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50-735: Manayunk/Norristown Line trains originate at and take the West Chester Branch to reach 30th Street Station . From there, they use the Center City Commuter Connection of the SEPTA Main Line , making all stops between 30th Street Station and North Broad station . From North Broad, trains use the Norristown Branch , traveling through Philadelphia's East Falls and Manayunk neighborhoods and Conshohocken before reaching Norristown. At

100-485: A borough government. Eventually petitions were filed with the courts for the establishment of a borough, signed by 61 resident property owners and 39 non-resident property owners. On July 2, 1906, the court issued the final decree of the incorporation of the Borough of Wyomissing. Between 1906 and the 1940s, several additional tracts of land were annexed to the borough from Spring and Cumru townships. However, 1949–1950 saw

150-679: A feasibility study for rebuilding the line and restoring direct commuter rail service from West Chester to Philadelphia 30th Street Station . SEPTA service below the Elwyn station was terminated in 1986 due to low ridership and unsafe track conditions, but the area has since grown in population and has few transportation alternatives. Operation of scheduled rail service, as opposed to the West Chester Railroad's heritage operation, would require upgrades to infrastructure and ADA accessibility to its facilities. The deteriorated condition of

200-530: A female householder with no husband present, and 37.6 percent were non-families. 34.1 percent of all households were made up of individuals, and 22.7 percent had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.88. In the borough, the population was spread out, with 18.2 percent under the age of 18, 12.6 percent from 18 to 24, 17.6 percent from 25 to 44, 22.7 percent from 45 to 64, and 28.8 percent who were 65 years of age or older. The median age

250-464: A former Bed Bath & Beyond store. This is the company's first store in Berks County. As of the 2000 census, there were 8,587 people, 3,359 households, and 2,096 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,246.0 inhabitants per square mile (867.2/km ). There were 3,539 housing units at an average density of 925.7 per square mile (357.4/km ). The racial makeup of the borough

300-706: A new park and ride station in Wawa in 2022. As of 2022, SEPTA operates commuter rail operations on the line between Philadelphia and Wawa, while the West Chester Railroad operates a scenic excursion train on weekends between West Chester and Glen Mills . Occasional nocturnal freight service occurs via Amtrak to obtain track ballast from a quarry in Glen Mills . In 2018 the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation commissioned

350-880: A panel led by the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance pushed for an extension of the Manayunk/Norristown Line to Reading , with service terminating either at the Franklin Street Station in Reading or in Wyomissing. The proposed extension would utilize existing Norfolk Southern freight railroad tracks. Before service can be implemented, a study would need to take place. In 2020, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) finalized

400-691: A study on the feasibility of extending passenger train service from Norristown to Reading along the Norfolk Southern freight line. The proposed extension is projected to cost $ 818 million, which includes buying the trains and paying Norfolk Southern to use the line. The service is projected to have an annual operating cost of between $ 18 million and $ 25 million. Stations will be located in Reading (Franklin Street Station), Birdsboro , Pottstown , Royersford , Phoenixville, Valley Forge , and Norristown (Norristown Transportation Center); from where

450-400: A transfer to electric-powered trains at Norristown for service to Philadelphia. In addition, a third track would need to be constructed between Reading and Norristown in order to accommodate both passenger service and Norfolk Southern freight trains. The proposal calls for between 6 and 9 daily round trips to Reading and has a projected weekday ridership between 3,400 and 6,400 by 2030. Following

500-558: A western tract, which were divided by a northwesterly line in the vicinity of Lake Avenue. One of the earliest industries in the area was the Evans Grist Mill. This building still stands at the corner of Old Mill Road and Old Wyomissing Road. In 1896, present-day Wyomissing began to take form when Reading lumber dealer Thomas P. Merritt acquired 600 acres (240 ha). Albert Thalheimer, David H. Keiser, Marthias Mengel, and Levi Walter Mengel joined Thomas R. Merrit in organizing

