Newark Train Station, a hub for economic development and infrastructure that links the University of Delaware and its Science, Technology and Advanced Research (STAR) Campus to cities along the East Coast, has been renamed Thomas R. Carper Train Station.

Train station renamed for Sen. Carper

Article by Peter Bothum Photos by Ashley Barnas Larrimore May 21, 2024

Thomas R. Carper Train Station will continue to connect STAR Campus to cities along the East Coast

The train tracks that cut through the center of the University of Delaware have stopped at a station that has been crucial to the First State for many years.

So it was only appropriate that the station, now a hub for economic development and infrastructure that links the University and its Science, Technology and Advanced Research (STAR) Campus to cities along the East Coast, has been renamed Thomas R. Carper Train Station, paying homage to one of the most consequential political figures in Delaware history.

Carper, a 23-year veteran of the U.S. Navy, who has held the positions of Delaware’s State Treasurer, U.S. Representative, Governor and U.S. Senator since he launched his career here in 1977, was joined by UD President Dennis Assanis, Amtrak Chief Executive Officer Stephen Gardner, former Delaware Department of Transportation Secretary and current Federal Highways Administrator Shailen Bhatt, and state and local officials for an event to mark the renaming that included the unveiling of a plaque honoring Carper and the sign outside the station.

“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,” said Carper, who chairs the Environment and Public Works committee in the U.S. Senate. “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.”

Carper was aware of the renaming and the new plaque and sign. What he didn’t know was that Assanis and Board of Trustees member and long-time friend Donald Puglisi would be presenting him with UD’s Medal of Distinction, the University’s highest honor that is reserved for those who have made a significant contribution to society, achieved noteworthy success in their profession and was of substantial service to the community.

UD President Assanis and Board of Trustees member Donald Puglisi present Sen. Tom Carper with UD’s Medal of Distinction, the University’s highest honor.

UD President Dennis Assanis and Board of Trustees member Donald Puglisi present Sen. Tom Carper with UD’s Medal of Distinction, the University’s highest honor.

“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,” 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.”

With trains occasionally rolling by in the background, Carper recalled his first visits to the area, now surrounded by the STAR Campus, UD’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, its sports complexes and main campus. The first time he drove up Route 896, he said, a massive 3.4 million-square-foot Chrysler plant sat on the left, still churning out Plymouth and Dodge vehicles. At the time, the train station had been decommissioned.

Years later, in the early 2000s, the train station had been reopened but the Chrysler plant was shuttered. Carper received a call from then-University of Delaware president Patrick Harker, who told him about plans taking shape to bring the 272-acre site back to life and how he could be helpful to fulfill that vision.

“He said we’re taking the body of the Chrysler plant … and he had this idea for a science, technology and advanced research campus. And I said, ‘No cars?’” Carper said, drawing laughs from those assembled.

The station is a stop along the Northeast Corridor that services Amtrak and SEPTA trains, three bus services, and walking and biking trails.

Gardner said the station, which served 30,000 people last year, has been key to Amtrak’s strategy thanks to Carper’s work over the years. It will see only more growth as STAR continues to expand, he said, enhancing connections to research, biotech and other industries in Philadelphia, New York, Washington, D.C., and cities in New Jersey.

“It’s a great station built with this vision in mind, providing more connectivity to Newark and, really, to the University of Delaware campus,” Gardner said. “We see this community as a place that is ripe for better connectivity and future growth, not just for the local sector and Delaware transit service, but for connecting the whole region. The work that the University is doing to really locate innovation and make a place here — we see that growth developing. And we see this as part of our overall strategy for the corridor. Senator Carper has worked so hard to help us rebuild the assets and with that create more capacity to serve communities like Newark better.”

The name change pays homage to one of the most consequential political figures in Delaware history. Carper, a 23-year veteran of the U.S. Navy, has held the positions of Delaware’s State Treasurer, U.S. Representative, Governor and U.S. Senator since he launched his career in Delaware in 1977.