Station Review #33: Holmesburg Junction (SEPTA)

Holmesburg Junction station, also known as just Holmesburg, is a station on SEPTA's Trenton line located at Rhawn Street in the Holmesburg neighborhood of Philadelphia.

History

Original station

The original Holmesburg Station was built in 1833, on the Philadelphia and Trenton Railroad. Eventually, that changed hands to become a subsidiary of the Pennsylvania Railroad.

Sometime later on, the station itself was rebuilt, with a new building, one that had been at the station to this day.

There used to be passeneger trains on the Bustleton Branch that linked the station to Bustleton, though these were discontinued in the 1930s, following service cuts from the PRR.

Tour

The station building

There is a lot at Holmesburg Junction station. For one, it has a station building and na actual shelter on the other end.

Train at the station

This station is no average station, however. Quite the opposite, if anything.

Stairs

It all starts off at the staircase, which is already very off feeling, but only gets worse...

The sad northbound shelter

On the northbound end, there is a small green shelter, clearly from the PRR, and possibly built sometime around the 1950s?

Bench

Inside, it has a bench, schedule and a few notices, and nothing else.

Considering this, one begins to feel like something is not right about this station... And that feeling is one to be trusted.

Station House

I mean, look at the station house! it's hard not to feel uneasy just from looking at it! It feels kind of like a prison watch tower, does it not?

What are these?

Whatever is going on here definitely doesn't make it feel any better

Wow

Or the old schedule and map post, on the northbound platform!

Inside the station building, things aren't much better. The way the station building is laid out causes it to feel very similar to something like a dentist's waiting room. There are benches, maps, schedules, etc.

Another image inside

Again, it feels like a doctor's office inside the station.

Then, there's the Bustleton Branch itself. This goes through the parking lot of the station, as shown below:

What a sight.

Gallery

Trenton Line Train going towards Center City

Window

AMTRAK Northeast Regional Train number 95 going towards Norfolk, VA from Boston, MA

CSX train with locomotive #6129 leaving the Bustleton Branch

What a nice view

Accessibility

The "platform", which is definitely not just asphalt.

Holmesburg Station is exactly the opposite of accessible. It has extremely low "platforms", which are basically just asphalt. The station has no accessible ways to it, as the ramp towards it on the southbound end is very steep, and the northbound end can only be accessed by a staircase

It's very high up.

Additionally, the Bustleton Branch in the parking lot makes accessibility even more of a challenge, as disabled people would have to surmount the tracks to get to the station.

In short, making Holmesburg Junction station accessible is no easy feat.

Bus Connections

There are three buses that connect to Holmesburg Station:

• 28: Torresdale - Cottman Loop (Tacony) to Fern Rock Transportation Center via Rhawn Street

This is an alternate version of the 70, in a way. It goes from Fern Rock Transportation Center to Tacony, and goes through other towns to get to it, linking Elkins Park, Rockledge, Fox Chase, Rhawnhurst, Lexington Park, and Holmesburg to both termini. This route is very unreliable.

• 70: Frankford - Gregg Loop (Torresdale) to Fern Rock Transportation Center

This is a crosstown route that goes from Torresdale (though most trips end in Tacony at the Torresdale - Cottman Loop) to Fern Rock Transportation Center. In a way, this is similar to the 28, though more refined, and gives direct service to Cottman Avenue (PA Route 70). This route has high ridership

• 84: Bustleton - County Line (Forest Hills) and Philadelphia Mills to Frankford Transportation Center

This route is more like two routes at once. The first half of the route, from Frankford Transportation Center to Philadelphia Mills serves as an industrial circulator bus, linking directly to the large industrial parks along the Delaware River, and giving direct service to it. This section mostly parallels the Trenton line, and buses will sometimes only serve this section, terminating at Philadelphia Mills. The second half of the route is more like a crosstown, linking Philadelphia Mills and Parkwood with neighborhoods like Bustleton and Somerton. Thus, the 84 is also the northernmost crosstown in the city.

Things to do in Holmesburg