Station Review #51: Woodbourne (SEPTA)


Woodbourne is a station on SEPTA's West Trenton line, located in Middletown Township, PA.  It's renowned among railfans in the area as a very good railfanning location, as you can find SEPTA, CSX, and Norfolk Southern trains here. 

History


Woodbourne station was built by the North Pennsylvania Railroad (NPRR) in the 1870s, and opened to service in 1876 as part of the Delaware River and Bound Brook Railroad, later known as the Delaware River and then the West Trenton branch. Details about Woodbourne station itself are unknown, though it's likely that the Reading Railroad demolished the original station building and built a new one, that being the station that was there for many decades afterward. 

At the same time, the PRR had a station on the Trenton Cutoff (now the Norfolk Southern Morrisville line) right nearby, though this station was instead called "Woodbourne - Oxford Valley", which is probably a better name. Together, the two Woodbourne stations were popular as a transfer point between the Trenton Cutoff and New York lines. The PRR station has long since stopped seeing passenger service, but still exists today, though now is a house. 

This picture is from 1948

Woodbourne also had a freight house, presumably demolished, though when is unknown. 


In 2000, the Reading Railroad station, now owned by SEPTA, was rebuilt. The new Woodbourne station is across the road from the site of the old station, building a parking lot in its place. The old station buildings have since been demolished, as well. Railfans use the site of the old station for railfanning today.


Tour

The shelter

Woodbourne is a station that is mainly a park-and-ride, so its main feature is a very large amount of parking 

Inside the shelter

The inside of the shelter is pretty good for a SEPTA station's shelter, I'd say. There are multiple benches, schedules, a map, and actually working heat lamps inside. 

Bench and stuff

Woodbourne also has benches and countdown clocks for the trains. Overall, Woodbourne has most of the amenities you'd expect from a train station. 

Parking

So much

The sheer amount of parking this station has is mind-boggling. Why does it have so much? Does it need this much? There are two lots worth of it! Don't believe me, I'll show you!

First lot

Grade crossing at the very hostile street you have to jaywalk to get to the other parking lot

The other parking lot

I guess the idea is that more parking at Woodbourne would allow commuters from the small village of Woodbourne itself, the other nearby area of Oxford Valley, or even people in Middletown Township generally to actually effectively be funneled onto the trains. 

Accessibility


View from the mini-high

One thing that hinders this is a lack of a second platform. Yes, that's right, the station made for a double-tracked line only has a single platform. 

Northbound train at Woodbourne

This is how that looks like in practice, the northbound trains drop off passengers on the cross-track boarding platforms, which are the concrete blocks directly on the tracks. 
This is absolutely awful for anyone disabled, as being dropped onto the tracks, and forced to fend for yourself, is not accessibility. Just because one side of the station is accessible doesn't mean it's accessible. Actually, I'd say the opposite. 


Transit Connections



There are absolutely no bus connections in Woodbourne whatsoever. 

Points of Interest in Woodbourne



The only thing to do in Woodbourne that's of any interest to anyone at all is railfanning. Otherwise, there is absolutely nothing in Woodbourne whatsoever. 


Statistics


Name: Woodbourne 
Agency: SEPTA
Line(s): West Trenton 
Locality: Woodbourne 
City/Township: Middletown Township 
County: Bucks
State: Pennsylvania 
Ridership: 592 Boardings, 558 Alightings, 1150 total per average weekday. 

Amenities

Accessibility: ×
Bicycle parking: ✓
Clean: ✓
Connections to other transit routes: ×
Easy passage to either side: There is only one side
Fare Payment Kiosks: ✓
Good Wayfinding: ✓
Lighting: ✓
Maps: ✓
Adequate Parking: ✓
Shelters: ✓
Seating: ✓
Station in Good Condition: ✓
Train Departure/Arrival Info: ✓
Updated/Useful Signage: ✓

Final Verdict: 2/10

Station Directories


--------Philadephia County--------

''''''''Center City Zone''''''''

Penn Medicine

30th Street

Suburban

Jefferson (Market East)

Temple University

''''''''Zone 1''''''''

Fern Rock Transportation Center

--------Montgomery County--------

''''''''Zone 2''''''''

Melrose Park

Elkins Park

''''''''Zone 3''''''''

Jenkintown/Wyncote

Noble

Rydal

Meadowbrook

Bethayres

Philmont

--------Philadephia County--------

Forest Hills

Somerton

--------Bucks County--------

Trevose

Neshaminy Falls

''''''''Zone 4''''''''

Langhorne

Woodbourne

Yardley

--------New Jersey--------

--------Mercer County--------

''''''''NJ Zone''''''''

West Trenton


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