Paoli station

This article is about the railway station in Pennsylvania, USA. For the station in India, see Payyoli railway station.

Paoli station is a passenger rail station located in the western suburbs of Philadelphia at 13 Lancaster Avenue (US 30), Paoli, Pennsylvania.^[5] It is served by Amtrak's Keystone Service and Pennsylvanian trains, and most SEPTA Paoli/Thorndale Line trains.

Paoli
Amtrak and SEPTA station
Paoli station in 2020
General information
Location	13 East Lancaster Avenue Paoli, Pennsylvania United States
Coordinates	40.04295°N 75.4837°W / 40.04295; -75.4837
Owned by	Amtrak[1]
Line(s)	Amtrak Keystone Corridor (Philadelphia to Harrisburg Main Line)
Platforms	1 island platform
Tracks	2
Connections	SEPTA Suburban Bus: 92, 106, 204, 206
Construction
Parking	486 spaces (177 daily, 309 permit)
Bicycle facilities	4 racks (8 spaces)
Accessible	Yes
Other information
Station code	Amtrak: PAO
Fare zone	4 (SEPTA)
History
Opened	1893
Rebuilt	1953, 2016-2019
Electrified	September 11, 1915[2]
Passengers
FY 2023	173,812 annually[3] (Amtrak)
2017	1,114 boardings 1,136 alightings (weekday average)[4] (SEPTA)
Rank	15 of 146 (SEPTA)
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station Exton toward Harrisburg Keystone Service Ardmore toward New York Exton One-way operation Pennsylvanian Philadelphia toward New York Preceding station SEPTA Following station Malvern toward Thorndale Paoli/​Thorndale Line Daylesford toward Temple University
Former services Preceding station Amtrak Following station Lancaster toward Chicago Three Rivers 1995–2005 Philadelphia toward New York Broadway Limited Until 1995 Malvern toward Harrisburg Keystone Service Before 1988 Wayne toward Philadelphia–Suburban Lancaster toward Kansas City National Limited North Philadelphia toward New York Preceding station Pennsylvania Railroad Following station Green Tree toward Chicago Main Line Berwyn toward New York or Exchange Place Terminus Paoli Line Daylesford toward Suburban Station
Location

The station has Amtrak and SEPTA ticket offices, a waiting room, vending machines, restrooms, and a coffee shop.

History

This one-story, tan brick building was constructed by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1953 at a cost of $140,000; it replaced an earlier Victorian depot that was built in 1893.^[6]

It is 19.9 miles (32.0 km) track from Philadelphia's Suburban Station. In 2017, the average total weekday SEPTA boardings at this station was 1,114 and the average total weekday SEPTA alightings was 1,136.^[7]

Paoli Intermodal Transportation Center Project

Station prior to 2018 construction

The Paoli Intermodal Transportation Center (ITC) Project was proposed as a relocation and expansion of the Paoli station to a new site near the existing facility.^[8] Improvements in the plans for the new intermodal transportation center included a bridge over the rail tracks (Darby Road which will replace Valley Road), renovation or replacement of the existing station building, new passenger waiting and ticketing facilities, passenger amenities, bus, shuttle, passenger parking facilities, and potential new retail and commercial business development.^[9]

Construction for the first phase of the upgraded station commenced in February 2017.^[10][11] The first phase, which cost $48 million, made the station compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act by replacing the two low-level side platforms with a high-level island platform, constructing a pedestrian overpass over the tracks, and adding elevators and ramps. A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the first phase of the project was held on September 23, 2019, with Amtrak and SEPTA officials, disability rights groups, and area politicians in attendance. The second phase of the station project will replace the North Valley Road bridge. The third phase will turn the station into an intermodal transportation facility by constructing a high-level side platform adjacent to the outbound track, additional amenities for passengers, bus depot facilities, and a parking garage.^[12]

Other future plans

The canceled light rail Greenline would have connected Paoli station with the towns of Phoenixville and Oaks, Pennsylvania.^[13]

Station layout

Paoli has one center high-level island platform with an overpass allowing passengers to travel from the center platform to the ground level. Some SEPTA trains terminate/originate here. Originally, the station had four tracks, however the center tracks were removed in 2017 to allow for the construction of the center high-level platform.

Further reading

• History of the Paoli Station (PDF). Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 August 2019.

References

1. "Transportation Planning for the Philadelphia–Harrisburg "Keystone" Railroad Corridor" (PDF). Federal Railroad Administration. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 21, 2011. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
2. "Electric Service Begins on the P.R.R." The Philadelphia Inquirer. September 12, 1915. p. 4. Retrieved August 22, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
3. "Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal Year 2023: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania" (PDF). Amtrak. March 2024. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
4. "Fiscal Year 2021 Service Plan Update". SEPTA. June 2020. p. 24. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
5. "Google Maps".
6. "Paoli Station". Amtrak's Great American Stations. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
7. "Fiscal Year 2020 Annual Service Plan" (PDF). SEPTA. pp. 43–46.
8. "About The Project". Paoli Intermodal Transportation Center. SEPTA. Archived from the original on 2014-12-17. Retrieved 2014-12-17.
9. "Fact Sheet -- Paoli Station Accessibility Improvement Project" (PDF). Plan the Keystone. Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-05-05. Retrieved 2014-12-17.
10. Bond, Michaelle (28 February 2017). "Amtrak, SEPTA chug toward full wheechair [sic] access with Paoli upgrades". Philly.com. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
11. "Paoli Station Accessibility Improvements - nec.amtrak.com".
12. Bannan, Pete (September 24, 2019). "Ribbon-cutting held for Paoli train station project; Dinniman calls for Amtrak to move on other stations". Delaware County Daily Times. Archived from the original on 2019-09-25. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
13. "Citizens for the Train". Citizens for the Train. 2014. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014.

External links

• Paoli, PA – Amtrak
• Paoli, PA – Station history at Great American Stations (Amtrak)
• SEPTA – Paoli station
• Paoli Intermodal Transportation Center Project | Tredyffrin Township