The improvements include a new center high-level platform, which required removing tracks 2 and 3 of the four-track former Pennsylvania Railroad Main Line — the historic Great Broad Way. To make the station fully accessible, new elevators and stair towers were built, connecting a pedestrian overpass to the new platform.
The two-year project also included ADA improvements to the existing station, upgrades to parking, and track changes to provide greater operational flexibility for both SEPTA commuter trains and Amtrak’s Keystone service.
Owned by Amtrak, Paoli station is served by 25 Amtrak Keystone Service trains and the two New York to Pittsburgh Pennsylvanians on weekdays, as well as 78 SEPTA trains between 4:30 a.m. and 1:25 a.m. In 2018, 232,159 riders boarded Amtrak and SEPTA trains at Paoli. Five SEPTA bus routes also stop at the station, and there are 476 parking spaces available in two SEPTA parking lots.
Paoli always had only two platform tracks (then tracks 1 & 4). Since almost all passenger trains stopped at Paoli, the middle tracks (2 & 3) in the station were for freight and helper movements. The interlocking had turnouts East of the station to allow through trains platforming at Paoli to cross to or from the middle tracks to not run behind local trains.
The 4 track ends just beyond Paoli.
It seems like all trains stopped at the platforms on the outer tracks, so the inner 2 tracks did not seem to get much use.
Sounds like a consciously engineered bottleneck.
The two center tracks were removed from just east of the station to the interlocking at the west end of the station.
Were the 2 tracks removed just around the station or were they removed for much distance before and beyond the station?