SEPTA. June 2020. p. 24. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  7. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference ajabc was invoked but never defined (see the help page).