Long-closed Franklin Square PATCO station to reopen Thursday for 1st time since 1979

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- After four decades and a $29.3 million renovation, the Franklin Square PATCO Station will reopen to passengers on Thursday afternoon.

The ribbon cutting will take place at noon, with Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker in attendance.

"After 46 years, it's finally open," said PATCO General Manager, John Rink, who gave 6abc a sneak peek before the opening.

"Our job is to connect people, and we're going to be able to reconnect people to everything that's been built around this station since 1979," Rink explained.

The station, near 7th and Race streets, first opened in 1936 with its last passenger service in 1979.

The design brings the station up to date while retaining historical elements.

"This is the original 1930s tile from when the station was built," Rink indicated.

In 2019, Action News was there as federal funds were awarded for the project.

Plans and renderings were drawn up to update the space. Then, construction started in 2022.

The 14th stop on the PATCO line is meant to improve connectivity between Philadelphia and Lindenwold, New Jersey. The station also provides a connection between Franklin Square and Rittenhouse Square.

"We're very close to using the station to access the Constitution Center, along with the Independence Park Visitor Center, and we're a block or two away from Chinatown as well," Rink said.

The renovation includes eco-friendly features, full ADA accessibility, and modernized systems.

"We had to redo all the mechanical, the electrical, put in the fire safety. You can see we have all-new LED lighting, trim. We had to build the elevator and escalator," Rink listed.

The first westbound train is scheduled to stop at 1:38 p.m., and the first eastbound train is expected at 1:42 p.m.