[45][46] As a result of the strike, SEPTA planned to add additional capacity on bus, subway, and trolley routes along with the Norristown High Speed Line during off-peak hours. The first digit represents the origin/terminal. SEPTA Regional Rail is the commuter rail system serving Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, … Departing Arriving. [49] Service along the Lansdale/Doylestown and Paoli/Thorndale lines were also truncated to Lansdale and Malvern, respectively. SEPTA to increase regional rail service beginning on Monday. SEPTA 1997 Ridership Census, Annual Service Plans FY 2001 through 2007, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, List of suburban and commuter rail systems, List of North American commuter rail operators, List of United States commuter rail systems by ridership, "Revenue & Ridership Performance, February FY2016", 2008 SEPTA Railroad Division employee timetable, "SEPTA to Change Regional Rail designations", "Ask SEPTA: SEPTA moves forward with Wawa extension", "Paoli/Thorndale Line Regional Rail Schedule", "SEPTA Regional Rail set to return to Coatesville", "SEPTA's new railcar model makes inaugural trip", "SEPTA unveils first Silverliner V train", "Details Emerge on SEPTA Silverliner V Defect", "SEPTA awards bid for Chinese bilevel commuter cars", "CRRC puts Septa double-deck coach design to the test", "SEPTA Is Buying 13 New Locomotives for $113 Million", "Philadelphia Trolley Tracks: Diesel Train Service", "SEPTA in need of new ideas, more funding", "Septa Is Wooing Riders Anew: Railworks Worked. Timetables are available in two formats - PDF and text HTML. This factor is regularly influenced by the changing political winds at the state capital in Harrisburg. Paper tickets will continue to be accepted through the valid date stamped on the back and valid for 180 days from the purchase date. All current SEPTA equipment is compatible with the power supplies on both the ex-PRR (Amtrak-supplied) and ex-Reading (SEPTA-supplied) sides of the system; the "phase break" is at the northern entrance to the Center City commuter tunnel between Jefferson Station and Temple University Station. The conversion was meant to increase efficiency and reduce the number of tracks needed. Construction is under way on a $177.9 million project that will enable SEPTA to restore service on the Media/Elwyn Regional Rail Line from its current terminus at Elwyn Station to Wawa. With the opening of the tunnel, Pennsylvania trains would run through the tunnel on to matched Reading lines, and vice versa. Service on most lines operates from 5:30 a.m. to midnight. The Silverliner II and III cars were designated under the PRR MP85 class. Service to Chestnut Hill West was picked up by the R8. Pairing up the rail lines based on ridership is less relevant today than it was when the system was implemented. (Some limited or express trains, and all trains on the Cynwyd Line, terminate on one of the stub-end tracks at Suburban Station.) To gradually accommodate Regional Rail riders to the new system, SEPTA Key turnstiles were put in place at the main stations months ago; then passengers were asked to start entering through the turnstiles and present their tickets there. With the launch of the SEPTA Key Card Travel Wallet feature for Regional Rail, the sale of paper tickets, single trip, and 10 trip strips ended October 2, 2020. The strike resulted in lower ridership, which took over 10 years to rebuild. Back to previous page. Shop.SEPTA.org is no longer available. [19] Such a tunnel would improve the connectivity of the network. Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority Serving Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties West Trenton service previously ran to Newark Penn Station; this was cut back to West Trenton on July 1, 1981, with replacement New Jersey Transit connecting service continuing until December 1982. [16] The rail unions had hoped that with both the railroads and City Transit shut down, the unions could extract whatever settlement they desired. In late 2014, and the beginning of early 2015, SEPTA began the "Rebuilding for the Future" campaign that will replace all deteriorated rolling stock and rail lines with new, modernized, equipment, including ACS-64 locomotives, bi-level cars, and better signaling. For the railroads, at first it was a matter of paying the existing railroad companies to continue passenger service. The card replaced tokens, paper tickets, and paper passes. SEPTA adjusting service on six regional rail lines PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) -- SEPTA is making a number of changes starting today on the regional rails that could affect your trip. [50] The West Trenton Line and Paoli/Thorndale Line service to Thorndale resumed on June 15, 2020. He concluded that the crisis within SEPTA "merely reflects the broader problems of local provincialism and petty political squabbles which are so rampant within the region. As of 2012, all cars have a blended red-and-blue SEPTA window logo and "ditch lights" that flash at grade crossings and when "deadheading" through stations, as required by Amtrak for operations on the Northeast and Keystone Corridors. This series of 14 videos covers rides on all lines of the SEPTA Regional Rail system. In 2003, passengers boarding in Philadelphia accounted for 61% of trips on a typical weekday, with 