NEWARK – The Newark Regional Transportation Center was renamed the Thomas R. Carper Train Station.
U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.) is considered a strong advocate for passenger rail and has secured substantial federal investments for Delaware’s transit systems through key legislation like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
“Senator Tom Carper has always been a faithful supporter of the University of Delaware and of our Science, Technology and Advanced Research (STAR) Campus, where the Thomas R. Carper Train Station is a key component in building a vibrant community of scholars, innovators and entrepreneurs,” UD President Dennis Assanis said. “It is entirely fitting that this station will bear the name of someone who played such a foundational role in helping us to realize our shared vision for the STAR Campus. We thank him for his service to the entire state of Delaware for the past 47 years.”
“Renaming this train station is a deserved honor here in Delaware and is emblematic of the impact that Senator Carper has had on our national transportation system,” Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt said. “Thanks to his leadership there are roads, bridges, rails, dams, and other critical infrastructure benefitting our communities and our country. He has been a transformational leader for us and a true bipartisan champion.”
“It has been my honor to work for the state of Delaware to make it a better place to work and raise a family,” Senator Carper said. “When Newark was faced with the shuttering of the Chrysler plant, which at one time employed thousands of workers and provided good-paying jobs, we rolled up our sleeves and got to work on reimagining this area and bringing jobs back. We were able to do so in part because of this modern and accessible train station that allows passengers on both Amtrak and SEPTA to come here to work and learn. I am so proud that 3,000 employees and scores of students come to work here every day. This honor is undeserved, but not unappreciated!”
As a former chair of the Amtrak board and current chair of the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee who commutes daily by train from Wilmington to Washington D.C., Senator Carper played a key role in securing funding for rail improvements throughout the Northeast corridor, including a $21 million restoration of the Wilmington Train Station, later named after President Joseph R. Biden, and $12.25 million in TIGER grants for the Newark station that will soon bear his name.
