Charleston station (West Virginia)

Charleston station is an active intercity railroad station in Charleston, Kanawha County, West Virginia. Located on MacCorkle Avenue Southeast, the station services trains of Amtrak's Cardinal between New York Penn Station and Chicago Union Station. The two trains (nos. 50 (eastbound) and 51 (westbound)), make stops in Charleston on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Charleston station contains a single 800-foot (240 m) concrete side platform and has a station depot that provides a waiting room for customers.

Charleston, WV
Charleston station, April 2009
General information
Location	350 MacCorkle Avenue Southeast Charleston, West Virginia United States
Coordinates	38°20′47″N 81°38′18″W / 38.34639°N 81.63833°W / 38.34639; -81.63833
Owned by	General Corporation
Line(s)	CSX Kanawha Subdivision
Platforms	1 side platform
Tracks	2
Connections	Kanawha Valley Regional Transportation Authority
Construction
Parking	Yes
Accessible	Yes
Other information
Station code	Amtrak: CHW
History
Opened	1905
Passengers
2018	11,251^[1]  14.7%
FY 2022	6,641^[2] (Amtrak)
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station Huntington toward Chicago Cardinal Montgomery toward New York
Former services Preceding station Amtrak Following station Huntington toward Chicago James Whitcomb Riley 1974–1977 Thurmond toward Washington, D.C. James Whitcomb Riley and George Washington 1971–1974 Prince toward Washington, D.C. or Newport News Preceding station Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Following station Barboursville toward Cincinnati Main Line Cabin Creek toward Washington, D.C. or Old Point Comfort
Chesapeake and Ohio Depot
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Show map of West Virginia Show map of the United States
Area	0.5 acres (0.2 ha)
Architect	J.C. & A.L. Pennock
Architectural style	Classical Revival, Beaux Arts
MPS	South Hills MRA
NRHP reference No.	84000782^[3]
Added to NRHP	October 26, 1984

The station depot, built by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway in 1905, is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Description

The station was originally owned by the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway. In September 2010, the station was purchased by General Corporation, a commercial real estate company based in Charleston. The station is located on the south bank of the Kanawha River, opposite downtown Charleston which lies on the north bank. Much of the station's outdoor space is covered by the South Side Bridge which allows both vehicular and pedestrian traffic to access the downtown areas. A fine dining establishment, Laury's Restaurant, occupies much of the station's interior.

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 as the Chesapeake and Ohio Depot and part of the South Hills Multiple Resource Area.^[3] It is a two-story, brick and stone structure in the Neo-Classical Revival style. The facade features a shallow pavilion of paired Roman Doric columns facing the Kanawha River. It also has a low hipped, tile-covered roof with bracketed deep eaves.^[4]

Budget cuts in 2018 eliminated staffing of the station by an Amtrak station agent.^[5] Staffing of the station was reinstated in October 2020.^[6] Tickets to and from Charleston must be purchased in advance or from the ticket agent, as there are no Quik-Trak kiosks available. The station also provides checked baggage service.^[7] Amtrak completed upgrades at Charleston station in 2023 as part of a $6.4 million project. The company installed a 800-foot (240 m) long concrete platform, along with fresh lighting and signage. A stormwater system and new guardrails, along with new pathways and bird netting were added. Parking spots compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 were installed. The project also upgraded the station depot, replacing the roof and renovating the restrooms and waiting room. A ribbon cutting ceremony occurred on October 12.^[8]

See also

•  National Register of Historic Places portal

• List of Amtrak stations
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Kanawha County, West Virginia

References

1. "Amtrak Fact Sheet, FY2018, State of West Virginia" (PDF). Amtrak. June 2019. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
2. "Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal Year 2022: State of West Virginia" (PDF). Amtrak. June 2023. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
3. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
4. "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form" (PDF). Chesapeake and Ohio Depot. State of West Virginia, West Virginia Division of Culture and History, Historic Preservation. 2009-04-04.
5. Pat LaFleur (May 3, 2018). "Amtrak will no longer staff train station at Union Terminal".
6. Shannon Stowers (October 14, 2020). "Last Amtrak agent in W. Va. welcomed back to Charleston position".
7. "Charleston, West Virginia Station Details". Amtrak. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
8. "Amtrak Completes Upgrades at Charleston Station" (Press release). Amtrak. October 12, 2023. Retrieved October 14, 2023.

External links

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Charleston station (West Virginia).

• Charleston, WV – Amtrak
• Charleston, WV – Station history at Great American Stations (Amtrak)
• Charleston Amtrak Station (USA Rail Guide -- Train Web)
• National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form
• General Corporation
• Laury's Restaurant