PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — SEPTA has signed a naming rights deal for its soon-to-reopen regional rail station in Delaware County.
Under the agreement with the convenience store chain, the newly rebuilt station in Middletown Township will be called — yes — the Wawa Station.
The 10-year deal will yield $5.4 million for SEPTA.
“As we bring service to their hometown, they’re helping us with our naming rights,” said SEPTA General Manager Leslie Richards.
The transit agency next month is restoring regional rail service to the Wawa station, which has been closed since service to West Chester was halted in 1986. Initially, the historic Wawa Station connected the West Chester Branch (connecting to Philadelphia), the Chester Creek Branch and the Octoraro Branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad. SEPTA took over service in 1983.
The Media/Elwyn line currently terminates at Elwyn. Starting August 21 when service is extended three miles to Wawa, SEPTA plans to rename the branch the Media/Wawa line.
When SEPTA phased out regional rail service west of Elwyn 36 years ago, only about 100 people a day were riding the train to the end of the line at West Chester.
But with housing and commercial development in Middletown Township and Chester Heights, SEPTA 12 years ago embarked on a $197 million plan to extend service on the Media/Elwyn line to the Wawa station.
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“It makes a lot of sense right now to have our service extending to this growing area,” Richards told KYW Newsradio Wednesday. SEPTA predicts 1,000 riders a day will use the station, she said.
During the project, tracks were replaced, new catenary wires were installed to provide power, and a new railroad bridge was built over U.S. 1.
“There’s a 600-space parking garage. There’s connections to trails, both for walking trails and bicycle trails,” Richards said. “We also have connections, obviously, to our bus service.”
Does this signal a restoration of service all the way out to West Chester? Richards said SEPTA is looking at the possibility, but it’s not in the budget.
“Right now, restoring service to West Chester is not part of our current capital program,” she said.
“Our planning department is working, and looking to see what we might need in the future.”