Additional Platform @ Hatboro

Hatboro station has had some construction work going on for a few weeks. I finally had time to walk by and see what it is.
They are building an additional length of platform between the station house and Byberry road. It won't stretch all the way to byberry road, but, I'd put it at 100 to 150 feet of platform being added. it is low level. I don't know if they'll add a high level stand for ADA requirements.

I was surprised to not see this work described anywhere. usually SEPTA describes work being done in some of their planning documents.

I don't know if they could bring in a 6 car set and not keep both Byberry road and moreland road gates up while boarding.

Currently, the train can't pull further into the block the train is on, as the 'platform' is from moreland to the station house, which is about at the halfway point of the block. When a 6 car set does come to the station, the 6th car usually occupies byperry road, for southbound direction, or, for north bound trains, the 6th car doors are over gravel/unimproved surface and left unopened.

Now if only they'd put one of those digital train status boards in Hatboro and willow grove, THAT would be nice.

So the next question is, are they just lengthening the platform out of the kindness of their (SEPTA) heart?

Or ulterior motives?

What could be additional motives?
1) IF they want a high platform, and they want it in place of the current platform, they'd have to close down that area and have us board somewhere else

2) part of that existing platform goes over a ditch, so the floor is wood over metal frame supports. It used to be plank wood. that started warping. They over-layed it with plywood. That rotted. They did it again, it rotted again. It looks like it will take a heftier construction for it to last more than 2 years and be safe.

It would seem like overkill to lay down new platform just to rebuild that one partially elevated section

Also Hatboro station with the station house does not seem to be the kind of layout that would fit a full high elevation platform. Where they are laying down this low level platform seems like that would be more appropriate for a high level platform

They did the same thing at Philmont within the last 6 months.

They sometimes lengthen the platform at a station to help improve dwell time. With a longer platform, all cars can alight and board passengers where just 3 or 4 cars on the platform requires waiting for the people to board and walk through the cars. Not sure if this is the case here, but it could help on time performance if the train gets in and out of the station faster. Of course a full high level platform sufficient to platform all cars is the ideal condition for efficient alighting and boarding of passengers.

Also as mentioned earlier, a longer southbound train would be able to clear Moreland Rd. If the platform is extended South, opening up one of the two crossings to automobile traffic. I believe a 5 or 6 car southbound train doesn't clear Moreland.

bth8446 wrote:So the next question is, are they just lengthening the platform out of the kindness of their (SEPTA) heart?

Or ulterior motives?

What could be additional motives?
1) IF they want a high platform, and they want it in place of the current platform, they'd have to close down that area and have us board somewhere else

2) part of that existing platform goes over a ditch, so the floor is wood over metal frame supports. It used to be plank wood. that started warping. They over-layed it with plywood. That rotted. They did it again, it rotted again. It looks like it will take a heftier construction for it to last more than 2 years and be safe.

It would seem like overkill to lay down new platform just to rebuild that one partially elevated section

Also Hatboro station with the station house does not seem to be the kind of layout that would fit a full high elevation platform. Where they are laying down this low level platform seems like that would be more appropriate for a high level platform

So the construction phase 1 will end soon. It looks good except for the steel wiring support post right in the middle of the platform at one spot. hope the night time lighting is good in that spot.
Anyhow, it looks like suggestion 2 is at least partially correct. They shifted one item of equipment to the area where the platform goes over the 'ditch'. The backhoe is digging up the footing support
for that structure, so I guess its coming out.
I would have thought they'd put a high level mini platform in place while they had this project going, but I don't see the beginnings of anything like that yet