West Chester station (West Chester Railroad)

Last updated
West Chester
West Chester Railroad tourist train station
West Chester Station 2018a.jpg
West Chester station in 2018
General information
Location230 East Market Street
West Chester, Pennsylvania
Coordinates 39°57′39″N75°36′01″W / 39.9609°N 75.6004°W / 39.9609; -75.6004
Owned byWest Chester Railroad
Line(s)West Chester Line
Platforms1 side platform
Tracks1
History
Opened1875, 1997 (as heritage railway)
ClosedSeptember 19, 1986 [1]
Rebuilt1885
ElectrifiedDecember 2, 1928 [2]
Previous namesMarket Street
Services
Preceding station West Chester Railroad Following station
TerminusMain Line Westtown
toward Glen Mills
Former services
Preceding station SEPTA.svg SEPTA Following station
Terminus West Chester Line West Chester University
toward Suburban Station
Preceding station Pennsylvania Railroad Following station
Terminus West Chester Line Oakbourne
toward Suburban Station
Maple Avenue
toward Frazer
Frazer – West ChesterTerminus
Location
West Chester station (West Chester Railroad)

The West Chester station, formerly the Market Street Station, is an American train station that is located on Market Street in West Chester, Pennsylvania. It currently serves as a stop on the West Chester Railroad heritage railroad. The location was previously used as a stop on the Pennsylvania Railroad's (PRR) West Chester Branch, and later became a part of SEPTA's R3 West Chester Line.

Contents

Services discontinued and restored

SEPTA discontinued regular passenger service here in September 1986, due to deteriorating track conditions, Chester County's desire to expand facilities at Exton station on SEPTA's Paoli/Thorndale Line, and the existence of faster and more frequent bus service on SEPTA Route 104 along West Chester Pike to 69th Street Terminal.

Heritage service was restored in 1997 by the West Chester Railroad, a privately owned and operated tourist railroad that operates between Glen Mills and West Chester.

Station history

East Market Street Station in West Chester circa 1930 West Chester PA RR Sta 1930.jpg
East Market Street Station in West Chester circa 1930

The West Chester & Philadelphia Railroad opened Market Street station in 1875. [3] It was rebuilt following a major fire in 1885. [4] Demolition of the main station building occurred in 1968. [3]

SEPTA later used the stop for the R3 West Chester Line. In 1986, SEPTA discontinued service due to deteriorating track conditions, the expansion of Exton station, and the improvement of bus service on SEPTA Route 104. The frame building erected in place of the older station was closed and razed. [5]

In 1997, the West Chester Railroad (WCRR) constructed a new station for its heritage line running to Glen Mills. Except for the concrete platform, nothing remains of the former station; however, the foundation outline from the former building is visible. WCRR erected a one-room station on site that serves as a ticket office and gift shop.

Service restoration efforts

In 2014, the Chester County Planning Commission's long-term public transportation plan envisioned the return of SEPTA service to West Chester. [6] In 2018 a Pennsylvania Department of Transportation report estimated rebuilding to cost $380M USD. In July 2022 the West Chester Borough Council formed a Rail Service Restoration Committee to explore the use of battery-operated rail cars as a lower cost alternative to a full rebuilding of an electrified line. [7]

Related Research Articles

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West Chester is a borough and the county seat of Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. Located in the Philadelphia metropolitan area, the borough had a population of 18,461 at the 2010 census. West Chester is the mailing address for most of its neighboring townships. When calculated by mailing address, the population as of the 2010 U.S. census was 108,696, which would make it the 10th-largest city by mailing address in Pennsylvania.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Chester Branch</span> Railway line in Pennsylvania, U.S.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Chester Railroad</span> Tourist railroad in Pennsylvania, U.S.

The West Chester Railroad is a privately owned and operated tourist railroad that runs between Market Street in West Chester, Pennsylvania, in Chester County, and the village of Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, in Delaware County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Williamson School station</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glen Riddle station</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lenni station</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wawa station</span> Commuter rail station in Pennsylvania, US

Wawa station is a commuter rail station on the SEPTA Regional Rail Media/Wawa Line, located adjacent to U.S. Route 1 in Middletown Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. The original station was built by the West Chester and Philadelphia Railroad and later served the Pennsylvania Railroad's West Chester Branch, which finally became SEPTA's R3 line. The outer section of the line, running from Elwyn to West Chester including the old Wawa station, was closed in 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darlington station (SEPTA)</span>

Darlington station is a defunct commuter rail station on the SEPTA Regional Rail R3 West Chester Line, located at 612 Darlington Road in Chester Heights, Pennsylvania. Originally built by the West Chester and Philadelphia Railroad, it later served the Pennsylvania Railroad's West Chester Branch, which finally became SEPTA's R3 line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glen Mills station</span>

Glen Mills station is a railroad station in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania currently used by the West Chester Railroad heritage railway. It is located at 130 Glen Mills Road, and owned by the Thornbury Historical Society.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Locksley station (Pennsylvania)</span>

Locksley station is a disused railroad station in Thornbury Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. It previously served the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) and later SEPTA Regional Rail's R3 West Chester Line. SEPTA closed the station in 1986. In 1997, this portion of the line was reopened by the West Chester Railroad heritage railway for weekend excursions; the company restored the Locksley station building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Chester University station</span> Former railroad station in Pennsylvania, US

West Chester University station is a former railroad station in West Chester, Pennsylvania. It was a stop on the Pennsylvania Railroad's (PRR) West Chester Line, and later became a part of SEPTA Regional Rail's R3 West Chester line before being closed in 1986. The West Chester Railroad heritage railway purchased the line, but does not use West Chester University station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oakbourne station</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westtown station</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheyney station</span>

Cheyney station is a train station in Thornbury Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. It currently serves as a stop on the West Chester Railroad tourist railroad line, and previously served as a station for the Pennsylvania Railroad and SEPTA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Media/Wawa Line</span> SEPTA Regional Rail line between Center City Philadelphia and Wawa, Delaware County

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paoli/Thorndale Line</span> SEPTA Regional Rail service from Philadelphia to Thorndale

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manayunk/Norristown Line</span> SEPTA Regional Rail line

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References

  1. ↑ "The Potential of Rail Service to West Chester Borough". Borough of West Chester. p. 24. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
  2. ↑ "Electric Trains to Start Sunday". The Chester Times. November 30, 1928. p. 1. Retrieved August 21, 2020– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  3. 1 2 U.S. National Park Service. Historic American Buildings Survey (1979). "Pennsylvania Railroad Station, Market Street, West Chester Borough, Chester, PA." Survey No. HABS PA-246.
  4. ↑ Jones, Ph.D. Jim A."Walking Tour of West Chester's Railroad Corridor." Accessed 2011-02-23.
  5. ↑ Jones, Ph.D., Jim A. (2006). Railroads of West Chester: 1831 to the Present. West Chester, Pennsylvania: Taggart Printing. pp. 77–78.
  6. ↑ "Chester County Public Transportation Plan - Draft April 2014"
  7. ↑ Cooper, Kenny (26 July 2022). "West Chester Borough Council supports effort to restore SEPTA passenger rail service". WHYY.org. Retrieved 21 August 2022.

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