Bristol Station to be Touched Up as Full Rebuild is Discussed

No one knows when was the last time the Bristol SEPTA Regional Rail Station had major work performed on and it still might be awhile before a full overhaul is actually begins officials from the transportation agency said at the Bristol Borough Council Meeting Monday night but a concept is in place.

Kate O’Connor, SEPTA’s Chief Engineer, said the station will receive a touch up of sorts after July 4th as work crews will begin cleaning and painting the station along with the installation of new stairway handrails, beam replacement and steel repairs.

Credit: Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick’s office

O’Connor said a full station rebuild is in the planning stages, as she featured renderings of what the station could look like after a full remodel. She said the upgrade will improve the overall look of the station, which has layers of green and white paint chipping off. She also said the proposed upgrades will make it easier for riders to enter and leave trains.

The pedestrian tunnel will also be have repairs and painting performed to it also, she said.

The project also calls for the installation of a low level platform which will make it easier for Amtrak and SEPTA workers to access the tracks, for example, in emergency situations.

The proposed rebuild would keep station access on Garden and Pine Streets, however,  access points for those with physical challenges would be installed as ramps, eliminating much of the brush that lines the boundary of the station on Garden St. There will also be a three new passenger shelters erected on either side of the station.

The drawings presented by SEPTA are just conceptual with finer details to be worked out in the near future.

Conceptual Rendering of a new Bristol Regional Rail Station

This would be the third area rail station renewed in recent years, with the Bristol Township’s  Croydon Station and the Levittown Station in Tullytown Borough having overhauls completed in recent years.

Concept Plan for Bristol Rail Station Platorms

Its a proven that with a good train station, you attract more people into town, property values go up and everything just falls ijnto place, said Council President Ralph DiGuiseppe

Funding for the project and its cost has yet to be determined by officials and its the larger part of the work that needs to be done because the station would then be Americans with Disabilities Act compliant.