PATCO riders will soon be able to get on and off at Franklin Square for the first time in more than 45 years.
The station, at 7th and Race streets, is reopening for train service on the afternoon of Thursday, April 3, following a three-year, $29.3 million renovation, transit officials said.
“The revitalization of this station marks an exciting new chapter, offering enhanced transit access and convenience for both residents and visitors,” PATCO General Manager John Rink said in a statement. “We are proud of the station’s transformation, and we look forward to welcoming both old and new riders to this historic, transformed station.”
While the stop opened in 1936 as part of a line connecting Philadelphia and Camden, it was used only intermittently in the ensuing decades. The station was last refurbished ahead of the 1976 Bicentennial, only to be closed three years after the celebrations, according to PATCO.
Construction work began in March 2022, and the stop is now equipped with elevators, escalators and ramps to be accessible for people with disabilities, transit officials said. Crews also kept and restored the station’s original green and white subway tiles.
PATCO leaders, in a statement, said the reopening will provide more options for riders, and they are hoping it spurs more travel within Philadelphia, between Rittenhouse and Franklin squares.
The stop will be the 14th on the line, which runs from Lindenwold to 15th/16th and Locust streets. About 5.6 million PATCO trips were logged in 2024, according to the agency.
A subway station is not the only new development for Franklin Square. New bathroom facilities and traffic safety improvements, including bike lanes and sidewalk extensions, are expected to be completed in the coming months. Historic Philadelphia Inc., which manages the park, is also raising money for an extensive playground rebuild.
