Reading Company's Souderton Station: Looking NorthIn 1852, Henry O. Souder convinced the Philadelphia, Easton, and Water Gap Railroad to lay their rails right through this quiet section of Franconia Township. By 1857, when it was finally opened in this area, it was owned by the North Pennsylvania Railroad, and in 1879 it became the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad.
Built in 1928, this station was formerly operated by the Reading Company, and then later, Conrail and SEPTA. Today, the Pennsylvania Northeastern runs the section from Lansdale to Telford, while East Penn handles Telford to Quakertown. SEPTA Regional Rail stopped service on July 29, 1981 after the commuter agency cancelled its diesel train routes.
Known as the Bethlehem Line, the line through Telford, PA, was started by the North Pennsylvania Railroad in Fort Washington, PA, (just outside Philadelphia) in 1853, and was completed to Bethlehem in 1857. Formed in 1852, the NPRR began operation in 1855. The Philadelphia and Reading Railway, predecessor to the Reading Company, leased the North Pennsylvania in 1879. By 1892 there were 22 trains on this line. The Cannonball train made the trip from Philadelphia and Bethlehem in 1 1/2 hours. In 1885 work which lasted one year double tracked the line from Philadelphia to Bethlehem.
Today, Souderton Borough leases the train station, its two accompanying buildings and the parking area from SEPTA and has renovated and restored the buildings to be subleased to businesses. One of those businesses is the "Northbound Restaurant" inside the station, ironically on the southbound side, while the northbound shed is home to a nail salon.
