Prince station

Prince station is an Amtrak station in Prince, West Virginia, served by the Cardinal. It serves as the main depot for the Beckley area because it is on the CSX (originally Chesapeake & Ohio Railway) mainline while Beckley itself is not.

History
The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway built the first facility in 1880 that was enlarged in 1891 to serve both freight and passengers. In 1942, the C&O president, Robert R. Young, saw a need for "a stylish, streamlined, and efficient passenger rail system" that led to the development of the current station.

Design
The design of the Prince train station is Art Moderne, similar to Art Deco, with a horizontal design, emphasizing movement and sleekness. Built in 1946, the architectural firm was Garfield, Harris, Robinson, & Schafer that was headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. The main terminal building is 125 x and the waiting area features tall ceilings and large windows, as well as a large wall mural depicting mining and the importance of coal. The terrazzo floor has embedded in it the original C&O “Chessie” kitten logo.

The depot has a minimum of ornamentation. Each end of the 500 ft canopy is rounded and topped with Streamline Moderne stainless steel lettering spelling out "Prince". The canopy is oriented so that the sun would warm waiting passengers in the winter time, while shading them in the summer.

Future
With an upsurge in activities in the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, and the development of the Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve that is located 7 mi from the station, plans were underway for improvements to the passenger facility as of late 2013.