On track: Rail line plans improvements at Greensburg, Latrobe stations

Greensburg Amtrak station caretaker Mark Kuhns follows a strict daily routine.

Every day at 7:30 a.m., Kuhns unlocks the doors of the station and waits for the passengers catching the 8:08 a.m. eastbound Pennsylvanian. He sits in his familiar “cage,” waiting to assist anyone who needs it. He helps travelers with their bags, sorts riders into coach and business class, opens the gates to the passenger platform and sends people off with a smile and a wave.

After the train leaves and the station is empty, Kuhns locks up and heads next door to the Steep Mountain Tea Shop for exactly an hour and a half to enjoy his morning coffee before he heads for home. He’ll return later — at 6:20 p.m. — to prepare the station for the 7:01 p.m. westbound Pennsylvanian stop.

He calls this schedule “the tough life of a retiree.”

“I’ve been here 20 years, and I love it,” Kuhns said. “This is my baby. I always say that I’d take a bullet for this place. It doesn’t get any happier than this.”

He’s made lasting connections with returning passengers and is on a first-name basis with a few of them.

Amtrak’s Great American Stations website reports Greensburg served 8,367 riders last year, generating $523,640, while Latrobe served 2,706 customers, generating $157,980, and Kuhns said passengers soon will benefit from improvements planned for Greensburg and the adjacent Latrobe station.

Saltsburg resident Linda Relik is among those who use the Greensburg station.

“I usually ride about once a year,” Relik said. “I love it. The views are worth the extra time it takes.”

She takes an annual train trip to Connecticut to see her sister for the holidays.

The company is “working their way west” with station improvements including replacing the Greensburg station’s interior roof tiles and repainting its walls, Kuhns said.

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Changes in Latrobe

Major changes are planned for its Latrobe passenger station in 2023.

The Latrobe project has been in the works since 2018 and will take at least 18 months to finish, Amtrak spokeswoman Beth Toll said.

Built in 1903, the last update of the historical landmark took place in 1990 when it began to house DiSalvo’s Restaurant.

“This is a complex project due to the elevated tracks and the proximity of the privately owned historic structure, requiring approvals from multiple entities,” Toll said.

Amtrak has been collaborating with the Latrobe Revitalization Program and city officials to begin the project.

“This is an Amtrak project that the city is helping with,” city manager Terry Carcella said. “The city definitely supports the project. The timeline for it is just dependent on whether or not (Amtrak) needs variances for the planned parking lot improvements. We want the train station to be accessible for all of our community members.”

Amtrak’s proposed improvements plan to address Americans with Disabilities Act deficiencies found throughout the structure, Toll said. The station — which is not staffed — has a large stairwell passengers must use to access the platform.

“It will essentially result in all new passenger amenities including a new covered ramp access from the parking lot level up to the elevated track area, a new platform with rehabilitated canopy, restored passenger shelter building, replacement of existing stairs and pathways and parking lot upgrades like pavement and lighting,” Toll said.

Amtrak officials previously have said they want to raise the platform eight inches above the rails. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, a train platform at that height “generally does not provide level boarding” but “does facilitate boarding by ambulatory passengers.”

Amtrak plans to begin construction in September 2023 with a general contractor and complete the project in several phases to ensure service to the Latrobe station continues during construction.

Greensburg changes

The company also is planning to add a new heating and cooling system to the Greensburg station after it separates its utilities from other facilities that share the building with the station.

“Ridership is way up (at the Greensburg station),” Kuhns said. “It’s back to where it was before the pandemic.”

The Greensburg and Latrobe stations have become staples in the Westmoreland community, having been named as historic landmarks in 1977 and 1986, respectively.

Amtrak’s Greensburg station was constructed in 1908 and opened in 1910. Its last renovation began in 1996 and finished in 1998. It has been home to a series of restaurants, including Olives & Peppers of Greensburg, which opened in December 2020.