550-542: Is 7a, bordering on 6b. The original inhabitants of Wyomissing are Lenape Native Americans, who lived along the banks of Wyomissing Creek. The name Wyomissing is from the Delaware language , meaning "peaceful/long fish/pike". Much of Berks County was transferred from the Native Americans to William Penn in 1685. Title to the land that much of Wyomissing is built upon was in two parcels, an eastern tract and

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600-495: Is a first-class borough with a council-manager form of government . The manager is Pat Brandenburg. The council consists of nine members and elects a mayor from its ranks, who is Fred Levering. The following legislators represent the borough: As of 2019, there were 59.90 miles (96.40 km) of public roads in Wyomissing, of which 9.01 miles (14.50 km) were maintained by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and 50.89 miles (81.90 km) were maintained by

650-468: Is bordered by the city of Reading to the northeast and southeast, by West Reading directly to the east, by the borough of Shillington and Cumru Township to the south, by Spring Township to the west and northwest, and by Bern Township to the north. From south to north, the west side of Wyomissing is bordered by the unincorporated communities of Montrose Manor , Lincoln Park , West Wyomissing , West Lawn , Whitfield , and Colony Park . Directly to

700-699: Is land and 0.019 square miles (0.05 km ), or 0.47 percent, is water. In the vicinity of the Knitting Mills, formerly the Vanity Fair complex, average monthly temperatures range from 30.6 °F in January to 75.9 °F in July. The climate locally and in the surrounding area is classified by the Köppen climate classification system as hot-summer humid continental ( Dfa ). The local hardiness zone

750-620: The 2010 census . The growth was significantly larger between 2000 and 2010 largely because of its merger in January 2002 with neighboring Wyomissing Hills . Wyomissing is the most populous borough in Berks County. The borough is recognized as a Tree City USA and selected as a "Contender" for the best places to live in Pennsylvania by Money magazine. Wyomissing is located in central Berks County at 40°19′58″N 75°57′53″W  /  40.33278°N 75.96472°W  / 40.33278; -75.96472 (40.332742, −75.964603). It

800-625: The COVID-19 pandemic , though Temple University and North Broad stations were still being served by other rail services. Service resumed on June 28, 2020. On September 1–2, 2021, the remnants of Hurricane Ida caused severe flooding along the Schuylkill River, with the Manayunk/Norristown Line between Miquon and Norristown flooded and damaged. As a result, service along the line was suspended. Service between Center City Philadelphia and Spring Mill resumed on September 7 while service along

850-678: The Media/Wawa Line . Most weekend Manayunk/Norristown Line trains continue to Wilmington on the Wilmington/Newark Line . The Manayunk/Norristown Line is a continuation of the Reading Company 's suburban services on the Norristown Branch from Philadelphia to Norristown, Pennsylvania . Electrified service to Norristown and Chestnut Hill East began on February 5, 1933. Steam (and later diesel)-operated intercity services continued to operate beyond Norristown. By

900-868: The Norristown Transportation Center , commuters can transfer to SEPTA surface buses or the SEPTA Norristown High Speed Line to 69th Street Transportation Center . From the Norristown Transportation Center, trains continue to Norristown–Main Street and Norristown–Elm Street . Until 1981, additional passenger service continued from Norristown over the former Reading main line to Pottstown , Reading , and Pottsville . As of 2022, most weekday Manayunk/Norristown Line trains terminate at 30th Street Station or continue to Wawa on

950-695: The Philadelphia–Washington Main Line (Northeast Corridor) at Arsenal Junction near the University of Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia-Chicago Main Line near Frazer, Pennsylvania . It was part of the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) system (and later Penn Central ) up until the formation of Conrail in 1976. Today, SEPTA operates the Media/Wawa Line commuter service as far west as Wawa , while

1000-532: The Schuylkill Valley Metro project. These plans are currently on hold. The following is a list of stations formerly served by SEPTA. Between FY 2013–FY 2019 yearly ridership on the Manayunk/Norristown Line ranged between 2.9 million–3.3 million before collapsing during the COVID-19 pandemic . West Chester Branch The West Chester Branch is a railway line in southeastern Pennsylvania . At its fullest extent, it connected with

