Train departing Philadelphia 30th Street Station, 2014.

Here, a northbound train led by AEM-7 locomotive No. 926 departs Philadelphia 30th Street Station, which serves Amtrak intercity trains, SEPTA and New Jersey Transit commuter trains and local and regional buses. It often ranks as the third busiest station in the Amtrak national network after New York and Washington, D.C. The soaring structure was built between 1929 and 1933 by the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) and is architecturally interesting for its use, adaptation and transformation of Neoclassical design into a more modern, streamlined Art Deco style.

Amtrak contracted with the General Motors Corporation's Electro-Motive Division (EMD) to manufacture the AEM-7 electric locomotive, a high-speed, lightweight model based on Swedish designs. The AEM-7 was produced from 1978 to 1988, and can reach speeds up to 125 mph.

This image provides an idea of the complexity of the catenary system along the Northeast Corridor that carries electric current to power electric locomotives such as the AEM-7s and ACS-64s.

Photographer: Chuck Gomez for Amtrak. From the Amtrak Corporate Collection.