Railroad Forums 

  • SEPTA overcrowding on Regional Rail

  • Discussion relating to Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (Philadelphia Metro Area). Official web site can be found here: www.septa.com. Also including discussion related to the PATCO Speedline rapid transit operated by Delaware River Port Authority. Official web site can be found here: http://www.ridepatco.org/.
Discussion relating to Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (Philadelphia Metro Area). Official web site can be found here: www.septa.com. Also including discussion related to the PATCO Speedline rapid transit operated by Delaware River Port Authority. Official web site can be found here: http://www.ridepatco.org/.

Moderator: AlexC

 #1298191  by Limited-Clear
 
More trains mean people are less likely to carpool, you will need to expand parking lots too, after 8:30 Glenside, Warminster, Lansdale are all full, I see Jenkintown close capacity too.

Also stop beating the Newtown re activation, the old roadbed is almost all a rails to trails now, I know they can revert back to a rail line, but too much went into getting it a trail (including politics), they even put on full crossing protection near Bethayres,

They can barely run the current Rush hour without problems, how are they going to get more trains (and crews) into that mess
 #1298212  by SCB2525
 
Limited-Clear wrote: They can barely run the current Rush hour without problems, how are they going to get more trains (and crews) into that mess
Lest you forget that its just an extension of Fox Chase; at least initially you would presumably have the same number of trains through Newtown Jct.
 #1298217  by Clearfield
 
SCB2525 wrote:
Limited-Clear wrote: They can barely run the current Rush hour without problems, how are they going to get more trains (and crews) into that mess
Lest you forget that its just an extension of Fox Chase; at least initially you would presumably have the same number of trains through Newtown Jct.
Due to the additional distance and time from Fox Chase to Newtown, you would need more equipment to maintain the same frequency of service, thus, more trains through Newtown Junction.
 #1298673  by 25Hz
 
More equipment is planned. Substation rebuilds are planned. Both are being addressed. Hiring, schedule shuffle, and actually putting the tracks, signals, and wire are also acedemic. Rebuilding the embankments etc is the huge big issue.

Anyways, adding a track from wayne junction to jenkintown would do lots, but that's just as likely as newtown at this point.
 #1298679  by Clearfield
 
25Hz wrote:Anyways, adding a track from wayne junction to jenkintown would do lots....
There was a third track beginning just south of Melrose to a location north of Melrose off and on over the years.

It was last there during the rebuilding of Melrose Park Station and possibly the waterproofing of bridge 8.42, then removed.

I don't know the length, but it could hold most trains and if it could be accessed from either end, by either track, it would theoretically add capacity to the line if the schedule were adjusted to account for it.

One proposed change near HUNT is to add crossovers from 4 Track to 1 Track northbound. Southbound crossovers are already in place. With bi-directional signaling already in place this would also allow more traffic.

Enough small changes add up.
 #1298708  by nomis
 
Raising the MAS of getting trains in/out/through Track 0 at Fren Rock and planning that in with the middle track at Melrose would help make a skip-stop pattern that much more achievable.
 #1299253  by 25Hz
 
Clearfield wrote:
25Hz wrote:Anyways, adding a track from wayne junction to jenkintown would do lots....
There was a third track beginning just south of Melrose to a location north of Melrose off and on over the years.

It was last there during the rebuilding of Melrose Park Station and possibly the waterproofing of bridge 8.42, then removed.

I don't know the length, but it could hold most trains and if it could be accessed from either end, by either track, it would theoretically add capacity to the line if the schedule were adjusted to account for it.

One proposed change near HUNT is to add crossovers from 4 Track to 1 Track northbound. Southbound crossovers are already in place. With bi-directional signaling already in place this would also allow more traffic.

Enough small changes add up.
Yea, cross overs i the right spots, two way signaling, and station sidings could increase capacity quite a bit. I think some 2 track trunk lines in england have it set up this way, because there is no way a 3rd track is feasible anymore.
 #1299569  by Jersey_Mike
 
SCB2525 wrote:For that to work takes intense dispatching which is one of SEPTAs major weaknesses.
Because they have some half a$$ed computer program do it. Also should also fix their broken signaling system.
 #1299675  by bikentransit
 
Quakertown should be running at this point, but again politicos asleep at the wheel. However, it's less likely that there would be more phila bound commuters from Quakertown than Newtown/Southampton. If/When Quakertown gets done, it should connect to Bethlehem/Allentown so Lehigh County pitches in some of the cost.
 #1299835  by SCB2525
 
Are the NJT comets still on the property? Are we still getting Amtrak's ALP44s?

In the short term, they need more seats. The only way that's going to happen in any timely fashion is to get some more second-hand equipment.
 #1299875  by 25Hz
 
SCB2525 wrote:Are the NJT comets still on the property? Are we still getting Amtrak's ALP44s?

In the short term, they need more seats. The only way that's going to happen in any timely fashion is to get some more second-hand equipment.
All of NJT's old stuff is either being retired or all ready scrap. A set number or arrow 3's are going to remain in service till MLV coaches or MLV EMU replace them.

We are not going to get any aem7's. The handfull that remain after the ACS64's are all delivered will be used on tunnel work & inspection and other stuff suited to electrics not needed in revenue service. SEPTA may replace their electrics with ACS64's, MARC i am not sure about, and MBTA may order a few for service extensions to MNRR territory. It remains to be seen what will happen in that area. The SEPTA and NJT push pulls do have a lot of seats, but they are also in the generation of equipment that is being retired by other transit agencies.
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