April 2017 Regional Rail Schedule Change (starts April 23rd)

Septa charges an onboard walk on fare, call it what you want but it's not a penalty, a penalty is what NJT charges when you board without a ticket, septa gives you a discount if you buy before hand (if you can), however we are drifting off the OPs original thread.

I noticed Warminster got an extra evening reverse commute train at 5pm, anyone have any other extra/new services they noticed

That's just SEPTAspeak--they're the same thing, except that NJ Transit provides the option of buying a ticket at a machine--at SEPTA it's an open ticket office or nothing.

So you still want to carry on with that, how about reading all of my post and getting this back on the topic the OP opened it for, admin are you there?

Limited-Clear wrote:Septa charges an onboard walk on fare, call it what you want but it's not a penalty, a penalty is what NJT charges when you board without a ticket, septa gives you a discount if you buy before hand (if you can), however we are drifting off the OPs original thread.

I noticed Warminster got an extra evening reverse commute train at 5pm, anyone have any other extra/new services they noticed

No, I am referring to the NJ penalty. I was mistaken, it is a $4 NJ penalty, not $5.

Zone 4 = $5.00
NJ = $9.00

An extra $4 for the pleasure of being left in Trenton for 20 minutes of fun transfer time.

JS:

The Weekday fare to Zone 4 is $6.50 prepaid or $8.00 on board.
After 7pm the Night/Weekend fare of $5 prepaid or $7 on board is charged.
All weekday schedules note when these fares are in effect.

The $5 additional fare is for Independence Pass holders to travel to Zone NJ.
Additional extension of ride fare for a ticket or Trailpass holder is a Intermediate one way
ticket which is $3.50 prepaid or $4 on board.

This should clarify these SEPTA fares.

The Trenton transfer can be a touchy subject when you are working with Amtrak as "landlord"
SEPTA and NJT as "tenants". It is better to have some "padding" in the schedule for the TRE
train change instead of it being too tight - and having a train depart before the scheduled
connection arrives is FAR worse - meaning a much longer wait then only 10 or 20 minutes.
Anyone who has made the "up-and-over" dash because of time limitations can vouch for
needing some extra added time to board a connection at TRE.

Everyone:

In the topic of half hourly service on more lines other then Paoli/Thorndale and Lansdale/
Doylestown more then likely it is crew shortages that are dictating any further expansion of
RRD service. That is SEPTA RRD's "800 pound gorilla" in the room and will need to be dealt
with before any widespread expansion of off peak service can be considered.

MACTRAXX

MACTRAXX wrote:JS:

The Trenton transfer can be a touchy subject when you are working with Amtrak as "landlord"
SEPTA and NJT as "tenants". It is better to have some "padding" in the schedule for the TRE
train change instead of it being too tight - and having a train depart before the scheduled
connection arrives is FAR worse - meaning a much longer wait then only 10 or 20 minutes.
Anyone who has made the "up-and-over" dash because of time limitations can vouch for
needing some extra added time to board a connection at TRE.

I agree on some padding, but 20 minutes is excessive, and the new schedule is a step in the wrong direction for the transfers. On the NEC, it shouldnt take significantly longer to use rail than to drive.

I live between NYC and Philly. If I were to drive, it would take the same amount of time to visit either city on a weekend. I take rail, and I visit NYC 2-3 times a month. I visit Philly maybe 2-3 times a year. I actually prefer Philadelphia to NYC, but the added cost + added hassle + added time is just such a turnoff.

So NYC gets my spending money and my tax money instead of Philadelphia.

A proper transfer + common sense pricing would make going to Philadelphia just as easy for me as going to NYC, and I would choose Philadelphia.

Limited-Clear wrote:Septa charges an onboard walk on fare, call it what you want but it's not a penalty, a penalty is what NJT charges when you board without a ticket, septa gives you a discount if you buy before hand (if you can), however we are drifting off the OPs original thread.

I noticed Warminster got an extra evening reverse commute train at 5pm, anyone have any other extra/new services they noticed

Yes, West Trenton LOST a full-run reverse commute morning train. My long-time train, 328, was cut back at Neshaminy Falls, 10 weeks before my retirement. My choices were to drive every day, get up earlier and take 326, or work a later schedule and ride 330. I've opted for 326. Since I get in earlier, I'm able to get out earlier and take 369 instead of 3755. If I had opted for 330, I would have had to stay tvat much later. At least 376/373 serve the full line again.

Morning inbound train 6327 is starting from Neshaminy Falls. It used to be the return trip of 326 but is now the return trip of 328. 3223 is now paired wifh 326 instead of 328. 6322 now runs the full route again. 3791 has been eliminated as a revenue run, but I suspect that it may still run from West Trenton as a deadhead, which it did several years ago.

I think there's a PM rush hour inbound train on the Marcus Hook / Wilmington / Newark line that has also just been converted to a deadhead. I saw something on SEPTA's Facebook page alluding to this