Amtrak's 1889 built Coatesville Station (former PRR) gets - a new nostalgic street lamp!
And a rebuilt sidewalk, as well... Otherwise the station still sits vacant, pending disposition. This two story structure, hollowed inside and windows either boarded up or broken, once had a 3rd story gable in center of building. The first and third stories were used as residences and entirely separated from the second story which was used for railroad purposes. (Picture the center part of the building one story higher with a roof perpendicular to the current roof). A spree of deliberately set fires occurred between 2007 and early 2009 Coatesville - twenty of the nearly 70 fires over the two-year span remain unsolved. Fortunately, this station was spared, though tragically, it appears the majority of fires involved residential homes.
Today, Coatesville is one of the least-used stations on the Keystone Corridor east of Harrisburg, likely due due to a lack of parking as well as its proximity to Thorndale station on the SEPTA Paoli/Thorndale Line. At one time, however, station was an asset to the town known for its steel mills whose employees numbered near 10,000. SEPTA once served this station from 1990 to 1996 though the agency truncated its service in an effort to save money. A long delayed proposal that would see a new ADA accessible station with a large parking garage has been on the books for over a decade with work sporadic at best, but progressing as the new lamp proves. What do the next 10 years have in store? The new station would be located just to the east. The station is about 38 miles west of Philadelphia.
For a view from the platform, click here.
