A second (nameless) GVF

The new schedules effective Aug 11 include a second pair of Great Valley Flyers, though without the name:

http://septa.org/schedules/rail/pdf/future/tho.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Also note that the Secane expresses have now become Primos expresses.

I like the 2nd flyer and the clean up of the limiters and Bryn Mawr locals. No more local express local trains or skip stops. Positive improvement.

Now maybe they can fix the North side of the system where express trains stop all of a sudden for Fern Rock or the West Trenton Express trains that aren't much faster than the locals. Or the morning inbound Newark line service where there seems like a train is missing.

Amtrak7 wrote:Also note that the Secane expresses have now become Primos expresses.

Likely due to the newly rebuilt station and additional parking. Definitely can handle much more than Secane now. There -might- be more spots going in. Septa has not released the construction vehicle area but they are still doing something there....

I noticed that SEPTA dropped names from all its trains except for the GVF-when did this happen? I'd call it a smart move as naming only one of two trains with the exact same express patterns is confusing.

Amtrak7 wrote:I noticed that SEPTA dropped names from all its trains except for the GVF-when did this happen? I'd call it a smart move as naming only one of two trains with the exact same express patterns is confusing.

this happened earlier this year
http://planphilly.com/articles/2013/01/ ... djustments" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The Pennypack Limited, Neshemany Limited and North Penn Limited will lose those names and will instead be simply labeled express. The Schuylkill Valley Flyer name will be removed, and the service will be labeled express. The Great Valley Flyer, though, will keep its name.

I liked the named trains. They added some spice to the schedule and were reminiscent of a by-gone era. I'm not sure how often riders referred to their train by the name.

R3toNEC wrote:I liked the named trains. They added some spice to the schedule and were reminiscent of a by-gone era. I'm not sure how often riders referred to their train by the name.

DVARP and CAC liked them too and encouraged them to be expanded to the other super-expresses, like the West Trenton train that skips Temple. They add marketing cachet that rubs off on the rest of the system.

zebrasepta wrote:

Amtrak7 wrote:I noticed that SEPTA dropped names from all its trains except for the GVF-when did this happen? I'd call it a smart move as naming only one of two trains with the exact same express patterns is confusing.

this happened earlier this year
http://planphilly.com/articles/2013/01/ ... djustments" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The Pennypack Limited, Neshemany Limited and North Penn Limited will lose those names and will instead be simply labeled express. The Schuylkill Valley Flyer name will be removed, and the service will be labeled express. The Great Valley Flyer, though, will keep its name.

Of course, that one express that keeps a special name is on the only SEPTA Regional Rail Line that matters to them.

Incidentally, as soon as I read the earliest messages in this topic and first learned of SEPTA's new schedules, I realized that they're going to need equipment to serve this favored line. And thinking only about me, my big worry was that a prime run to cut out of the schedule would be 6370 and the Reading side of 3755. Fortunately, my train is safe for now. But if long overdue Huntingdon Pike bridge replacement work begins, it will be a lot easier for me to go to Meadowbrook than Bethayres, and that skipping of Meadowbrook (and Neshaminy Falls) by 3755 was not restored in this schedule change. I'll bet you'd never see a reverse commute Paoli/Malvern/Thorndale local skipping Daylesford!

I took a trip out to Philly the day of the inaugural second Great Valley Flyer. It operated with three Silverliner IVs while another newly added train, 9569, which ran express to Bryn Mawr, Local to Malvern in 9571's place, operated with a bomber set.