Swarthmore station is a SEPTA Regional Rail station in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. Located on Chester Road between downtown Swarthmore and Swarthmore College, it serves the Media/Wawa Line.

Swarthmore
General information
Location2 South Chester Road (PA 320), Swarthmore, Pennsylvania 19081
Coordinates39°54′08″N 75°21′04″W / 39.902221°N 75.350985°W / 39.902221; -75.350985
Owned bySEPTA
Platforms2 side platforms
Tracks2
ConnectionsSuburban Bus SEPTA Suburban Bus: 109
Construction
AccessibleYes
Other information
Fare zone3
History
OpenedOctober 19, 1854[1][2]
ElectrifiedDecember 2, 1928[3]
Previous namesWestdale
Passengers
2017790 boardings
825 alightings
(weekday average)[4]
Rank23 of 146
Services
Preceding station SEPTA Following station
Wallingford
toward Wawa
Media/Wawa Line Morton
Former services
Preceding station Pennsylvania Railroad Following station
Wallingford West Chester Line Morton
Location
Map

In 2013, this station saw 765 boardings and 699 alightings on an average weekday.[5] Dollar-a-day parking and permit parking are available. It is the first outward-bound Zone 3 station from the central Philadelphia stations. It is the busiest station on the Media/Wawa Line outside of Center City. The adult fare to and from Central Philadelphia is currently $5 during off-peak hours, with an additional $2 surcharge assessed for those who buy a ticket on the train, regardless of whether the ticket window is open.

The ticket office is located on the inbound side of the tracks in a building used otherwise by Swarthmore College and the Chester Children's Chorus. The building was originally built in 1880 by the Pennsylvania Railroad[6] and formerly held the Jumping Cow cafe. Swarthmore's main street, Chester Road, has passed under the station since 1931. Before Swarthmore College was opened, the station was known as Westdale.[7]

Station layout

edit

Swarthmore has two low-level side platforms.

Bibliography

edit
  • Westcott, Thompson (1875). The Official Guide Book to Philadelphia. A New Handbook for Strangers and Citizens. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Porter and Coates. Retrieved February 3, 2022.

References

edit
  1. ^ Jeffries, E. (October 21, 1854). "West Chester and Philadelphia Railroad". The Public Ledger. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. p. 4. Retrieved February 3, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.  
  2. ^ Henderson, Robert (February 8, 1856). "Public Sale of Very Desirable Real Estate". The Public Ledger. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. p. 3. Retrieved February 3, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.  
  3. ^ "Electric Trains to Start Sunday". The Chester Times. November 30, 1928. p. 1. Retrieved August 21, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.  
  4. ^ "Fiscal Year 2021 Service Plan Update". SEPTA. June 2020. p. 24. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  5. ^ "SEPTA (May 2014). Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Service Plan. p. 61" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-08-12.
  6. ^ Existing Railroad Stations in Delaware County, Pennsylvania Archived 2008-10-09 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ Westcott 1875, p. 176.
edit

  Media related to Swarthmore station at Wikimedia Commons