Two of southeastern Pennsylvania's biggest brands are coming together on a deal, as SEPTA and Wawa announced a naming rights deal on Wednesday in which the convenience store giant chain will get a station namesake and its name in a Regional Rail line.
The new "Wawa Station" will be added to the end of the existing Media-Elwyn line which previously terminated in Elwyn, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. The new station will open to SEPTA passengers on Aug. 21. It is located about three miles west of the Elwyn station stop.
Wawa is paying $5.4 million to have the station name for the next 10 years, the entities said in a statement. The Regional Rail line currently known as the Media/Elwyn line will be known as the Media/Wawa line once the name change is made official next month.
The new station has been under renovations since 2018. The station building is ADA-accessible and includes a 600-space parking lot. SEPTA bus routes 111 and 114 will connect at the station.
Get Philly local news, weather forecasts, sports and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Philadelphia newsletters.
This is the fifth naming rights for a station sold by SEPTA in the last 10 years. The first was AT&T Station at the Sports Complex terminus of the Broad Street line. Since then, that station has been renamed for NRG Energy while the former Market East station in Center City is now Jefferson Station and the former University City Regional Rail station in West Philadelphia is now the Penn Medicine Station.
The new Wawa Station is across from a recognizable Wawa Dairy facility that has been a big part of the convenience store chain's local ties for a century.
“Wawa is thrilled to partner with SEPTA to relaunch the Media/Wawa Line and provide our friends and neighbors a convenient way to travel from Wawa, Pennsylvania, to Center City Philadelphia and all stops in between,” Wawa President and CEO Chris Gheysens said in the statement. “Located across from the Wawa Dairy that has been bottling and distributing milk for more than 100 years and adjacent to our home office campus, this rail line has meant a lot to Wawa and to our founding family throughout the years. We cannot wait to celebrate its return and look forward to being a part of new history through this new station.”
Local
Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood.
Wawa is headquartered in Delaware County, with its name lending to a community in Middletown Township and Chester Heights Borough. The new station is in Middletown.
