Station Review #160: Warminster (SEPTA)


Warminster station is a station located at 100 Station Drive in Warminster, PA. The station is the outbound terminus station for SEPTA's Warminster Line. 

History


Warminster station used to not exist. Instead it was served by two stations near where it originally was: Bonair and Johnsville. Bonair was at County Line Road while Johnsville was just past Street Road. Both of these were microstations that were originally closed in the 1960s when all diesel portions of the New Hope Line were closed, cutting the line back to Hatboro. 
 
Warminster station was made to replace them in 1974. The methodology was that it was to be a large park and ride station near Street Road. Many people were moving into Warminster Township as it was being developed. These new residents did not know of the villages of Bonair or Johnsville, they just knew the area to be "Warminster", so that's what the new station would be named. In order for this to work, electrification was extended 1.5 miles from Hatboro to Warminster. 
 
Needless to say, this scheme worked perfectly, and Warminster is by far the most used station on the line.  For several years after the station opened, the New Hope and Ivyland Railroad ran connecting diesel trains to Warminster, allowing rail travel to New Hope from Philadelphia with a timed transfer in Warminster. This stopped in 1978. Event trains have went to New Hope from Warminster afterwards, but this is incredibly rare nowadays. 
 
This was the first station built while the regional rail lines were owned by SEPTA.  

Tour

The station from a direction you aren't supposed to enter it from

Warminster station has a full high level platform. This is nice, until you realize that the platform is designed in such a way where it's difficult to enter and exit the station if you do it from the wrong direction. Said wrong direction is unfortunately also the more convenient direction if you're walking to the station.  

From this direction, you have to cross active track with zero crossings. 

And if that wasn't enough, there's no ramp. You have to go up a staircase that I'm not certain passengers are even allowed to use. This feels like a massive oversight that could easily be fixed by a ramp and a crossing.

If you're actually on the platform though, this station is generally pretty okay. The depot is peak late 1960s-early 1970s architecture, and it shows. 

Train at a full high level platform

Benches

Old broken clock

Entrance to the depot

Inside of depot

Warminster station's depot is incredibly spacious, and full of seating. It feels a little like an NJT depot, minus the random convenience store inside. 

Countdown clock

Parking machines

Parking

This place has a moat of parking, specifically 837 spaces of it. 

SEPTA Access bus lot next to more parking

Many of the SEPTA Access buses also live here. Even that still isn't enough to fill the parking lot.

Warminster might have one of the largest parking lots in the entire regional rail system. 

Bus Connections

There are two bus connections here, one from SEPTA and one from BCT

22 - Warminster and Willow Grove to Olney Transit Center: This is a SEPTA bus that goes along Easton and Old York Roads. To an extent it paralells the Warminster line itself, though it does so with local service. This bus doesn't go directly to the station itself, but does run immediately around it, ending at some apartments in Warminster Heights. This bus is usually hourly past Willow Grove Mall 

Warminster RushBus - This bus is much more complicated. It's a worker shuttle ran by BCT that runs during rush hour in each direction. Buses will generally pick up passengers at Warminster station, and then go east along Jacksonville Road. I'm not certain how far this bus runs, though I believe it at least goes as far as Almhouse Road, It used to go into downtown Richboro and I'm not sure if it still goes that far. The Warminster RushBus is generally a flex bus and will deviate to the workplaces of the passengers. Much unlike the 22 bus, the Warminster RushBus picks up directly in front of the station building. 
 

Points of Interest Near Warminster Station

There are things to see and do in Warminster. Unfortunately, most of these involve crossing Street Road or another similar road, which is never a good idea. There's a Walmart nearby, I guess that's something? 

Statistics


Name: Warminster
Agency: SEPTA
Line(s): Warminster
Locality: Warminster
Municipality: Warminster Township
County: Bucks
State: Pennsylvania
Ridership: 1488 riders per average weekday

Amenity Checklist


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

Final Verdict: 7.5/10

Station Directory


--------Philadelphia County--------
''''''''Center City Zone''''''''
30th Street
Suburban
Jefferson (Market East)
Temple University
''''''''Zone 1''''''''
Wayne Junction
Fern Rock Transportation Center
--------Montgomery County--------
''''''''Zone 2''''''''
Melrose Park
Elkins Park
''''''''Zone 3''''''''
Jenkintown - Wyncote
Glenside
Ardsley
Roslyn
Crestmont
Willow Grove
Hatboro
--------Bucks County--------
Warminster
 

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