{{Short description|Railway station in Middletown Township, Pennsylvania}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox station | name=Lenni | style=SEPTA | style2=SEPTA Former | image=Former Lenni station in 2017.jpg | image_caption=The former Lenni station site in March 2017 | address=Station Lane and Lenni Road | borough=[[Middletown Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania|Middletown Township, Pennsylvania]] | coordinates={{coord|39.8942|-75.4486|region:US-PA_type:railwaystation|display=inline,title}} | line=[[West Chester Line]]<!-- the physical "line" is not the same as "services" which are detailed below --> | other= | structure= | platform=1 [[side platform]] (former) | depth= | levels= | tracks=1 | parking= | bicycle= | baggage_check= | passengers= | pass_year= | pass_percent= | pass_system= | opened= | closed=September&nbsp;19, 1986<ref name="westchester">{{cite web|title=The Potential of Rail Service to West Chester Borough|url=http://www.west-chester.com/DocumentCenter/View/2333|publisher=Borough of West Chester|accessdate=February 4, 2020|page=24}}</ref> | rebuilt= | electrified= | accessible=<!--no --> | code= | owned=SEPTA | zone= | former= | other_services_collapsible = | other_services_header=Former services | other_services= {{Adjacent stations|system1=SEPTA |line1=West Chester|left1=Wawa|right1=Glen Riddle |system2=Pennsylvania Railroad |line2=West Chester Line|left2=Wawa|right2=Glen Riddle |line3=Chester Creek Branch|right3=Rockdale }} | mapframe = yes | mapframe-zoom = 14 | mapframe-marker-color = #{{rcr|SEPTA|West Chester}} | mapframe-marker = rail }}

'''Lenni station''' was a [[commuter rail]] station on the [[SEPTA Regional Rail]] [[Media/Wawa Line|R3 West Chester Line]], located in [[Middletown Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania]]. The station and several others were closed in September 1986, and subsequently demolished. The site now serves as the location of a crew base building that was constructed in connection with the 2022 restoration of service to [[Wawa Station]].

==History== [[File:Lenni Training Facilities in 2017.jpg|thumb|left|SEPTA training facility at Lenni in 2017|upright=0.7]] 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]], which was electrified on December&nbsp;2, 1928.<ref>{{cite news |title=Electric Trains to Start Sunday |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/57805563/wc-electric-november-30-1928/ |accessdate=August 21, 2020 |work=The Chester Times |date=November 30, 1928 |page=1|via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref> It later became a part of [[SEPTA]]'s [[Media/Wawa Line|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.<ref>[http://www.chestercreektrail.org/Website/About%20the%20Trail/Short%20History%20of%20the%20Chester%20Creek%20Branch.htm chestercreektrail.org] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080704172259/http://www.chestercreektrail.org/Website/About%20the%20Trail/Short%20History%20of%20the%20Chester%20Creek%20Branch.htm |date=2008-07-04 }}</ref>

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 (Pennsylvania)|Exton station]] on SEPTA's [[Paoli/Thorndale Line]]. Service was suspended at that time, with [[Bustitution|substitute bus service]] provided. Lenni station still appears in publicly posted [[Tariff (disambiguation)|tariffs]]. The station shed itself was demolished in the 1990s; the asphalt platform and signage remained extant until around 2019.{{cn|date=November 2025}}

Since passenger service ended in 1986, vandals began stealing the copper catenary wire. A live [[SEPTA's 25 Hz traction power system|SEPTA]] [[Electrical substation|substation]] exists nearby with [[Electric power transmission|transmission lines]] connecting to [[Amtrak's 25 Hz traction power system|Amtrak's Lamokin converter station]]. The line remained electrified as far west as the former Darlington station. The wire was removed for the remainder of the line out to West Chester over the summer of 2005 to prevent further [[Metal theft|theft]].{{cn|date=November 2025}}

The resumption of SEPTA service to [[Wawa Station]], which opened in August 2022, did not include an intermediate stop at Lenni. However, a layover yard was constructed just to the west of the former station site, with a crew base building at Lenni Road.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://railpace.com/septa-opens-wawa-station/ |newspaper=Railpace Newsmagazine |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240913180811/https://railpace.com/septa-opens-wawa-station/ |archive-date=September 13, 2024 |title=SEPTA Opens Wawa Station |date=November 2022 |first1=John M. |last1=Gabriel |first2=Robert L. |last2=Sartain}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== {{commons category-inline}} *[http://www.west2k.com/papix/lenni.jpg Picture of original Lenni Station] {{SEPTA Regional Rail stations}}

[[Category:Former SEPTA Regional Rail stations]] [[Category:Stations on the West Chester Line]] [[Category:Demolished railway stations in the United States]] [[Category:1986 disestablishments in Pennsylvania]] [[Category:Former railway stations in Delaware County, Pennsylvania]] [[Category:Railway stations in the United States closed in 1986]]