Join In The FREE Celebration At Wilmington Train Station

CELEBRATION PLANNED FOR WILMINGTON TRAIN STATION DEDICATION Public invited to an Open House Saturday, March 19

WILMINGTON - All aboard for food, fun, and trains! On Saturday, March 19, from noon until 3 p.m., join representatives from the State of Delaware, City of Wilmington, the Delaware Congressional Delegation, the Friends of Furness Railroad District and Amtrak for an Open House to celebrate the reopening and dedication of the historic Wilmington Station.
In honor of long-time Amtrak rider, strong advocate of passenger rail, and current Vice President of the United States of America Joe Biden, the renovated station will be dedicated as the Joseph R. Biden, Jr., Railroad Station. As a U.S. Senator from Delaware for 36 years, Vice President Biden regularly used this station to travel between Wilmington and Washington, DC.
After nearly two years, the $37.7 million renovation of Wilmington Station is now complete. Amtrak passengers utilizing the station now enjoy a more comfortable and convenient station which features a larger concourse, safety improvements and a new passenger information display system. In addition, the renovation includes enhancements to the station's accessibility for people with disabilities.
The Open House provides the perfect opportunity for the public to tour the newly renovated station. From the historic restoration to a train equipment display, there will be a great deal to see and do. Visitors will now be able to enter the station and see the reconfigured, wide open lobby and view a large lobby display depicting the history of the Wilmington Train Station. From there, they will be able to walk up the grand staircase and experience a sense of history as they walk through the restored historic waiting rooms. They can also view the train equipment display, including new modernized SEPTA coach cars and a locomotive painted in a historic paint scheme in celebration of America's Railroad 40th Anniversary, among other passenger cars.

Musical entertainment will be provided by the Wilmington Children's Chorus. Free food and refreshments will also be available to those who attend.
Free parking at the Wilmington Station is available at the Riverfront Parking Deck and in the surface parking lot on French Street along the riverfront.
The Open House is made possible with support by Amtrak, Bernardon Haber Holloway Architects PC, City of Wilmington, Delaware Congressional Delegation, Delaware Department of Transportation, Delaware Transit Corporation, Friends of the Furness Railroad District, Michael Baker Jr., Inc., Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, Wilmington Children's Chorus, Delaware Historical Society and the Wilmington Renaissance Corporation.
Funding for the renovation project was provided by Amtrak ($5.7 million), the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act ($20 million), the Delaware Department of Transportation ($2 million) and the Delaware Congressional Delegation through the SAFETEALU Transportation bill and appropriations bills ($10 million).
The Wilmington Station is the 12th busiest station in the Amtrak system with 696,979 passengers in Fiscal Year 2010. In addition to Amtrak, the Wilmington Station also serves SEPTA and the Delaware Transit Corporation.