Subsequently, the Penn Central (PC) ended service north of West Chester and parts of the nearby branches and removed some of the tracks.

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 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,[10] but the area has since grown in population and has few transportation alternatives.

The deteriorated condition of the tracks limits passenger trains to a speed of 15mph and the section between Glen Mills and Wawa was impassable as of April 2022.

[12] In September 2021 local officials proposed a short-term plan to upgrade the West Chester Railroad in order to provide a shuttle service between the line's Market Street station in West Chester and SEPTA's new Wawa station utilizing battery operated cars.