Construction has progressed at SEPTA’s Middletown Regional Rail extension. After decades of SEPTA’s transit coverage slowly shrinking, the project is an important step toward renewed expansion, making the regional rail network more easily accessible to a growing population area. The project will extend the line roughly three miles deeper into Delaware County, from the current Elwyn train station to where the former Wawa Station once stood. The station will be renamed Middletown when it opens later this year and will be the new terminus of the Media/Elwyn line, featuring a high-level island platform, a station building, and a 600-space parking garage to be used as a park-and-ride facility.
Current view of Middletown Station from Route 1. Credit: Colin LeStourgeon.
As noted in previous updates, track laying has been in progress for many months now, a telltale sign of the project’s nearing completion. However, less progress had been made at the actual location of the station building and parking facility. But there is now significant visible progress there, too.
Current view of Middletown Station. Credit: Colin LeStourgeon.
In previous updates, the most notable addition made to the facility was the addition of a commuter tunnel that runs under the tracks to the island platform. Now, much more progress is visible on the station facilities. The foundations for the island platform have been construct showing the platform’s full size which will be long enough to handle some of SEPTA’s larger trains. Additionally, foundation work can also be seen where the future station building will be located, and steel and concrete has begun to rise out of the ground on the future parking deck structure.
While only a single station extension, this project represents a major step towards transit improvements in the Philadelphia region. The last major transit addition in the region was the Riverline construction in South Jersey in the early 2000s. Now, the Middletown station could be the first in a multi-phase development that may ultimately return Regional Rail service to West Chester. It also represents growth in the overall SEPTA system and shows that it is quite possible that the system could see additional growth in the near future.
The station is expected to reach completion later this year.
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All depends on the success of the much needed infrastructure bill in Congress. Republicans have given the bill a flipping of the bird even after Biden agreed to reduce it to 1.7 Trillion bucks.
We need to get reasonably needed transit projects such as high level platforms needed to meet the Americans with Disability Act as many ou bb including myself are approaching 70 years old. SEPTA needs to forget about getting two billion dollars to extend a small train running from Norristown to King of Prussisvwhenbit needs to replace trolleys and Mm arjet Frankford El cars.
Agree
Will the tracks leading up to the station be double tracked? Thats something SEPTA should work on with new expansions.
The Wawa extension is great. The Media/Elwyn line is heavily used and this will help it grow further. I believe this is also one of the regional lines targeted for the new two-level rail cars that will be arriving soon.
How about Phoenixville next? Or let’s get a little more greedy: Reading!
Has anyone gotten an official update on the construction schedule from septa
You say it is going to be done in 2021 or early 2022. What is the latest com update from the contractor to septa say
Is a sidewalk going to be built from the train station to the Franklin Station housing development by Toll Brothers? Who is responsible for the sidewalk construction? When will the sidewalk be completed?
Although I understand the need for greener transport I can’ t wrap my head around future fossil fuel savings projection.Additional developments have severly impacted nature and habitats