# North Broad station

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Railway station in Philadelphia

North Broad North Broad station house on Broad Street, built by the former Reading Railroad General information Location 2601 North Broad Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Coordinates 39°59′32.5″N 75°9′16″W / 39.992361°N 75.15444°W / 39.992361; -75.15444 Owned by City of Philadelphia Operated by SEPTA Lines Norristown Branch SEPTA Main Line Platforms 2 side platforms Tracks 4 Connections SEPTA Metro: (North Philadelphia) (North Philadelphia) SEPTA City Bus: 4, 16, 54 Construction Structure type At-grade Parking Street-side Accessible Yes History Opened 1929 Electrified 1931 Services Preceding station SEPTA Following station Temple University toward Penn Medicine Station Lansdale/​Doylestown Line Wayne Junction toward Doylestown Manayunk/​Norristown Line Allegheny toward Norristown–Elm Street Airport Line does not stop here Chestnut Hill East Line does not stop here Fox Chase Line does not stop here Warminster Line does not stop here West Trenton Line does not stop here Former services Preceding station SEPTA Following station Reading Terminal Terminus Pottsville Line Norristown toward Pottsville Preceding station Reading Railroad Following station Columbia Avenue toward Philadelphia Main Line 22nd Street toward Pottsville Bethlehem Branch Wayne Junction toward Bethlehem Chestnut Hill Branch Tioga toward Chestnut Hill New York Branch Tioga toward Bound Brook Norristown Branch 22nd Street toward Elm Street Philadelphia Terminus Frankford Branch Wayne Junction toward Frankford North Broad Street Station, Reading Company U.S. National Register of Historic Places Interactive map of North Broad Street Station, Reading Company Architect Horace Trumbauer; Irwin & Leighton Architectural style Classical Revival NRHP reference No. 96000325 Added to NRHP March 28, 1996[1] Location

**North Broad station**, known as **North Broad Street** until 1992, is a [SEPTA Regional Rail](/source/SEPTA_Regional_Rail) station in [Philadelphia, Pennsylvania](/source/Philadelphia%2C_Pennsylvania). It is located at 2601 [North Broad Street](/source/Broad_Street_(Philadelphia)) ([PA 611](/source/Pennsylvania_Route_611)) in the [Cecil B. Moore](/source/Cecil_B._Moore%2C_Philadelphia) section of [Lower North Philadelphia](/source/Lower_North_Philadelphia), and serves the [Lansdale/Doylestown Line](/source/Lansdale%2FDoylestown_Line) and the [Manayunk/Norristown Line](/source/Manayunk%2FNorristown_Line). The station has low-level [platforms](/source/Railway_platform) on the outside tracks, with "mini-high" platforms for wheelchair and [accessible](/source/Americans_with_Disabilities_Act_of_1990) accessibility.

North Broad station is within a few blocks of the [North Philadelphia SEPTA-Amtrak station](/source/North_Philadelphia_station) (formerly belonging to the [Pennsylvania Railroad](/source/Pennsylvania_Railroad)), which serves Amtrak's *[Keystone Service](/source/Keystone_Service)* and SEPTA's [Trenton Line](/source/Trenton_Line_(SEPTA)) and [Chestnut Hill West Line](/source/Chestnut_Hill_West_Line), and the [North Philadelphia subway station](/source/North_Philadelphia_station_(Broad_Street_Line)) on SEPTA's [Broad Street Line](/source/Broad_Street_Line). The station is in the [Center City](/source/Center_City%2C_Philadelphia) fare zone, although the station itself is located in North Philadelphia.

## History

### Huntingdon Street station

The Baker Bowl in 1928, with the soon-to-be demolished Huntingdon Street station at right

The [Pennsylvania Railroad](/source/Pennsylvania_Railroad) (PRR) built the [Connecting Railway](/source/Connecting_Railway) in 1867 to connect its main line to the [Philadelphia and Trenton Railroad](/source/Philadelphia_and_Trenton_Railroad). By the early 1870s, **New York Junction** station was established where the Connecting Railway crossed over the [Philadelphia and Reading Railroad](/source/Philadelphia_and_Reading_Railroad) mainline in North Philadelphia.[2] By the early 1880s, the Reading established **16th Street** station a block to the northwest.[3][4]

In 1888, the Reading announced plans to add local stations on the line, including one next to the [Baker Bowl](/source/Baker_Bowl), which had opened as the home of the [Philadelphia Phillies](/source/Philadelphia_Phillies) in 1887.[5] By 1891, the company offered service to **Huntingdon Street** station as well as 16th Street.[6] The station had two [side platforms](/source/Side_platforms) serving the line's four tracks, with a small station building facing Broad Street and Huntingdon Street.[7] 16th Street station was closed in the early 20th century.[8][9]

### North Broad Street station

Passengers at North Broad Street in November 1960. Reading Terminal was closed due to fire, forcing passengers to use the Broad Street Line and North Broad Street station.

