Ten Future Decisions Septa Should Make

Inspired by a topic on the LIRR forum, what are 10 decisions YOU think Septa should make or come to fruition. Also, the ideas don't have to just do with rail restoration, but like capacity improvements, improved frequencies, etc.
Here are my ideas:
1. Second track on Warminster Line between Roslyn and Warminster
2. Faster Doylestown Service
3. Norristown Line extension to Pottstown/Phoenixville
4. Improved peak Norristown service with Miquon short turns
5. Third track between Fern Rock and Jenkintown
6. Somerton short turns on R3 during peak
7. Lansdale Extension to Pennridge
8. Newtown
9. Warminster Line extension to Ivyland/Warminster parking garage
10. Morrisville station on Trenton Line

I apologize in advance if this topic already exists in some form.

In response to yours; not my own list:
1. I wish too but you won't see this anytime remotely soon. Service can be increased in its current form; the line sees less service during peak than it did in the 70s.
2. Sure, but how?
3. Absolutely
4. This is actually coming to pass at some point. The new configuration at Miquon wasn't only to short turn during flooding.
5. A huge expense but considering how much of a backbone this is, its worth it. It will take DVRPC, PA state government, etc to get their heads out of their asses with respect to major transit projects to even be considered though
6. Amen although I think Somerton may be a bit short; Neshaminy would be better (last station without freight comingling issues and has ROW room to put a layup track past Bristol Rd)
7. Quakertown or Bust
8. ...
9.Almshouse/Northampton at minimum with a stop at Bristol/Ivyland; ultimately Buckingham with a stop at Rushland
10. This is a goofily small project that should have been done in the 80s or 90s. Considering NJT said they would service it its kind of shameful that the idea was outright rejected by SEPTA.

1. Replace the AEM-7's
2. increase the MU fleet to handle increased rush hour ridership
3. Reverse commute express trains for workers in Ft Washington, Conshohockin, Wilmington, Radnor, and Malvern
4. express train service for all Newark and Thorndale trains to cutdown running times
5. more parking at Jenkintown
6. more parking at Warminster
7. eliminate Elkins Park, Melrose Park, Wayne Junction stops on Doylestown and W. Trenton trains
8. a new station at Conshohockin
9. expand service west to Pottstown
10. expand service north to Telford

1. Expansion to former footprint.
2. Morrisville station.
3. Overhaul stations such as eddington to be safer and less creepy.
4. Speed upgrades wherever possible including higher speed switches.
5. One additional train added late night and early morning to each line.
6. No more silverliner 5 ordered, something better please, preferably with bathrooms!!
7. High level stations system-wide with enclosed elevated cross overs.
8. Proper info screens and TVM. at all stations.
9. Keep station waiting rooms (especially ones with bathrooms) open past 12:30 & open them on weekends, or at the very least in extreme weather.
10. Hourly service or better 7 days a week.

I feel these things would make SEPTA far more effective in serving the people & improving traffic congestion in the region & outlying areas.

NorthPennLimited wrote:1. Replace the AEM-7's
2. increase the MU fleet to handle increased rush hour ridership
3. Reverse commute express trains for workers in Ft Washington, Conshohockin, Wilmington, Radnor, and Malvern
4. express train service for all Newark and Thorndale trains to cutdown running times
5. more parking at Jenkintown
6. more parking at Warminster
7. eliminate Elkins Park, Melrose Park, Wayne Junction stops on Doylestown and W. Trenton trains
8. a new station at Conshohockin
9. expand service west to Pottstown
10. expand service north to Telford

Bad idea... Why would you eliminate stops at wayne junction? Usually where lines join/diverge people connect to other trains... Taking out the 2 smaller stations makes no sense, because it just makes people have to wait at jenkintown vs just stay on one more stop inbound or have to go back the other way at jenkintown...

NorthPennLimited wrote:1. Replace the AEM-7's
2. increase the MU fleet to handle increased rush hour ridership
3. Reverse commute express trains for workers in Ft Washington, Conshohockin, Wilmington, Radnor, and Malvern
4. express train service for all Newark and Thorndale trains to cutdown running times
5. more parking at Jenkintown
6. more parking at Warminster
7. eliminate Elkins Park, Melrose Park, Wayne Junction stops on Doylestown and W. Trenton trains
8. a new station at Conshohockin
9. expand service west to Pottstown
10. expand service north to Telford

It's going to be very hard to expand parking at Jenkintown because of what happened with the garage project. I would love to see more parking at Warminster, but the township would probably hit the ceiling over it unless they widened Jacksonville Road. Even though some of these ideas are unlikely, I would sure support all of these projects/service changes.

How many people from Doylestown or West Trenton need to connect at Wayne Junction to get to Fox Chase or Chestnut Hill East?

More importantly, who in their RIGHT MIND would want to stand on the platform there in THAT NEIGHBORHOOD waiting for a train connection?

It's not worth the aggravation for the handful of people who need that stop.

