Shuttered Shawmont Station along Schuylkill River Trail may soon get a new life
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A plan is afoot to give the defunct Shawmont Station a new life. Photo: Mike D'Onofrio/Axios
Trail-goers in far Northwest Philadelphia could get a cool new pit stop along the Schuylkill River Trail in the coming years.
Why it matters: It's about time the restoration of the shuttered Shawmont Station — the oldest passenger railroad station in the U.S. — moves forward.
Driving the news: The nonprofit Historic Shawmont Station Society is inching closer to securing a lease for the vacant station along the Manayunk/Norristown Regional Rail Line tracks.
- The station and grounds will need a complete rehab — think septic tank, plumbing, environmental remediation — which is expected to cost roughly a million dollars alone.
- The plan still needs to secure approvals from the city.
Zoom in: The general plan for the station includes:
- 🚂 Railroad museum
- 🧒 Children's education center
- 👥 Community meeting space.
What else: The society is working on a potential partnership with the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in Strasburg to help create the new museum, Bernie Strain, executive director of the society, tells Axios.
- Potential amenities at the station could include concessions (think coffee, tea and small bites), bicycle rentals and public restrooms.
Reality check: Nothing is finalized yet and the historical group is still considering all options.
Context: The property is located at 7700 Nixon St. and sits at the top of the Manayunk Tow Path that is part of the Schuylkill River Trail, which leads farther on to Valley Forge.
- It's a popular destination for cyclists and runners.
State of play: Josh Cohen, chief of staff of Councilman Curtis Jones Jr., tells Axios the councilmember's office is waiting for the Parker administration to finalize an agreement with SEPTA to lease the property.
- After that, City Council must approve it, which will allow the city to sublease the station to the society.
- Timeline: No ETA, but Cohen hopes legislators could consider the lease before the end of this year.
Flashback: Rail service stopped at the station in 1996, but the building itself has been off limits to the public since 1991.
- Built in the 1820s, the station's facade, roof and porch were restored in recent years.
📬 What you're saying: What amenities do you want to see at the station?
- Send your ideas to [email protected].