[8] In 1911 the Philadelphia and Western Railroad extended their Strafford Branch to the station;[citation needed] this line lasted until 1956.

Beginning in the mid-20th century, multiple sources stated, without providing evidence, that Strafford Station was built for the 1876 Centennial Exposition, variously saying that it was used as the Catalogue Building or Japanese Pavilion.

[11] The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) restored the station between 1999 and 2002 after damage from a June, 1999 fire.

Work included restoring the historic station building as well as the outbound shelter.

Mini-high-level platforms will be installed after the Amtrak Keystone Corridor project is complete.