1050-483: The West Chester Railroad heritage railway operates between West Chester station and Glen Mills . The branch was composed of rail lines built by two companies in the 19th century. One portion, a 9-mile (14 km) line from West Chester to Malvern , was built after 1831 by the West Chester Railroad . The PRR leased the line in 1859, and moved the Malvern end to a junction at Frazer in 1880. The PRR acquired

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1100-561: The 1960s Budd Rail Diesel Cars handled most of the Reading's diesel services, although the Reading's EMD FP7 locomotives, displaced from the Crusader , saw regular use on the Philadelphia–Reading run. SEPTA discontinued services beyond Norristown on July 26, 1981. Between 1984–2010 the route was designated R6 Norristown as part of SEPTA's diametrical reorganization of its lines. Manayunk/Norristown Line trains operated through

1150-422: The 1990s, companies and corporations relocated from the city to newer, Class A office space in the borough. In addition to a suburban layout, the greater Wyomissing area is at the crossroads of U.S. Routes 422 and 222 , providing immediate highway access to the rest of the greater Philadelphia and Berks County region. Several large corporations are headquartered in Wyomissing, including Penn Entertainment ,

1200-511: The Manayunk/Norristown Line, called the Norristown Extension, to Wyomissing was later proposed, with funding to come through new tolls on U.S. Route 422 . As of mid-2018, the borough of Phoenixville is studying the restoration of SEPTA train service by extending the Manayunk/Norristown Line using old Reading Line track past Norristown, currently used for freight trains by Norfolk Southern along its Harrisburg Line . In 2018,

1250-660: The PRR's West Chester Branch, the line offered commuter rail service between Philadelphia , Media , and West Chester, the county seat of Chester County . In the 1920s, the PRR electrified the Paoli and Chestnut Hill lines, then its Philadelphia-Washington Main Line to Wilmington and the West Chester Branch out to West Chester. The PRR ended passenger service from West Chester to Frazer in 1932 and removed those tracks in

1300-496: The Penn Central's bankruptcy. SEPTA acquired it in 1979; Conrail continued to run commuter services under contract until 1983, when SEPTA took full control. SEPTA operated the line as its R3-Media/West Chester service until 1986, when service was truncated to Elwyn . Eighteen West Chester-Center City trains had operated on weekdays along with eleven West Chester-Media shuttle trains. SEPTA restored rail service west of Elwyn to

1350-496: The PennDOT feasibility study, a feasibility study by Norfolk Southern needs to be conducted and the proposal needs to be added to the PennDOT rail plan, which would allow for Federal Railroad Administration grants to be used for studies of the proposed service. As part of the process of implementing passenger train service from Norristown to Reading, county commissioners from Berks , Chester , and Montgomery counties will create

1400-795: The Reading Suburban Real Estate Company. Shortly afterwards Wyomissing Industries, manufacturer of textile machinery, was established by the firm of Thun and Janssen along the Reading Railroad just west of Van Reed Road (today named Park Road). Ferdinand Thun, Henry K Janssen, and Gustav Oberlaender became known as "The Big Three of Wyomissing Industries. Wyomissing Industries comprised Narrow Fabric Co., Textile Machine Works and Berkshire Knitting Mills. This spurred development, and soon there were many developers working to build Wyomissing. In 1904 and 1905, Thun and Janssen called town meetings to discuss setting up

1450-727: The Tri-County Passenger Rail Committee, which will consist of three members named by each county. Rail service between Reading and Philadelphia along the Norfolk Southern line is included in Amtrak 's service vision for 2035. The Manayunk/Norristown Line makes the following station stops after leaving the Center City Commuter Connection ; stations indicated with a gray background are closed. Prior to July 26, 1981, RDC diesel trains operated north of Norristown to Reading and Pottsville. Until 2011, SEPTA had considered restoring service as far as Reading as part of

