West Ardmore is a temporary station on Amtrak's Keystone Corridor, which takes service from the Keystone Service and SEPTA's Paoli - Thorndale Line. Despite this, the station is more like a SEPTA station that some Amtrak trains stop at than an Amtrak station. West Ardmore station is located on the Montgomery County side of Ardmore, PA. This station, normally a part of Ardmore Station itself, is treated as a stand-alone station while Ardmore is being rebuilt.

Tour

I am legitimately proud of this photo

There is very little at West Ardmore station. It's basically two platforms, a few bus stops, and an AmShack. Also, there is no entrance there. Have fun getting to the station, it's very hard to do.

Wayfinding that leads to a construction site

The original station building, as it's being demolished

Through a stroke of luck, walking through a random street in Ardmore, you do eventually get to the station, and its hilariously large parking lot. Staring at you are the stairs to the station itself. Something seems horribly wrong.

Stairs

Not long after going up, you're already having your doubts. You turn around, contemplating going backward and maybe taking the bus to another station, staring at the large parking lot, before deciding to press on. I already got this far, and it can't be that bad, right? you think to yourself as you contemplate your next decision. You decide to turn back around, to continue to the station.

Going up the stairs, you see something that piques your curiosity. The Paoli-Thorndale line schedule and SEPTA system map are laminated and stapled to the wooden boards behind the stair railing. Unsurprisingly, this seems incredibly tacky to you. Yet despite this, you still press on, hoping things are better at the platforms.

Paoli - Thorndale Line schedule

The map

The northbound platform

Another view of the platforms

Things are not better at the platforms. If anything, they're worse. The northbound platform has nothing at all on it. Not only that, but you want to go southbound anyways.

Wait, how do you get to the southbound platform, even? There's no obvious entrance to it at all, and anywhere you look that seems like it'd lead to it either does not or is barricaded off. Feeling dejected, you decide to go back to take the bus to Wynnewood station. That's when you spot this:

Benches

This isn't any obscure alleyway, this alleyway leads to the southbound platform of West Ardmore station, which is the exact location you were trying to get to.

Station "house"

It's not as if the southbound platform is very good either, though. The southbound platform does have the AmShack you saw on the other platform, though. Waiting behind the guy in line before you, you eventually are able to go inside the station house.

Seriously?

The station house is no Tardis, and in fact is incredibly cramped. There are three chairs and a desk. Behind this is a very small area with an attendant and an Amtrak ticket machine. There's nothing for you there, so you go back outside.

Bench

There's a small bus shelter along the tracks that you are meant to sit in as you wait for your train. And so, you sit for as long as you need to, which ends up being a long time due to the poor frequency of SEPTA's Regional Rail system as a whole.

Accessibility

Unfinished ramp

West Ardmore station is not accessible. There is an unfinished ramp on both ends, and that's about it. If you are able-bodied, now is the time for you to count your blessings. At least they are attempting to remedy the situation, though. This also leads to the unfinished Ardmore station, which seems to have full high platforms being manufactured at the moment.

Transit Connections

West Ardmore station has a few SEPTA bus connections in different spots, similar to the main Ardmore station:

• 44 - Ardmore to 5th and Market (Center City) via Narberth, Bala Cynwyd, and Wynnefield Heights. This is one of the express buses that go onto I-76 as an express service

• 103 - Ardmore to 69th Street Transportation Center via Havertown and Overbrook Park. Only bus route to use the Ardmore Busway

• 105 - Rosemont to 69th Street Transportation Center via Wynnewood, Ardmore, and Bryn Mawr

• 106 - Paoli to 69th Street Transportation Center via Radnor, Ardmore, and Overbrook Park

• Norristown High-Speed Line - Service between 69th Street Transportation Center and Norristown Transportation Center via Haverford and Bridgeport, among other places.

Ardmore as a town

The town of Ardmore itself is beautiful. There are so many trees and so many different stores. Everything is walkable and fancy. However, you are also quick to realize something negative about Ardmore: everything in Ardmore is incredibly expensive. Keep this in mind if you ever decide to visit again.

Statistics

Name: West Ardmore

Agencies: Amtrak and SEPTA

Line(s): Keystone Service, Paoli - Thorndale Line

Locality: Ardmore (Montgomery County side)

City/Township: Lower Merion

County: Montgomery

Ridership: Amtrak: 105 riders per average day (FY 2022). SEPTA: 821 Boardings, 729 Departures per average day. Total: 1655 per day.

Amenities Checklist

Some vestige of accessibility: ×

Clean: ✓

Connections to other transit routes: ✓

Easy passage to either side: ×

Fare Payment Kiosks: × (Amtrak only, and unusable after 11 am)

Good Wayfinding: ×

Lighting: ✓

Maps: ✓

Adequate Parking: × (too much)

Shelters: ✓

Seating: ✓

Station in Good Condition: n/a (being rebuilt)

Train Departure/Arrival Info: ×

Updated/Useful Signage: ×

Final Verdict: 2/10

And before you say "Hey wait, isn't Ardmore station under construction?", I honestly doubt it would have gotten a much higher score before this.

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Ranya's Ramblings

Station Review #40: West Ardmore (Amtrak/SEPTA)

Tour

Transit Connections

Ardmore as a town

Statistics

Amenities Checklist

Directory

Paoli - Thorndale Line trains continue to Center City and Temple University

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