In 1928, facing competition from the impending completion of the [Broad Street Line](/source/Broad_Street_Line), the Reading decided to replace Huntingdon Street station with a larger station to rival the PRR's nearby [North Philadelphia station](/source/North_Philadelphia_station). Groundbreaking for **Broad Street** station was held on July 31, 1928 and demolition of Huntingdon Street station began immediately.[10] The classical revival station, designed by [Horace Trumbauer](/source/Horace_Trumbauer), opened as **North Broad Street** in 1929.[11] The station featured two island platforms which served all four tracks, connected by an underground walkway to the station, street, and the [Broad Street Line](/source/Broad_Street_Line)'s [North Philadelphia station](/source/North_Philadelphia_(SEPTA_Broad_Street_Line_station)).[12] Its grand design reflected pre-Great Depression optimism and plans for redevelopment of the surrounding neighborhood.[11]

However, the Great Depression took away passengers and prevented the planned development, and the collapse of local industry after World War II further damaged the neighborhood. Ridership at the station dwindled as passengers opted for private cars or the more frequent subway. The station building was closed and sold for use as a motel in the 1960s; passengers continued to access the platforms through the pedestrian tunnel.[11] In 1981, the station was heavily damaged by fire.[11]

### Railworks

North Broad station in September 2013

On April 5, 1992, SEPTA began their 18-month-long [RailWorks](/source/SEPTA_Regional_Rail#RailWorks) project, which included two multi-month shutdowns of the Reading mainline from Wayne Junction to Market East for emergency bridge repairs. As part of the project, North Broad Street and [Temple University](/source/Temple_University_(SEPTA_station)) stations were completely rebuilt.[13] Within two weeks of the closure, demolition of the old platforms was under way.[14] The rebuilt station has two [side platforms](/source/Side_platform) serving only the outer tracks, which were chosen to straighten the curved tracks around the former island platforms and thus allow higher speeds through the station for express trains. The pedestrian tunnel was closed and filled; access to the platforms is via ramps from North Broad Street.[15] The station, renamed as **North Broad**, reopened at the end of Railworks on September 5, 1993.[16]

Before RailWorks, North Broad Street served 1,200 riders per day, many of whom were transferring to the Broad Street Line or changing for one of the few trains that stopped at Temple.[17] With the addition of Regional Rail platforms at [Fern Rock Transportation Center](/source/Fern_Rock_Transportation_Center) for RailWorks, substantially more service to Temple through the Center City tunnel after the conclusion of the project, and sharply reduced service due to only having two platform tracks rather than the previous four, the importance of North Broad declined significantly after RailWorks.[16] By 2001, under 300 riders used the station daily.[18]

