A historic Philadelphia train station shuttered for decades has gotten spruced up and is ready to welcome passengers again. NBC10’s Yukare Nakayama shows us the reopening of PATCO’s Franklin Square Station after 46 years.
A historic Philadelphia train station shuttered for decades has gotten spruced up and is ready to welcome passengers again.
"We're all very excited, it's been 46 years since people would be able to use this station as part of the regular commute," PATCO General Manager John Rink said on the morning on April 3, 2025. "It's a big change, it's been a project we've been working on for a very long time."
Last month, PATCO released a highly-produced video showing off the sparkling upgrades made to the Franklin Square Station on the edge of Old City.
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Then on March 19, 2025, the Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA) and PATCO announced an official date for reopening: April 3, 2025. The project cost about $29.3 million.
An official ribbon cutting was held that midday Thursday at the 7th and Race State Station on the corner of Franklin Square. Train service to the station will begin later Thursday afternoon.
Transportation and Transit
Before that ceremony, NBC10 got a first look inside the remodeled station earlier during NBC10's morning news show on Thursday.
"We're very excited today to welcome the public to Franklin Square Station," Rink said Thursday morning. "Very excited to see all of our customers getting on and off."
The above ground portion of the station features lots of glass and even some places to sit. Underground restored classic green and white subway tiles -- dating back to the 1930s -- await as a train pulls into the station.
“The revitalization of this station marks an exciting new chapter, offering enhanced transit access and convenience for both residents and visitors," Rink said.
The new Philly station features full ADA compliance with elevator, escalator and ramp access, PATCO said. It also had a green roof to manage stormwater runoff, bird-friendly dotted glass and LED lighting.
PATCO's Franklin Square Station has sat as a so-called "ghost station" passed over by trains connecting Camden, New Jersey, and Philadelphia since its closure in 1979.
Originally, the station was set to reopen late last year, now it's on track for a spring 2025 reopening after three years of construction.
With the opening of the Franklin Square Station, PATCO will expand to 14 stations running from Lindenwold, New Jersey, to Center City Philadelphia. Around 5.6 million riders use PATCO annually, the transit agency says.
The new Philly station leaves passengers closer to the Chinatown, Northern Liberties and Old City neighborhoods.
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