The possibility of a commuter rail station in Newport is under consideration once again, and public information sessions are underway.
The state is running a feasibility study on adding a rail station in Newport for SEPTA service, which operates a bi-directional service in Wilmington 7 days a week and service from Temple University in Philadelphia to Newark on weekdays.
Albert Loyola, the Chief Customer Experience Officer for the Delaware Transit Corporation, operators of DART said the feasibility study will be done by the end of this year.
"We have existing service that go that you know that already goes through here, it just doesn't stop here," Loyola said. "But with that in mind, can another station be of benefit, and what will it take to get that done? Those are the questions we're trying to answer."
DART published a ridership forecasting memo in April, where a majority of people responded they would use the rail station if it was there.
DART recently held a public information session to go over possible design elements of the station and collect input. So far, two public workshops have been held and one more is slated later this year.
He said the project's future depends on the study results. If it moves forward, lawmakers would decide if it is worth funding. The plan comes shortly after Delaware replaced its old Claymont station with a new one a couple years ago.
State Rep. Frank Cooke was at the workshop and supports a rail station in Newport. He said Wilmington has a new law school coming.
"When you talk about entertainment, the arts, banking, those are the things I'm talking about," Cooke said. "We need to get people out here in the suburbs to come into this city and make the city alive."
The idea of a Newport station has been proposed and studied multiple times over the last 15 years. DelDOT will finalize concept plans at the end of the year, once its feasibility study is finished. If the project moves forward, the state will have to consider funding.
The project comes as the state looks at broader rail investments and north-south connectivity.
