SEPTA celebrates Wawa Station opening with ribbon-cutting ceremony

Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) and WaWa leaders joined local officials and community members for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the recently completed Wawa Station—the new terminus of the Media/Wawa Regional Rail Line.   

Construction on the Elwyn to Wawa Service Restoration Project began in 2018. It restores more than 3.5 miles of Regional Rail service to a growing area of Delaware County, supporting recent activities and offering opportunities for future transit-oriented development. The opening of Wawa Station marks the first extension of SEPTA’s rail service since the Airport Line was established in 1985. SEPTA trains last served this area in 1986. 

“Restoring service to Wawa has long been part of SEPTA’s service plans,” said SEPTA Board Chairman Pasquale T. Deon Sr. “We are grateful to Wawa for their partnership and for supporting our vision for service to this vibrant part of Delaware County.” 

SEPTA will run high-frequency service to and from Wawa Station, including early-morning inbound, late-night outbound and express trips. 

“We are thrilled to be bringing rail service back to this community after 35 years,” said SEPTA General Manager and CEO Leslie S. Richards. “We are thankful to the residents of Middletown Township and Chester Heights Borough for their patience throughout construction and look forward to welcoming them to their new hometown station. SEPTA service from Wawa Station is the convenient way to travel for those returning to offices or visiting the region for recreation and entertainment.” 

The new Wawa Station is fully ADA accessible with a 600-space parking deck and connections to SEPTA Bus Routes 111 and 114. The building and tunnel feature artwork installations that show Wawa’s history of transporting milk from the dairy farm to the city via Wawa Station. 

“We are proud to partner with our friends at SEPTA on the return of the line located just across from the same Wawa Dairy that has continued to bottle and distribute trusted quality products for more than 100 years and counting,” said Wawa President and CEO Chris Gheysens. “The new Wawa Station features elements that connect the rail and the surrounding area to our rich history, as well as some fun, brand elements that will greet commuters entering and exiting the station. We look forward to hosting a Community Day on August 22 to celebrate commuters and commemorate the first trains to once again depart from the Wawa Station!” 

SEPTA says this project would not have been possible without Pennsylvania Act 89, the state’s comprehensive transportation funding law passed in November 2013. Act 89 has enabled SEPTA to invest millions of dollars in the transit network throughout the region, including along the Media/Wawa Line. Over the years, the authority has rehabilitated major viaducts, replaced overhead catenary wire and made Secane Station fully ADA accessible, among other investments. 

“This project is an example of great collaboration over many years between many stakeholders and will create important multimodal connections in the region and it represents what’s possible when we invest in transportation,” said PennDOT Acting Executive Deputy Secretary Melissa J. Batula. “There is no question that communities in this area will see the benefits of this new station and the restored service on this line, no matter where they’re going – whether it’s to work, to school, to medical appointments, to the store or to visit friends and family.” 

In restoring the track segment to service, SEPTA replaced 3.5 miles of trackbed and track, replaced four rail bridges, replaced the overhead catenary power system, performed slope stabilization and installed Positive Train Control. The project also builds on SEPTA’s sustainability efforts through the rehabilitation of four stream culverts, a variety of stormwater measures along the right-of-way and at the station, the installation of a new pedestrian culvert to accommodate the future extension of the Chester Creek Trail, along with bike racks and connections to a future township trail at the station. 

To celebrate the first weekday of service, the public is invited to Wawa Station for Community Day on Monday, Aug. 22, which includes free Wawa coffee from 5:30 to 10:00 a.m. and free Wawa iced teas from 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., along with Wawa Station t-shirts to the first 100 commuters departing in the morning and returning in the afternoon.