November 12, 2026
Michael Tanenbaum/PhillyVoice
The renovated South Concourse at 30th Street Station is now open to the public with new seating areas and upgraded restrooms. Amtrak plans to debut retail and dining options in phases over the coming months.
Travelers at 30th Street Station now have access to some of the renovated areas that Amtrak has been working on as part of its $550 million project.
The station's South Concourse, which houses the former dining area and public restrooms, reopened this week with several new seating areas that include outlets to charge devices. The upgraded bathrooms are also open and the station's new food and retail options are set to debut in phases over the coming months, officials said.
Amtrak's interior restoration of 30th Street Station started in early 2024, turning large sections of the building into construction zones. Most of the station's retail has been moved to modular kiosks in the main hall to allow for the remodeling of commercial spaces.
Work on the South Concourse has included restoring bronze and brass entryways, doors, trim and fixtures for the renovated storefronts, which now feature renderings of the upcoming food and retail spaces. Amtrak has not provided details on food hall vendors and upcoming stores, but signage shows plans for a Starbucks and relocated Dunkin' and Hudson convenience store. Vantage Group, Amtrak's partner at the station, still has signage displayed for leasing.
A view of the seating area in the renovated South Concourse at 30th Street Station.
New seating areas have been added to the hall inside the station entrance at 29th and Market streets.
New shops will open at Amtrak's 30th Street Station over the coming months. Historic details have been restored at the station's storefronts.
The public restrooms in the South Concourse of 30th Street Station have been upgraded and are now reopened.
Other changes planned at the station include moving the customer service area out of the main concourse and into the North Waiting Room, which features Karl Bitter's 30-foot-long sculpture "The Spirit of Transportation." That space now has benches reserved for Amtrak and New Jersey Transit travelers.
Benches have been added to the North Waiting Room at 30th Street Station.
New seating areas have been added to the hall inside the station entrance at 29th and Market streets.
The space of the former Bridgewater's Pub has been remodeled as part of Amtrak's $550 million interior restoration of 30th Street Station.
In the main hall, most of the work cleaning panels on the building's ceilings and scrubbing its limestone walls has already been completed. Contractor Gilbane also has been cleaning the station's light fixtures and replacing bulbs.
The space that was formerly Bridgewater's Pub, which closed in 2020, has been renovated and the surrounding hall now has additional tables and seating areas.
Amtrak officials and city leaders plan to hold a ribbon-cutting for the South Concourse on Friday morning to discuss progress on the restoration. The modernization project is part of a public-private partnership between Amtrak and Plenary Infrastructure Philadelphia, a consortium that has a 50-year agreement to improve and maintain the station.