1500-626: The Warren Street Bypass toward the northern part of Reading and Pricetown . U.S. Route 422 Business passes through the center of Wyomissing on Penn Avenue, beginning at US 222/US 422 before heading east to West Reading and the central part of Reading. Other notable local roads in Wyomissing include Park Road, Paper Mill Road, State Hill Road, and Wyomissing Boulevard. Wyomissing is served by multiple Berks Area Regional Transportation Authority (BARTA) bus routes including 12, 14, 15, and 16, which serve residential and business areas in

1550-680: The West Chester Railroad in 1903. The other portion, a 26-mile (42 km) line from Philadelphia to West Chester, was built by the West Chester and Philadelphia Railroad (WC&P) between 1852 and 1858. In 1880, the WC&;P was purchased by the PRR-controlled Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad (PWB), which merged it the following year into the Philadelphia and Baltimore Central Railroad . As

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1600-687: The borough and connect the borough to the BARTA Transportation Center in Reading and other points in Berks County. Norfolk Southern Railway (NS) operates freight trains through Wyomissing. The borough is home to the Wyomissing Junction between the Harrisburg Line running from Harrisburg to Philadelphia and the Reading Line running from Wyomissing to Bethlehem . Wyomissing was proposed to be

1650-628: The borough is served by the Wilson School District . There are several Catholic schools just outside Wyomissing that serve area students. Among them are St. Ignatius Loyola (K–8) in Spring Township and Sacred Heart (K–8) in West Reading. As of the fall of 2011, the newly formed Berks Catholic High School at 955 E Wyomissing Blvd in Reading (formerly Holy Name High School) serves students in grades 9–12. Wyomissing

1700-652: The borough. Wyomissing is located at the junction of U.S. Route 222 and U.S. Route 422 , which pass concurrent through the borough on the Warren Street Bypass freeway. US 222 heads south as a freeway toward Lancaster and north as a freeway toward Allentown while US 422 heads west on Penn Avenue toward Lebanon and east on the West Shore Bypass freeway toward the central part of Reading and Pottstown . Pennsylvania Route 12 begins at US 222/US 422 in Wyomissing and continues northeast along

1750-534: The city center to the Ivy Ridge Line (later Cynwyd) on the ex-Pennsylvania side of the system. The R-number naming system was dropped on July 25, 2010. SEPTA undertook a series of operational and physical improvements of the Norristown Branch beginning in 2013, culminating in the activation of positive train control on August 15, 2016. On April 9, 2020, service on the line was suspended due to

1800-404: The early 1960s. In 1971 and 1972, there were washouts on the nearby Chester Creek Branch and Octoraro Branch , due to heavy storms and Hurricane Agnes . Subsequently, the Penn Central (PC) ended service north of West Chester and parts of the nearby branches and removed some of the tracks. Today, the right-of-way can still be seen in places. The branch passed to Conrail in 1976, following

1850-454: The early 1990s. This includes the area now called "Woodmill Commons". In 2002, Wyomissing merged with its smaller neighbor, Wyomissing Hills. Wyomissing is a thriving commercial office and retail center, in large part due to its proximity to Reading and its highway access. The Berkshire Mall is located in Wyomissing along with several other large shopping centers with their retail giants and restaurants. As crime soared in Reading throughout

1900-510: The entire length of the line to Norristown resumed on September 13. Like the Cynwyd Line, the Manayunk/Norristown Line was slated to become part of the planned new Schuylkill Valley Metro , but was to serve the King of Prussia mall complex and the former Pennsylvania Railroad 's Trenton Cut-Off line to Frazer . This was referred to by planners as the "Cross-County Segment." An extension of

1950-622: The existing NS line, with service terminating either at the Franklin Street Station in Reading or in Wyomissing. Electricity to most of Wyomissing is provided by PPL Corporation in Allentown ; with the Berkshire Heights portion of the borough receiving electricity from Met-Ed , a subsidiary of FirstEnergy . Natural gas service in Wyomissing is provided by UGI Utilities . The borough's Public Works Department provides water service to most of Wyomisisng, purchasing water from

