Defunct R3 West Chester service

rbreslow wrote:

chuchubob wrote:A passenger train ran from West Chester to 30th Street and back two years ago for the Morton passenger shelter dedication.

Does anyone have any pictures of the entire West Chester line?

maps.google.com

Thanks, Wizard, for reviving this thread.

In the early '70s, my father and stepmother lived in an apartment complex on Glen Riddle Road just east of 452. You could see the (eventual) R3 up on the hill beyond another apt. complex, and I even saw a train or two on visits to dad and stepmom (I lived with my mother a few miles away in Boothwyn).

motor

SEPTA is a bunch of BS. They won't extend any service beyond what they have now. Whatever rail lines were cut back in 1981, 1983, 1986 never returned. I live in Allentown, PA and trains actually served Allentown in 1978-1979 operated by Conrail. The Allentown extension over the former LV RR from Union Station, Bethlehem was cut due to lack of ridership. They went direct to Reading Terminal. The Lehigh Valley's population grew since 1981, yet we have had no train service since then. I guess people who move to the LV have no reason to take a train, and if they do, they'll drive into NJ or down to Colmar on 309 or Lansdale. It doesn't help when the only direct links toward Phila and NY are abandoned such as the section from High Bridge to West Portal in NJ, or the section north of Quakertown to Bethlehem, track gone between south of Coopersburg and Bethlehem. I guess as long as there's the turnpike and I-78, and the buses Trans Bridge and Bieber, the governments/counties feel that there is no need for rail service in the LV.

rwk wrote:SEPTA is a bunch of BS.......I guess as long as there's the turnpike and I-78, and the buses Trans Bridge and Bieber, the governments/counties feel that there is no need for rail service in the LV.

So how is SEPTA a bunch of BS?

BS because they won't restore routes that were cut 30 years ago. They make up all kinds of excuses as to why restoration won't work, or they can't afford it. Plus the counties such as Lehigh and Northampton say that there is no need for rail service in the LV where I live because we have buses and highways, BS. I want to see pass/commuter trains return to my area in my lifetime.

Yeah, it is BS that SEPTA won't simply start printing their own US currency. What's wrong with those knuckleheads at 1234 anyway?
Seriously, there are plenty of odd things SEPTA does (or did), but closing those diesel lines is old hat and pretty well explained...(in my opinion)

I seem to recall that the West Chester service was bused after a grade crossing accident that killed a member of a well known family with lots of money (and clout).
This was not long after the track work was done.
The "official" reason was bad track as I recall.

Could SEPTA and the tourist line coexist on the same track? That is, if SEPTA restores service to West Chester. Doesn't the tourist line only run on weekends? Or, could the tourist line extend regular service further like to Wawa or Elwyn? Why do they only go as far as Glen Mills except for special excursions? People who live in West Chester area who take the train probably go to Exton station on Amtrak which is why SEPTA probably feels there is no need to restore service to West Chester. Plus, they leased the outer end to the tourist line. What about Newtown? Probably nil chance of that ever coming back. I have family in both Newtown and WC. There is no current way to go from Newtown to WC direct by train. Someone would have to go from Langhorne to Exton. Another thing I don't understand is why SEPTA stopped using diesel, except for work trains, they do have the new genset #70, but NJT uses diesel on a regular basis on lines like Raritan Valley, Bay Head, Port Jervis, etc. In fact, the only diesel powered passenger service in PA excluding tourist lines would be Amtrak's service to Harrisburg and Pittsburgh.

rwk wrote:... could the tourist line extend regular service further like to Wawa or Elwyn? Why do they only go as far as Glen Mills except for special excursions?

Glen Mills is the division point between SEPTA and West Chester RR. When the special excursions arrive at Glen Mills, the SEPTA dispatcher grants permission to remove the derail and proceed onto SEPTA rails, and the SEPTA engineer and conductor take over from the West Chester engineer and conductor.

Rode the WCRR on Sunday and got a good look at the line. Track is in terrible shape, good for 10-20mph at best. There's nothing out there, and is mostly woodlands along the line. The only magnet for the line is West Chester itself, maybe Cheney. Other than that, it would be serving deer.

The best option for the West Chester line is to leave it as it is. The WCRR is doing a great job on their own maintaining the line and operating service without state subsidies and endless DVRPC studies. The only change that might be beneficial is allowing WCRR to operate as far as Elwyn so people could make a connection between the privately operated tourist service and the government supported transit service.

SEPTA's Wawa plans on the other hand are a different story. Definitely a poster child for government spending gone wrong.

Why not have SEPTA extend to Wawa, and have WCRR extend to Wawa and meet half way? Then, a connection could be made. Does Wawa even have a station anymore? If not, then build a new one. Wawa could be a park and ride off of Rt. 1. Does SEPTA still own the line from Glen Mills to WC but leases it out to WCRR? Probably why SEPTA rail service hasn't been restored to WC is because people in WC can take the train from Exton on the Amtrak line. Exton to Philly would be more direct, too wouldn't it?

rwk wrote:BS because they won't restore routes that were cut 30 years ago. They make up all kinds of excuses as to why restoration won't work, or they can't afford it. Plus the counties such as Lehigh and Northampton say that there is no need for rail service in the LV where I live because we have buses and highways, BS. I want to see pass/commuter trains return to my area in my lifetime.

Then you need to talk to counties such as Lehigh and Northampton -- the 5 SEPTA counties certainly aren't going to pay for it. You might also talk to Harrisburg, but if Lehigh and Northampton aren't on board there won't be much interest.

ExCon90 wrote:

rwk wrote:BS because they won't restore routes that were cut 30 years ago. They make up all kinds of excuses as to why restoration won't work, or they can't afford it. Plus the counties such as Lehigh and Northampton say that there is no need for rail service in the LV where I live because we have buses and highways, BS. I want to see pass/commuter trains return to my area in my lifetime.

Then you need to talk to counties such as Lehigh and Northampton -- the 5 SEPTA counties certainly aren't going to pay for it. You might also talk to Harrisburg, but if Lehigh and Northampton aren't on board there won't be much interest.

This... Is... Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority!!! We're not PENNDOT.

ExCon90 wrote:You might also talk to Harrisburg, but if Lehigh and Northampton aren't on board there won't be much interest.

Washington isn't interested.
Harrisburg isn't interested.
Lehigh isn't interested.
Northampton isn't interested.

Reach in your pocket. You're interested, you pay for it.

Could the line be extended as a Bus Rapid Transit Line?