Wilkinsburg station facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Wilkinsburg, PA
Line(s)	Pittsburgh Line
History
Closed	September 14, 1975
Former services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station Pittsburgh toward Kansas City National Limited Greensburg toward New York or Washington, D.C. Preceding station Pennsylvania Railroad Following station East Liberty toward Chicago Main Line Braddock toward New York or Exchange Place Homewood toward Pittsburgh North Trafford Line Edgewood toward North Trafford Preceding station Conrail Following station Pittsburgh Terminus Parkway Limited Swissvale toward Greensburg
Pennsylvania Railroad Station-Wilkinsburg
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location in Pennsylvania Show map of Pennsylvania Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Hay St. at Ross Ave., Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania
Area	0.5 acres (0.20 ha)
Built	1916
Architect	Cookson, Walter H.
Architectural style	Beaux Arts
NRHP reference No.	85001568
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	July 18, 1985

The Pennsylvania Railroad Station-Wilkinsburg is an old train station in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania. It is located on Hay Street near Ross Avenue. This building was finished in 1916. It was built when the train tracks were raised above the streets. This helped to make the area safer by removing dangerous street crossings. Before this, two older stations were located a few blocks away on Wood Street.

The Pennsylvania Railroad tracks in Wilkinsburg in 1913, before they were raised.

History of Wilkinsburg Train Station

Building the Station in 1916

The 1916 station was made from brick and stone. It was built in the popular Beaux-Arts architecture style of that time. Inside, it had a waiting room with special tile and large wooden benches.

The station had three long platforms for passengers. These platforms were located between three pairs of train tracks. Passengers could reach the platforms using stairways. These stairs were found at the Penn Avenue, South Avenue, and Franklin Avenue underpasses. There was also a tunnel from the station that led to the platforms. This tunnel also served as a walkway for people crossing Ross Avenue.

How the Station Was Used

The station also had a separate tunnel. This tunnel was used to deliver mail, packages, and luggage to the platforms. A U.S. post office was later built across the street from the station. This created a kind of town center with the public library nearby.

After the East Liberty station was taken down in 1963, Wilkinsburg station became more important. It started serving some long-distance trains for people in the East End of Pittsburgh.

Changes in Train Service

Local commuter trains at Wilkinsburg stopped running on November 27, 1964. However, some long-distance trains continued to stop there. The station building was sold to the Borough of Wilkinsburg on August 21, 1967.

Even though there was no ticket seller later on, the waiting room stayed open for people. It was used for public works by the Borough after the freight agent left.

End of Passenger Service

Long-distance passenger train service at Wilkinsburg ended on September 14, 1975. This was when Amtrak, the national passenger rail company, stopped trains from stopping there. Amtrak said that only 128 passengers used the station in the first six months of 1975. This was the lowest number in their whole system.

The last train to serve Wilkinsburg station was the National Limited. This train traveled daily between New York City and Kansas City, Missouri.

In 1981, there was a short return of commuter service with Conrail's Parkway Limited. By this time, the platforms at the station had been removed. The stairways were also blocked. So, these trains stopped about two blocks away from the station building. The original station building was not used for these stops.

The Wilkinsburg station was added to the National Register of Historic Places on July 18, 1985. This means it is recognized as an important historical place.