Make Glenside the last stop on lansdale/Doylestown trains to speed up running times.

And also because one person on here thinks the whole service should revolve around them, and that person connects to these trains at Jenkintown,

Replace all trains with buses in the long run so septa can be happy and rid itself of those pesky expensive trains

NorthPennLimited wrote:How many people from Doylestown or West Trenton need to connect at Wayne Junction to get to Fox Chase or Chestnut Hill East?

More importantly, who in their RIGHT MIND would want to stand on the platform there in THAT NEIGHBORHOOD waiting for a train connection?

It's not worth the aggravation for the handful of people who need that stop.

You are forgetting every other station in between those endpoints.... You are also forgetting that people use the west trenton station to get to & from work in NJ, as well as forgetting airport service. I really feel some of you making these comments simply do not ride enough to understand how stripped down things have become, turning people back to their cars.

So, in your argument, people are crazy for waiting at stations in a place you dislike?

Aggravation... so because you want to get to your stop faster, screw everyone else?

I stand by my ten. It would do the most good for the most amount of people, and create a proper commuter & regional rail system that revolves around paying passengers & not some 1234 market wet dream of turning RRD into more of a hindrance than it has all ready been made.

So by your own logic, you concede 99% of inbound people riding from West Trenton and Doylestown don't need the train to stop at Wayne Junction, and the train can skip that stop without affecting the good of all ridership and speed up schedule times.

Gotcha

25Hz wrote:

NorthPennLimited wrote:1. Replace the AEM-7's
2. increase the MU fleet to handle increased rush hour ridership
3. Reverse commute express trains for workers in Ft Washington, Conshohockin, Wilmington, Radnor, and Malvern
4. express train service for all Newark and Thorndale trains to cutdown running times
5. more parking at Jenkintown
6. more parking at Warminster
7. eliminate Elkins Park, Melrose Park, Wayne Junction stops on Doylestown and W. Trenton trains
8. a new station at Conshohockin
9. expand service west to Pottstown
10. expand service north to Telford

Bad idea... Why would you eliminate stops at wayne junction? Usually where lines join/diverge people connect to other trains... Taking out the 2 smaller stations makes no sense, because it just makes people have to wait at jenkintown vs just stay on one more stop inbound or have to go back the other way at jenkintown...

I don't think many people make that transfer and this isn't NYC where the trains all go to different terminals. And the 2 Park stations wouldn't lose service if you replaced the lost stops with Glenside locals or something else. In theory, you retain half hour service there if you substituted between Warminster locals (off peak) and Glenside locals. The majority would probably agree with this as well.

25Hz wrote:

NorthPennLimited wrote:How many people from Doylestown or West Trenton need to connect at Wayne Junction to get to Fox Chase or Chestnut Hill East?

More importantly, who in their RIGHT MIND would want to stand on the platform there in THAT NEIGHBORHOOD waiting for a train connection?

It's not worth the aggravation for the handful of people who need that stop.

You are forgetting every other station in between those endpoints.... You are also forgetting that people use the west trenton station to get to & from work in NJ, as well as forgetting airport service. I really feel some of you making these comments simply do not ride enough to understand how stripped down things have become, turning people back to their cars.

So, in your argument, people are crazy for waiting at stations in a place you dislike?

Aggravation... so because you want to get to your stop faster, screw everyone else?

I stand by my ten. It would do the most good for the most amount of people, and create a proper commuter & regional rail system that revolves around paying passengers & not some 1234 market wet dream of turning RRD into more of a hindrance than it has all ready been made.

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Alright, let me take a shot at this.

Immediate stuff:

1. Discontinue Bus Route 78 and replace it with an early morning train
2. Additional late trains on Regional Rail after 12 AM on weekends.
3. Replace AEM-7s
4. Work together with NJT on a suitable replacement for the Silverliner IVs and Arrow IIIs.
5. Build an actual yard in Trenton.
6. Build yard north of Philmont.
7. Rework bus routes that travel near Regional Rail stations to guarantee connections between bus and train (Seriously, can we NOT build any more parking garages?)

And now the longer term, more expensive stuff:

8. BSL League Island extension
9. Roosevelt Boulevard Subway (in conjunction with a complete re-engineering and rebuild of Roosevelt Boulevard)
10. Third straight trunk track between Wayne Junction and Jenkintown

In no particular order:

1. Fine tune NPT once implemented.
2. Universal crossover between Jenk and Neshaminy Falls
3. Norristown Line extension to Pottstown/Phoenixville
4. Use ACS-64 locomotives (that will have replaced the AEM-7's and the one ALP-44) for local service due to enhanced acceleration characteristics
5. Replace third track at Melrose
6. Dual-Powered locomotives (e.g. NJT) for operation outside electrified territory.
7. Lansdale Extension to Pennridge
8. Fix the mispronounced automated PA words on the SLV's now in service for 2 years
9. Warminster Line extension to Ivyland/Warminster parking garage
10. Universal crossover between Hunt and Wayne Jct