Allentown (SEPTA station)

Allentown Terminal Railroad Station Lehigh Valley Railroad Station
Inter-city rail Former SEPTA regional rail station
Lehigh Valley Railroad Station looking from the southeast. Central Railroad of New Jersey Station looking west. Note LVRR station in background.
Location	371 Hamilton Street (LV) 369 Hamilton Street (CNJ) Allentown, Pennsylvania
Coordinates	40°36′16″N 075°27′44″W / 40.60444°N 75.46222°W / 40.60444; -75.46222 (CNJ Station) CNJ 40°36′14″N 075°27′51″W / 40.60389°N 75.46417°W / 40.60389; -75.46417 (LVRR Station) LVRR
Line(s)	Central Railroad of New Jersey Reading Company Lehigh Valley Railroad
Tracks	2 (each station)
History
Opened	1890
Closed	1961, 1967
Services
Former services   Preceding station   SEPTA   Following station Bethlehem toward Reading Terminal Bethlehem Line Terminus Preceding station   Lehigh Valley Transit Company   Following station Center Valley via School, Lehigh, and Emmaus Junction toward 69th Street Liberty Bell High Speed Line Liberty Bell Limited (service ended 1951) Terminus Preceding station   Reading Railroad   Following station Terminus East Penn Branch Emmaus toward Reading Outer Station Preceding station   Central Railroad of New Jersey   Following station Mauch Chunk toward Scranton Central Railroad of New Jersey Bethlehem toward Jersey City

Lehigh Valley Railroad Station looking from the southeast.

The Allentown passenger railroad stations provided inter-city rail service to the city of Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Allentown was served by two passenger train stations. The Allentown Terminal Railroad Station served patrons of the Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ) and the Reading Company (RDG) who jointly operated it. It was constructed in 1888 and 1889. The second station, the Lehigh Valley Railroad Station (LV), was built in 1889 directly west of the CNJ station. It served the passengers of the Lehigh Valley Railroad (LV). Both stations were located on the south side of the 300 block of Hamilton Street, the LV station extending over the Jordan Creek.

During the first half of the 19th century, Allentown was primarily a small market town for farmers. It was not until 1851 that the first railroad reached Allentown with the chartering of the Delaware, Lehigh, Schuylkill and Susquehanna Railroad, which later became the Lehigh Valley Railroad. A small station was built in 1855 which linked the city with Easton and Mauch Chunk. However, the railroad was not a major factor in local transportation.

During the Civil War, the industrial growth along the Lehigh River saw the establishment of industry in the city. To be successful, the industries needed cheap and reliable transportation systems to haul the raw materials and the finished products. The Lehigh Canal, built in the 1820s was the major transport link used to haul anthracite coal from northeast Pennsylvania to the factories, but a major flood in 1862 seriously damaged the Canal. Charters were issued to two railroad companies, the Lehigh Valley and Lehigh and Susquehanna (later leased to the Central Railroad of New Jersey) to build lines into Allentown. The Reading Lines entered the city soon afterwards. Along with the freight railroads, Allentown became a destination for immigrants who found work in one of Allentown's textile mills and factories.