Location and services Broad Street Station (Philadelphia)

the chinese wall , prr s stone viaduct, extended 9 blocks west schuylkill river. shown section beneath train shed, 15th 16th street.



interior of train shed, looking east toward headhouse, 1903. 1892 shed, designed wilson brothers & company.

broad street station dominated center of city. trains leave station 2 stories above street level on viaduct known chinese wall , run west cross schuylkill river on tracks bisected western half of center city philadelphia. fifteenth street ran beneath station s lobby, , numbered streets 24th ran beneath viaduct. john f. kennedy boulevard traces similar path today.

the station renowned architecture cursed inundating heart of city smoke , noise of day s steam locomotives. chinese wall made center city north of station unfashionable, area cut off rest of downtown. passengers arriving @ broad street station make connections rest of city on numerous trolley lines on market street , 15th street, or on philadelphia s east-west market-frankford subway-elevated line (beginning in 1907) or north-south broad street subway starting in 1928. latter 2 heavy rail lines crossed under city hall.

leaving broad street station, passengers first arrive @ west philadelphia station @ 32nd , market streets on west side of schuylkill, in 1933 replaced 30th street station. lines split in 3 directions:

trains heading west toward harrisburg take prr line 40th street station, 52nd street station, , overbrook station. trains heading northwest along schuylkill split line after 52nd street toward stations @ wynnefield avenue , cynwyd.
trains heading north toward new york city or east across delaware river new jersey run through north philadelphia, north penn junction, , frankford junction stations, before splitting off.
trains heading south take baltimore & washington rr central division line through angora.

today these railroad lines, except 1 between 30th street , broad street stations, remain intact, run septa or nj transit.