2000-489: The largest annexation, with the addition of the area north of the railroad tracts known as Berkshire Heights. This drastically changed the borough map. The borough evolved during this period from farmland to a large residential and commercial community. The last farmland worked in the borough was part of the Hartman Farm at the intersection of Woodland and Papermill roads. This land was sold into commercial development in

2050-527: The line's Market Street station in West Chester and SEPTA's new Wawa station utilizing battery operated cars. Wyomissing, Pennsylvania Wyomissing / w aɪ ə ˈ m ɪ s ɪ ŋ / is a borough in Berks County, Pennsylvania , United States, adjacent to Reading . The borough was incorporated on July 2, 1906. As of the 2020 census , the population was 11,114, compared to 10,461 at

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2100-673: The north, in Bern Township, is the unincorporated community of Greenfields . The northeastern boundary of Wyomissing with Reading is formed by Tulpehocken Creek and a small portion of the Schuylkill River . Wyomissing Creek flows from southwest to northeast towards the Schuylkill, through the southern part of the borough. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the borough has a total area of 4.50 square miles (11.65 km ), of which 4.48 square miles (11.60 km )

2150-509: The population were below the poverty line , including 2.9 percent of those under age 18 and 5.9 percent of those age 65 or over. The borough is served by the Wyomissing Area School District , which includes Wyomissing Hills Elementary Center, serving grades K–4, West Reading Elementary Center, serving grades 5–6, and Wyomissing Area Junior/Senior High School , serving grades 7–12. The Berkshire Heights portion of

2200-551: The rest of the Southeastern Pennsylvania region in job growth, registering an average job growth of 13.3% per year from 2000 to 2006. Financial giants Merrill Lynch , Goldman Sachs , and Citibank are developing data backup centers using the region's close proximity to major fiber optic lines running down the East Coast . In 2024, Macy's opened a new store in Wyomissing at Broadcasting Square replacing

2250-427: The second-largest gaming company in the U.S., Boscov's , one of the last family-owned department store chains in the nation, and Carpenter Technology Corporation . UGI and VF Corporation have major operations in the borough. Sovereign Bank was previously headquartered here. Sovereign was acquired by Santander Group , which maintains its regional office at the same location in the borough. Wyomissing has outpaced

2300-405: The tracks limits passenger trains to a speed of 15mph and the section between Glen Mills and Wawa was impassable as of April 2022. The study concluded while restoration was feasible the projected ridership was not high enough to qualify for capital funding. In September 2021 local officials proposed a short-term plan to upgrade the West Chester Railroad in order to provide a shuttle service between

2350-427: The train will follow the existing Manayunk/Norristown Line to Philadelphia. As the section between Reading and Norristown is not electrified, the service will either require dual mode locomotives or the extension of electrification beyond Norristown in order to provide a one-seat ride between Reading and Philadelphia; another option would be to operate diesel-powered trains between Reading and Norristown that would offer

2400-643: The western terminus of a section of the Schuylkill Valley Metro (SVM) passenger rail service. The SVM project would have extended both ends of SEPTA 's Manayunk/Norristown Line , with one end extended from the Philadelphia area to Berks County. The project was ultimately rejected by the Federal Transit Administration New Starts program. In 2018, a panel led by the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance pushed for an extension of SEPTA's Manayunk/Norristown Line to Reading along

2450-399: Was 46 years. For every 100 females there were 83.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.9 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $ 54,681, and the median income for a family was $ 78,112. Males had a median income of $ 54,167 versus $ 34,815 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $ 37,313. About 1.4 percent of families and 3.4 percent of

2500-460: Was 94.76% White , 1.50 percent African American , 0.07 percent Native American , 1.90 percent Asian , 0.02 percent Pacific Islander , 0.89 percent from other races , and 0.86 percent from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.83 percent of the population. There were 3,359 households, out of which 23.7 percent had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.1 percent were married couples living together, 5.9 percent had

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