Owned by SEPTA Tracks 1 Electrified 1928 Platforms in use 1 | Line(s) West Chester Branch Closed 1986 Phone +1 610-430-2233 | |
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Location Station Lane and Lenni Road
Middletown Township, Pennsylvania. Address 423 Lenni Rd, Lenni, PA 19052, USA Similar Wawa station, West Chester station, Media station, Elwyn station, Ridley Creek | ||
Lenni station was a commuter rail station on the SEPTA Regional Rail R3 West Chester Line, located in Middletown Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. The station and several others were closed in September 1986, and subsequently demolished.
History
Built by the Pennsylvania Railroad, Lenni station stood on the corner of Station Lane and Lenni Road. It served as a stop on the West Chester Branch. It later became a part of SEPTA's R3 West Chester line.
The PRR's former Chester Creek Branch terminated at Lenni. The line sustained heavy flash flood damage in September 1971 (not due to the later Hurricane Agnes as is sometimes claimed), and was taken out of service at that time. The railway was never officially abandoned, and has since been deeded to SEPTA via PennDOT.
The station, and all of those west of Elwyn station, was closed in September 1986, due to deteriorating track conditions and Chester County's desire to expand facilities at Exton station on SEPTA's Paoli/Thorndale Line. Service was suspended that time, with substitute bus service provided. Lenni station still appears in publicly posted tariffs.
The station shed itself was demolished in 1990s; the asphalt platform, station signage and maps survive. Re-extension of SEPTA service to Wawa station would pass by the location without stopping. However, the nearby train shed will indeed be restored into functional use.
Since passenger service ended in 1986, vandals began stealing the copper catenary wire. As Lenni is currently used by SEPTA to train new railroad division engineers, and a live SEPTA substation exists nearby with transmission lines connecting to Amtrak's Lamokin converter station, the line remains electrified as far west as Lenni. Wire was removed for the remainder of the line out to West Chester over the summer of 2005 to prevent further theft.