SEPTA to buy PATCO?

I just read an article that PA Senator John Rafferty wishes SEPTA to buy PATCO, in light of the recent motor failures in PATCO's fleet. Now I know SEPTA isn't going to put PATCO out of its misery overnight. But in the future, who thinks that PATCO will fall into the hands of SEPTA?

Here is a link to a story: Senator Wants SEPTA to Buy PATCO

Pennsylvania State Senator John Rafferty serves as the chair of the Transportation Committee which works on laws to protect the state’s interest in the Delaware River Port Authority(DRPA).

While the DRPA owns PATCO, Rafferty wants the DRPA out of the passenger train business.

“They ought to consider looking at the possibility of leasing off or selling off PATCO to either New Jersey Transit or SETPA,” Rafferty said. “Let them run it.”

Rafferty believes a SEPTA takeover of PATCO would benefit everyone.

“The benefit will go to the public,” Rafferty said. “SEPTA has won awards for their management and their transportation style. The benefit for SEPTA would be that it would enhance their line in ridership.”

PATCO officials say no one has approached them about a SEPTA takeover. SEPTA officials say however that there has been talk and they are open to discussions. The decision is ultimately up to Governor Corbett.

Rafferty says he’s also exploring whether any other private businesses might be willing to purchase PATCO.

Regardless of whether or not PATCO undergoes a management overhaul, many believe that immediate changes need to be made in order to prevent situations like the most recent evacuation.

Ugh please no......

Although if they do, they should restore through running service from Fern Rock to 16th-Locust.

Why do you think they should run through service Fern Rock-16th and Locust? How would it be better than their existing service Fern Rock-Broad and Walnut-Locust?

No.

In spite of all the issues as of late, can anyone tell me the last time PATCO service was disrupted due to a labor strike? Seems like that's a given every time SEPTA management enters contract negotiations.

PATCO may not be perfect (especially lately) but at least the people in the trenches are there day in and day out doing the best with what they have to work with (while getting blasted by the public).

ReadingAve wrote:In spite of all the issues as of late, can anyone tell me the last time PATCO service was disrupted due to a labor strike? Seems like that's a given every time SEPTA management enters contract negotiations.

PATCO may not be perfect (especially lately) but at least the people in the trenches are there day in and day out doing the best with what they have to work with (while getting blasted by the public).

it ain't exactly a picnic in inepta's trenches either, and if the crap that managment pulled happened to you, you'd wanna strike too!

Could SEPTA and PATCO operate the line side-by-side?

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Just because there was more political grandstanding on the news does not mean this is anywhere close to completion. There are far too many compatibility issues. Granted, regional rail and bus and subway are not exactly compatible either. But PATCO's system consists of fares on a pay per ride basis and no conductors. How would that jive, exactly, with SEPTA's pro-union mentality?

I think it would be very jive if not having conductors didn't jibe with SEPTA's unions, since they've accepted no conductors on the Market Frankford and Broad St lines already.

SEPTA allows pay per ride already. SEPTA also has unlimited ride transpasses and trailpasses. Please explain why the unions would object to either having transpasses on the Lindenwold line, or having an exception so that the Lindenwold line doesn't completely accept transpasses, or has its own special transpass? Trenton and West Trenton railroad lines already have special fares.
Have the unions ever had a say in fare structure?
PATCO has unions. Are you implying that SEPTA's and PATCO's union mentalities are different?

SEPTA2461 wrote:I just read an article that PA Senator John Rafferty wishes SEPTA to buy PATCO, in light of the recent motor failures in PATCO's fleet. Now I know SEPTA isn't going to put PATCO out of its misery overnight. But in the future, who thinks that PATCO will fall into the hands of SEPTA?

not buy, just run (under contract from DRPA). He believes, perhaps based on septa's rail cost figures, that SEPTA could run the service more inexpensively. I can't say if he's right or wrong but keep in mind that PATCO is a service that has had a robust dedicated funding stream and still managed to not invest properly (or more accurately, DRPA). SEPTA is the opposite, while they certainly have their issues, they have not had adequate capital funding yet have managed to keep the basics in good working order. it remains to be seen if septa vastly improves now that they have adequate funding or if they get lazy and wasteful.