Station Review #69: Wister (SEPTA)


Wister is a station on SEPTA's Chestnut Hill East line, located on East Ashmead Street in the East Germantown Neighborhood of Northwest Philadelphia. 

History

The now demolished station house

The history of Wister station is somewhat unclear, but traces back to at least the 1860s, though possibly all the way to 1832, when the Germantown railroad was built. In 1854, the Chestnut Hill Railroad was completed, giving Wister station newfound service to Germantown, Chestnut Hill, and Center City.

Wister station got its name from its original location, which was at the railroad's intersection with Wister Street. Some time around the 1880s, the station was renamed to Duys station. This name didn't last all that long, and by 1925 it was back to Wister station. 

In 1929, the old station was demolished, with the station grounds being moved to Ashmead street. This was done in accordance with the grade separation project that the Reading Railroad was performing on the Germantown and Chestnut Hill railroads during this time. Around this time, service on the Germantown Branch was discontinued with the rebuilding of Germantown station. 

In 1932, a station house was built for Wister station. This station house has since been demolished, most likely due to  the general decline of the station, or due to outright disrepair.

Tour

There really is not much to this station. There are two platforms and an underground crossover, and a few paths to and from the station.  

Stairwell to the other platform 

Accessibility! (Not.)

Wister is not accessible at all whatsoever, much like every other Chestnut Hill East station. 

Map and one of the three ceremonial stones

You aren't supposed to go this far, but you can

Stairs inside the underground crossover

There clearly used to be an R7 sign behind that part that is covered up

Bench and a shelter that has since been covered up for some reason beyond my understanding

Train! 

One of the exits out of the station

The other side of this exit

What a horrible exit

If you come in from the Belfield Avenue end of the station, it's very easy to miss the very thin path in the sidewalk to the station.

The Wister Street entrance at least feels like an actual entrance. This entrance is also how you get to what logically should be the very small parking lot, but isn't. This station has absolutely no parking whatsoever. 

Bus Connections

There is one bus connection at Wister station, the J. The J links Arrott Transportation Center with Chelten Station via Lindley and Belfield Avenues, while also linking to Logan station on the Broad Street Line. This bus comes once every 30 minutes or so and can be accessed more easily from Germantown Station. 

Technically, you could get to the station from the 18 bus (Cedarbrook Plaza to Fix Chase Loop) like I did, but this is definitely not what is intended, as it was over a half of a mile walking. This was where I also had to cross Wister and Belfield, which I will say is the epitome of a very poorly designed intersection for pedestrian use. 

Points of Interest Near Wister Station


There's Wister Woods Park, and that's about it. Almost everything else around here is either abandoned or residential (or both). I'm pretty certain that much if the reason for the existence of this station has to do with all of the abandoned factories nearby it. 

This is the closest Regional Rail station to LaSalle University, but since there is a lack of parking or a shuttle between the station and university, very few students use it. 

Statistics


Name: Wister
Agency: SEPTA
Line(s): Chestnut Hill East
Locality: East Germantown 
City/Township: Philadelphia 
County: Philadelphia 
State: Pennsylvania 
Ridership: 113 per average weekday, the lowest on the entire Chestnut Hill East line. 

Station Amenities


Accessible: ×
Bathrooms: ×
Bicycle parking: ✓
Clean Station: ×
Connections to other transit routes: ✓
Easy passage for each side: ✓
Fare Payment Kiosks (if applicable): ✓
Good Wayfinding: ×
Indoor Shelters: ×
Maps: ✓
Multiple entrances/exits: ✓
Adequate Parking: ×
Seating: ✓
Shelters: ✓
Station In Good Condition: ×
Ticket Kiosks (if applicable): ×
Ticket Offices: ×
TOD: ×
Train Departure/Arrival Info (signs that update/screens): ×
Updated/Useful Signage: ✓

Final Verdict: 2/10. 

Station Directory

--------Philadelphia County--------
''''''''CC Zone''''''''
30th Street
Suburban
Jefferson (Market East)
''''''''Zone 1''''''''
Wayne Junction
Wister
''''''''Zone 2''''''''
Washington Lane
Stenton
Mt. Airy
Wyndmoor
Gravers





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