### Station building reuse

In March 1996, the station building was added to the [National Register of Historic Places](/source/National_Register_of_Historic_Places).[1][11] That September, Volunteers of America began a $8.3 million renovation to convert the structure into 108 housing units for people transitioning out of homeless shelters. The organization previously had used part of the first floor for adult rehabilitation and counseling programs, but the structure was so deteriorated that only 18% of the floor space was usable. The first residents moved into Station House Apartments in August 1997.[11]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-nris_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-nris_1-1) ["National Register Information System"](https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP). *[National Register of Historic Places](/source/National_Register_of_Historic_Places)*. [National Park Service](/source/National_Park_Service). January 23, 2007.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Johnson's Philadelphia"](http://www.wardmaps.com/viewasset.php?aid=12844). *Johnson's New Illustrated Family Atlas of the World*. Alvin J. Johnson & Co. 1872 – via Ward Maps.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Outline Maps of the County and City of Philadelphia and Vicinity"](http://www.wardmaps.com/viewasset.php?aid=17730). O. W. Gray and Son. 1882 – via Ward Maps.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-nrhpdoc_4-0)** Caroline L. Gavin (November 1995). [National Register of Historic Places Registration: Pennsylvania SP North Broad Street Station, Reading Company](https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71997558). National Archives and Records Administration. Retrieved January 5, 2026. (Downloading may be slow.)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Railway Projects"](https://books.google.com/books?id=SC9CAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA376). *Railway World*. **14** (16): 376. April 21, 1888.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Map of Philadelphia"](http://www.wardmaps.com/viewasset.php?aid=9557). *Rand, McNally & Co's Indexed Atlas of the World*. Rand, McNally & Co. 1891 – via Ward Maps.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Plan 28"](http://www.wardmaps.com/viewasset.php?aid=1902). *Baist's Property Atlas of the City and County of Philadelphia, Penna*. G. William Baist. 1895 – via Ward Maps.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Rand, McNally & Co's Philadelphia"](http://www.wardmaps.com/viewasset.php?aid=11803). *Rand, McNally & Co's Business Atlas and Shipper's Guide*. Rand, McNally & Co. 1903 – via Ward Maps.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["The Rand-McNally Commercial Atlas Map of Philadelphia"](http://www.wardmaps.com/viewasset.php?aid=17001). *Rand McNally & Co's Commercial Atlas of America*. Rand McNally & Co. 1916 – via Ward Maps.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["Break Ground for Reading Company's New Station"](https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1955&dat=19280801&id=WbYhAAAAIBAJ&sjid=OJ0FAAAAIBAJ&pg=2996,56232&hl=en). *[Reading Eagle](/source/Reading_Eagle)*. August 1, 1928 – via Google Newspapers.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-philly_11-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-philly_11-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-philly_11-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-philly_11-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-philly_11-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-philly_11-5) Leobet, Deise (August 16, 1997). ["Ornate Station To House Homeless: Long Neglected, The Historic Building On N. Broad Is Being Remodeled. Next Month, It Will Become Apartments For 108 Men And Women"](https://web.archive.org/web/20150405190918/http://articles.philly.com/1997-08-16/news/25569058_1_affordable-housing-historic-building-homeless-people). *[The Philadelphia Inquirer](/source/The_Philadelphia_Inquirer)*. Archived from [the original](http://articles.philly.com/1997-08-16/news/25569058_1_affordable-housing-historic-building-homeless-people) on April 5, 2015. Retrieved June 13, 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-nyc_12-0)** Darlington, Peggy; Jones, John; Metz, George; Wright, Bob. ["SEPTA Broad Street Subway"](http://www.nycsubway.org/wiki/SEPTA_Broad_Street_Subway). NYCSubway.org.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-anew_13-0)** Fish, Larry (September 5, 1993). ["Septa Is Wooing Riders Anew: Railworks Worked. Trains Are Back"](https://web.archive.org/web/20150919134908/http://articles.philly.com/1993-09-05/news/25986552_1_wayne-junction-railworks-project-chestnut-hill-east). *[The Philadelphia Inquirer](/source/The_Philadelphia_Inquirer)*. Archived from [the original](http://articles.philly.com/1993-09-05/news/25986552_1_wayne-junction-railworks-project-chestnut-hill-east) on September 19, 2015. Retrieved June 13, 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** ["RailWorks Roundup"](http://dvarp.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/dvrp9205.txt). *The Delaware Valley Rail Passenger*. **10** (5). Delaware Valley Association of Rail Passengers. May 5, 1992.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** ["Railworks Roundup"](http://dvarp.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/dvrp9207.txt). *The Delaware Valley Rail Passenger*. **10** (7). Delaware Valley Association of Rail Passengers: 3. July 8, 1992.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-flag_16-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-flag_16-1) ["Five Septa Stations To Be 'Flag Stops'"](https://www.mcall.com/1993/09/03/five-septa-stations-to-be-flag-stops/). *[The Morning Call](/source/The_Morning_Call)*. September 3, 1993. Retrieved June 13, 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** Mitchell, Matthew (September 8, 1992). ["Rethink North Philadelphia Rail Stops"](http://dvarp.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/dvrp9209.txt). *The Delaware Valley Rail Passenger*. **10** (9). Delaware Valley Association of Rail Passengers: 13.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-18)** ["SEPTA Rider Census Full of Lessons, Trivia"](https://web.archive.org/web/20170510110517/http://dvarp.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/dvrp0209.pdf) (PDF). *The Delaware Valley Rail Passenger*. **20** (9). Delaware Valley Association of Rail Passengers: 5. September 2002. Archived from [the original](http://dvarp.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/dvrp0209.pdf) (PDF) on May 10, 2017. Retrieved June 13, 2016.

## External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [North Broad (SEPTA station)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:North_Broad_(SEPTA_station)).

