Wawa Station Prepares to Welcome Riders
WAWA, Pa. — Wawa Inc. is celebrating the opening of the Wawa Station, a new terminus of the Media/Wawa Regional Rail Line. Service starts on Sunday, Aug. 21.
Executives from Wawa and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) gathered with local officials and community members to cut the ribbon at the recently completed station on Aug. 18.
As Convenience Store News reported, the convenience retailer paid $5.4 million to secure the station's naming rights for 10 years.
"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 Aug. 22 to celebrate commuters and commemorate the first trains to once again depart from the Wawa station," Gheysens added.
The new Wawa Station, located at 1490 W. Baltimore Pike, 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 rich history of transporting milk from the dairy farm to the city via Wawa Station.
SEPTA will run high-frequency service to and from the station, including early-morning inbound, late-night outbound, and express trips.
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 excellent opportunities for future transit-oriented development, according to the transportation authority.
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."
Additionally, 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, SEPTA added.
The Media/Wawa Regional Rail Line timetable, effective Sunday, Aug. 21, is available for download here.
Pennsylvania-based Wawa operates nearly 1,000 convenience stores in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida, and Washington, D.C.