SEPTA says Chestnut Hill East Station in Philadelphia is getting rave reviews from riders and conductors over its new ADA-accessible, high-level platforms, the latest milestone in a station rebuild that has been underway since January 2025. The transit agency flagged the progress in a social media post Sunday, part of a broader overhaul that also includes new restrooms, lighting, signage and a sizable new stormwater system beneath the station's parking lots.
In a Facebook post, SEPTA wrote that “riders and conductors are loving the new ADA-accessible, high-level platforms at Chestnut Hill East Station.” It's worth noting that SEPTA's own project page for the station describes the work as building “a new, ADA accessible platform” in the singular, while the Facebook post refers to “platforms” in the plural — a discrepancy that isn't resolved in either account.
The station has been under construction since January 2025 as part of SEPTA's Station Accessibility Program, according to SEPTA's project page. The agency says the new high-level platform is designed to make boarding easier for all patrons, a core goal of the accessibility-focused rebuild.
What's Included in the Overhaul
Beyond the platform work, the renovation covers ADA-compliant restrooms, new lighting and signage, and new roofing across all platforms, per the same SEPTA project description. The agency says the new lighting and signage are meant to make wayfinding safer and easier for passengers moving through the station.
The project also includes a stormwater management system built under the station's parking lots, capable of holding 130,000 gallons of water. SEPTA says the system is intended to help alleviate runoff and flooding, folding climate-resilience infrastructure into what is otherwise primarily an accessibility project.
Part of a Larger Regional Rail Investment
The Chestnut Hill East Station work has unfolded alongside a separate, larger maintenance push on the line it sits on. As reported by rtands.com, SEPTA shut down service on the Chestnut Hill East Regional Rail Line from June 15 to September 2 for a $23 million maintenance project that included repairs to five bridges, with crews also handling ADA improvements at the station during that window.
SEPTA Chief Engineer Kate O'Connor told the outlet the bridge repairs were a proactive move rather than a response to any safety concern, saying the project “does not mean that they're unsafe. But what it does mean is that we want to be proactive and get out ahead of it.” The remark underscores that the broader rail-line investment was framed as preventive maintenance rather than an emergency fix.
In its post touting the new platforms, SEPTA also reminded riders to observe posted signage and use caution while construction continues at the station. The agency's project page and social post together paint a picture of a station still being actively transformed, even as some elements — like the new platform access — are already drawing praise from the people who use the station every day.
