Allentown station (Central Railroad of New Jersey)

Allentown
Central Railroad of New Jersey station, looking west. The Lehigh Valley Railroad station is in the background.
Location	369 Hamilton Street
Coordinates	40°36′16″N 075°27′44″W / 40.60444°N 75.46222°W / 40.60444; -75.46222 (CNJ Station)
Line(s)	Central Railroad of New Jersey Reading Company
History
Opened	1890
Closed	1967
Services
Former services   Preceding station   Central Railroad of New Jersey   Following station Gordon Street toward Scranton Central Railroad of New Jersey Bethlehem toward Jersey City Preceding station   Reading Railroad   Following station Terminus East Penn Branch Emmaus toward Reading

Allentown was a train station in Allentown, Pennsylvania. It was constructed by the Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ) and Reading Railroad in 1888–1889. The station closed in 1967 with the cessation of CNJ passenger service. The station was located one block east of the Lehigh Valley Railroad's Allentown station.

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.

It was in the late 1880s that both railroads built elaborate stations in Allentown, and all lines serving Allentown converged at the two stations. LV rail lines ran south into Allentown from Mauch Chunk, primarily along the west side of the Lehigh River. The lines crossed under the Tilghman Street Bridge past LV freight yard north of Walnut Street, then under Linden Street to the passenger station. The lines continued south out of Allentown, then turned east, following the west side of the river through Rittersville, Fountain Hill and South Bethlehem under the Hill to Hill Bridge, past Bethlehem Steel to Easton.