The new Claymont Transportation Center was dedicated today as the Harris B. McDowell, III Transportation Center and full service will begin on Monday, December 4, 2023.

Secretary of Transportation Nicole Majeski was joined by Delaware Transit Corporation CEO John Sisson, Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long, the U.S. congressional delegation and numerous federal, state, and local officials to mark the completion of the new $90 million transportation center.

“The opening of the Harris B. McDowell III Transportation Center is a major milestone in the continued economic redevelopment of Claymont and will serve as an important gateway for residents, businesses, and visitors to Delaware,” said Governor John Carney. “As a proud Claymont native, I couldn’t be more pleased to help celebrate the completion of this project, and I want to thank our team at DelDOT for their hard work.”

In 2016, Delaware’s Congressional Delegation of U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons and then-Congressman John Carney helped secure a $10 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation for the construction of the station.

“The new Claymont rail station is proof of what is possible when local communities work with the state and federal government to bring our infrastructure into the 21st century and support economic development,” said Senators Carper and Coons and Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester. “After the closing of the former Evraz steel mill, Delaware rallied behind the Claymont community to help turn economic adversity into an opportunity for redevelopment and job creation. Today, we are celebrating an important step forward in Claymont’s revitalization through the opening of this modern and accessible train station.”

“This was an incredibly complex project many years in the making, and from the beginning hundreds of people from multiple agencies have been involved in this effort with the singular goal of providing Claymont with a first-class transportation center we can all be proud of,” said Secretary of Transportation Nicole Majeski.

John Sisson, CEO of the Delaware Transit Corporation added, “Anyone that has utilized the former Claymont Station knows how challenging it was to catch a train. The design of the new transportation center focused on the user experience, making public transit an easy, convenient, and smart choice.”

The new center, boasting over 800 parking spaces including 13 EV charging stations, two ADA-compliant high-level covered platforms with wind screens, benches and USB charging ports, bicycle racks and repair stations, real-time passenger information displays, and vending machines, opens for SEPTA train and DART and SEPTA bus service on Monday, December 4, 2023.

In October 2022, Governor Carney signed legislation sponsored by State Senator Sarah McBride and State Representative Debra Heffernan to formally name the new Claymont Transportation Center in honor of Senator Harris B. McDowell, III, who represented the First Senate District from 1976 until 2021, becoming the longest-serving member in the history of the Delaware General Assembly.

Information on SEPTA service to Claymont and other Delaware locations can be found here. 

Governor Carney was joined by Senator Tom Carper, Representative Lisa Blunt-Rochester, and other state and local officials today as he announced plans for the new Claymont Regional Transportation Center at First State Crossing, with initial construction scheduled to begin this spring.

“Across our state, we are investing $3.2 billion to modernize our transportation system through 2025, including about $1.7 billion in New Castle County. These are historic levels of investment that will ease congestion, pave the way for future growth, improve safety on our roads and create good-paying jobs,” said Governor John Carney. “With the Claymont Train Station project beginning this year and the Newark Train Station project underway, we are investing more than $130 million to improve rail infrastructure in our state to better serve our current ridership and accommodate future riders as well. These investments are an important part of our collective efforts to bring new jobs and residents to Claymont and communities throughout our state.”

The $71 million project was supported by a $10 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

“Three years ago, we knew this project had the potential to make a big impact on Claymont,” said U.S. Senator Tom Carper. “The Congressional delegation went to work to convince then-US Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx that this project deserved a $10 million TIGER grant. It was easy to prove our point: This project is a perfect example of how transportation can create new opportunities for economic development through partnerships of government and private investment.”

SEPTA’s Wilmington/Newark Regional Rail Line has provided service to Claymont since 1991, offering 42 weekday trains and 14 weekend trains. Average weekday ridership out of Claymont is nearly 1,200 passengers.

The project was awarded to Wagman/JMT in January 2019 for $54 million and is estimated to be completed in fall 2021.