- [SEPTA – North Broad station](https://www.septa.org/stations/north-broad-station)

- [Broad Street entrance from Google Maps Street View](https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=39.993315,-75.154595&spn=0.003863,0.010986&z=17&layer=c&cbll=39.993574,-75.154541&panoid=Jmk-iV5I3XLgg6wK_b-uhQ&cbp=12,108.62,,0,7.72)

v t e SEPTA Regional Rail stations Airport Terminals E & F Terminals C & D Terminal B Terminal A Eastwick Penn Medicine 30th Street Suburban Jefferson Temple University North Broad Wayne Junction Fern Rock Melrose Park Elkins Park Jenkintown–Wyncote Glenside Chestnut Hill East Chestnut Hill East Gravers Wyndmoor Mount Airy Sedgwick Stenton Washington Lane Germantown Wister Wayne Junction Temple University Jefferson Suburban 30th Street Chestnut Hill West Chestnut Hill West Highland St. Martins Richard Allen Lane Carpenter Upsal Tulpehocken Chelten Avenue Queen Lane North Philadelphia 30th Street Suburban Jefferson Temple University Cynwyd Cynwyd Bala Wynnefield Avenue 30th Street Suburban Fox Chase Fox Chase Cheltenham Lawndale Olney Wayne Junction Temple University Jefferson Suburban 30th Street Penn Medicine Lansdale/Doylestown Doylestown Delaware Valley University New Britain Chalfont Link Belt Colmar Fortuna 9th Street Lansdale Pennbrook North Wales Gwynedd Valley Penllyn Ambler Fort Washington Oreland North Hills Glenside Jenkintown–Wyncote Elkins Park Melrose Park Fern Rock Wayne Junction North Broad Temple University Jefferson Suburban 30th Street Penn Medicine Manayunk/Norristown Elm Street Main Street Norristown Conshohocken Spring Mill Miquon Ivy Ridge Manayunk Wissahickon East Falls Allegheny North Broad Temple University Jefferson Suburban 30th Street Penn Medicine Media/Wawa Wawa Elwyn Media Moylan–Rose Valley Wallingford Swarthmore Morton Secane Primos Clifton–Aldan Gladstone Lansdowne Fernwood–Yeadon Angora 49th Street Penn Medicine 30th Street Suburban Jefferson Temple University Paoli/Thorndale Thorndale Downingtown Whitford Exton Malvern Paoli Daylesford Berwyn Devon Strafford Wayne St. Davids Radnor Villanova Rosemont Bryn Mawr Haverford Ardmore Wynnewood Narberth Merion Overbrook 30th Street Suburban Jefferson Temple University Trenton Trenton Levittown Bristol Croydon Eddington Cornwells Heights Torresdale Holmesburg Junction Tacony Bridesburg North Philadelphia 30th Street Suburban Jefferson Temple University Warminster Warminster Hatboro Willow Grove Crestmont Roslyn Ardsley Glenside Jenkintown–Wyncote Elkins Park Melrose Park Fern Rock Wayne Junction North Broad Temple University Jefferson Suburban 30th Street Penn Medicine West Trenton West Trenton Yardley Woodbourne Langhorne Neshaminy Falls Trevose Somerton Forest Hills Philmont Bethayres Meadowbrook Rydal Noble Jenkintown–Wyncote Elkins Park Melrose Park Fern Rock Wayne Junction Temple University Jefferson Suburban 30th Street Penn Medicine Wilmington/Newark Newark Churchmans Crossing Wilmington Claymont Marcus Hook Highland Avenue Chester Eddystone Crum Lynne Ridley Park Prospect Park Norwood Glenolden Folcroft Sharon Hill Curtis Park Darby Penn Medicine 30th Street Suburban Jefferson Temple University Former stations 52nd Street Allentown Andalusia Auburn Baldwin Barmouth Belle Mead Bethlehem Birdsboro Bound Brook Bryn Athyn Center Valley Cheyney Churchville Coatesville Columbia Avenue County Line Crescentville Darlington DeKalb Street Fellwick Fishers Frankford Junction Franklin Street Fulmor George School Glen Mills Glen Riddle Hamburg Hellertown Holland Hopewell Huntingdon Valley Ivy Rock Lamokin Street Leesport Lenni Locksley Logan Manayunk West Mohrsville Mogees Newark Penn Newtown Nicetown Parkesburg Phoenixville Pottstown Pottsville Quakertown Reading Terminal Royersford Schuylkill Haven Shawmont Shoemakersville Southampton Spring Garden Street Tioga Valley Forge Walnut Hill West Chester West Chester University Westmoreland Westtown Williamson School Wissinoming

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [North Broad station](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Broad_station) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Broad_station?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.