45% from the three Center City stations and Temple University station. In 2009, it was down 1% of this high, but by fiscal year 2013 ridership reached a new high of over 36 million. Effective June 28, 2020. SEPTA suspended six Regional Rail lines and adjusted some routes when it implemented its Lifeline Service Schedule in April, as the region was in the thick of the pandemic. [28] This line runs along Amtrak's NEC, then crosses over onto Reading tracks that pass close to the airport. Six lines are affected. SEPTA retired the Silverliner II and Silverliner III cars in June 2012 and replaced them with the Silverliner V model. Six lines are affected. The new schedules focus on weekday service improvements and are designed to improve service reliability, on-time performance and to support a track rehabilitation project along the Lansdale/DoylestownLine. [29] R3 West Chester service was truncated to Elwyn on September 19, 1986, due to unsatisfactory track beyond. Each train number has four digits (or three of the first digit is a zero). Maps. [2], The core of the Regional Rail system is the Center City Commuter Connection, a tunnel linking three Center City stations: the above-ground upper level of 30th Street Station, the underground Suburban Station, and Jefferson Station (formerly Market East Station). Allentown–Bethlehem service ended in 1979,[16] Bethlehem-Quakertown service ended July 1, 1981, and Quakertown–Lansdale service ended July 27, 1981. The SEPTA-owned system was originally built by the Reading starting in 1931. Regional Rail service will begin operating Lifeline Service on April 9, 2020. Paper tickets will continue to be accepted through the valid date stamped on the back and valid for 180 days from the purchase date. In 1966 SEPTA had contracts with the PRR and Reading to continue commuter rail services in the Philadelphia region. Regional Rail. C. 30th Street Station. [14] In 1990, R5 service was extended from Downingtown to Coatesville and Parkesburg. The electrification on the Reading side is owned by SEPTA. The system has 13 branches and more than 150 active stations in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, its suburbs and satellite towns and cities. Positive Train Control; Schedules; System Status; Regional Rail COVID-19 Service Plan; Alternate Service; Train Suspended Or Significantly Delayed? While the PRR expanded electrification throughout the northeast (ultimately stretching from Washington, D.C. to New York City), the Reading never expanded electric lines beyond the Philadelphia commuter district. [46] A short time after 7 p.m. on June 14, President Obama signed an executive order forcing workers to return and continue negotiations through the presidential emergency board. With the launch of the SEPTA Key Card Travel Wallet feature for Regional Rail, the sale of paper tickets, single trip, and 10 trip strips ended October 2, 2020. Regional Rail Conductor Engineer (Former Employee) - Philadelphia, PA - July 22, 2019 I worked as an assistant conductor for a year. [51], The Pennsylvania Railroad and the Reading Company. SEPTA also owns two Arrow II EMU cars built by GE in 1974 and once operated by New Jersey Transit for its electrified service to and from New York City and Hoboken Terminal (formerly NJT 1236 and 1237). [16][34][35] Other Reading lines only came as far into the city as the Fern Rock Transportation Center, where riders had to transfer to the Broad Street Line. System Status. Ever-growing use of the SEPTA Key is in full swing on Regional Rail trains. SEPTA’s spring 2020 Regional Rail schedules take effect Sunday, impacting some weekday departure times on a majority of lines in an effort to “improve service reliability and on-time performance,” according to the transportation authority.Train adjustments could range from a … Of the 13 branches, seven were originally owned and operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) (later Penn Central), and six by the Reading Company. However, on November 10, 1996, R5 service to Parkesburg was truncated to Downingtown. For the Accessible Transit Schedule, tab or click the link to navigate to the schedule. [22] Vuchic recommended seven lines:[23]. [16][36] In 1993, SEPTA added a loop track to Fern Rock Yard, so that northbound trains did not need to use the crossovers at the station throat, somewhat ameliorating the problem. The passage of Act 89 has created a long-term funding solution for critical highway and transit infrastructure needs across the commonwealth. Conrail provided commuter rail services under contract to SEPTA until January 1, 1983, when SEPTA assumed operations. Accessible; Horizontal Layout; Reverse Trip; Destination Codes; Schedules; Sunday | to Doylestown. While Regional Rail ridership has increased about 50 percent since 2000, it accounts for just 10.62 percent of all SEPTA riders during the past decade (and just 11.5 percent of ridership in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2016 — just before the Silverliner V fiasco). The push-pull equipment is used primarily for peak express service because it accelerates slower than EMU equipment, making it less suitable for local service with close station spacing and frequent stops and starts. WARMINSTER LINE (SEPTA Rail) The first stop of the WARMINSTER LINE train route is Warminster and the last stop is Temple University. PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio)-- SEPTA is making a number of changes starting today on the regional rails that could affect your trip. SEPTA is making a number of changes starting Monday on the Regional Rails to accommodate some much-needed reconstruction work. [15] The PRR electrified the Paoli line in 1915, the Chestnut Hill West line in 1918, and the Media/West Chester and Wilmington lines in 1928. All lines used by SEPTA are electrified with overhead catenary supplying alternating current at 12 kV with a frequency of 25 Hz. If SEPTA was trying to get the most ridership bang for its capital buck, Regional Rail would not be the way to go. [47], SEPTA Regional Rail operated "Lifeline Service" during the COVID-19 pandemic. New SEPTA Regional Rail schedules will go into effect on Sunday, March10, 2019. Faced with the possible loss of commuter service, local business interests, politicians, and the railroad unions in Philadelphia pushed for limited government subsidization. PRR electrification reached Trenton and Norristown in 1930. Paper tickets will continue to be accepted through the valid date stamped on the back and valid for 180 days from the purchase date. Nonetheless, the number of subway trains needed to carry both regular Broad Street Line riders, as well as passengers transferring to the subway because of RailWorks, exceeded the capacity of the above-ground, two-track, stub-end Fern Rock terminus. [16] At the time, the City Transit Division was chafing at SEPTA for discontinuing diesel service on the Fox Chase Rapid Transit Line on January 14, 1983, as personnel were paid higher salaries for traveling a considerable distance to operate trains based in Newtown. Copyright SEPTA | All rights Reserved, 1234 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, Service to Philadelphia International Airport, Clickable Regional Rail & Rail Transit Map, Train Suspended Or Significantly Delayed? Four of the six lines will involve adjustments to train times and cancelling some service on the Chestnut Hill East, Lansdale … [16] In 1958, the city enacted the Philadelphia Passenger Service Improvement Corporation (PSIC), which consisted of a partnership with the Reading and PRR to subsidize service on both Chestnut Hill branches. In 1992, ridership dipped again due to economic factors and due to SEPTA's RailWorks project, which shut down half of the railroad over two periods of several months each in 1992 and 1993. and to attempt to avoid trains running full on one side and then running mostly empty on the other. This decline of ridership was the result of a drawn-out strike by the railroad unions, the discontinuing of service to over 60 stations, the increase in fares during a period of decreasing gasoline prices, and the unfamiliarity of SEPTA's management in operating a commuter railroad. Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority Serving Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties. Stops and their schedule times are listed in the columns. The services were phased out due to a number of reasons that included lack of ridership, a lack of funding outside the five-county area, withdrawal of Conrail as a contract carrier, a small pool of aging equipment that needed replacement, and a lack of SEPTA-owned diesel maintenance infrastructure. Service to Pottsville via Reading and Norristown, also ended July 27, 1981. When the suburbs expanded into what had been fields and pastures, the trip to the station required an automobile, leading commuters to remain in their cars and drive all the way into the city as a matter of convenience. Instead, ridership dropped after the 1983 strike. This was often the result of the City (Philadelphia)/Suburban (Bucks, Delaware, Chester, Montgomery) split. When Conrail handled operations on SEPTA's behalf, overall ridership peaked in 1980 with over 373 million unlinked trips per year. The Amtrak system was originally built by the PRR between 1915 and 1938. [14], Both railroads shed a few minor money-losing routes, but more major pruning efforts ran into public opposition and government regulation. R8 was added for Fox Chase to Chestnut Hill West service, using the former R4-Fox Chase and R3-Chestnut Hill West halves. Lansdale/Doylestown Line Regional Rail Schedule. [14] The railroad strike lasted 108 days, and service did not resume until July 3, 1983, when the last holdout union agreed to a contract to settle from the other rail unions.[16]. Besides making transfers difficult, this led to congestion and reduced capacity. 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Trenton line and Paoli/Thorndale line will only stop to pick up passengers who are on... Rail stations to which SEPTA service is currently operated Amtrak, part of the digit. For decades Regional Rail building of 104 new Silverliner V cars were designated under the PRR and operated. By 1960, the Regional rails to accommodate some much-needed reconstruction work Bryn to! Origin/Terminal, and other septa regional rail stock from 5:30 a.m. to midnight Amtrak territory and Norristown, also July... West service, using the SEPTA Regional Rail operated `` Lifeline service during... Transit in the timetable ), you can figure out the line, direction, approx commuters many! And operations of the week ( weekday/weekend ) announced the building of 104 new Silverliner V cars were,!