What is your favorite SEPTA Regional Rail line?

What is your favorite SEPTA Regional Rail line you have ridden? I have been on all of the SEPTA Regional Rail lines and I love them all. But, West Trenton is my all-time favorite line though. What is your favorite?

It's between the West Trenton Line and the Norristown Line. I love the scenery along the both lines.

Media-Elwyn is also cool with the way it runs "through neighborhoods" and right behind businesses and such. I'd love to photofan that line one day.

When I was an engineer at Septa, Id have to say that the West Trenton line was my favorite. For Septa, it was wide open running and fairly long stretches between stations. There are many grade crossings and the variety thrown in running with CSX. Running up to Lansdale-Doylestown was another favorite and although Lansdale to Doylestown was slow, I just imagined running an interurban. Norristown was another favorite. I always dreaded going to Elwyn as there always seemed to be a fatality with the people using the tracks as a hiking trail, and I absolutely hated running on Amtrak such as Wilmington and Thorndale although how ironic, I work for them now.....

The Neshaminy Line is at the top of the list followed by the Trenton, Thorndale, and the Atlantic City ( I know its not SEPTA, but its still one hell of a fun ride!!)

And until I get that Cab Ride on ACELA, the P&W will always be the #1 Rail line in my heart.

I would say my favorite line would be the R3 Media-Elwyn Line because it brings back a lot of childhood memories, especially around Morton since my grandparents lived there. My mom took me on my very first train ride from Morton to Center City when I was around 4 years old, which was on a Silverliner II. Unfortunately, that first train ride was to Hahnemann Hospital, where I was admitted for some reason I don't remember. My second train ride, also on a Silverliner II, was a return trip to Hahnemann Hospital, but just for a check-up. The outbound trip back to Morton was on an MP54! My third trip from Morton to Center City (and the last one on which my mom took me) was yet another trip to a hospital...Childrens Hospital (when it used to be on Broad Street, before moving to University City) when I was 6 years old. This time it was on a Silverliner III. I just had to undergo some tests and was not admitted. Again, the return trip back to Morton was on a bumpy MP54!!! My grandmother rode along with us on that trip. For a while I associated the train with going to the hospital/doctor's, since all 3 trips were to a hospital or doctor's office in Philly! Of coarse it would have been nice if my mom took me on the train for recreational trips into the city besides taking me to hospitals and doctors! I still enjoyed my first 3 trips on the Media-Elwyn (then Media-West Chester) Line!!!

Media/Elwyn mostly because its closest to me but also because it has some great old stations, like Wallingford and Moylan-Rose Valley. A close second is the Paoli/Thorndale because of all the variety that can be seen on there between Amtrak and Septa and also the high frequency of trains.

Quite frankly, I'm a little surprised no one has said Newtown Line yet. So let me be the first.

Of the actual operational lines, the Norristown Line is my current favorite.

AlexC wrote:Quite frankly, I'm a little surprised no one has said Newtown Line yet. So let me be the first.

I'm with Alex on this one. Its the most picturesque of the lines.

Clearfield wrote:

AlexC wrote:Quite frankly, I'm a little surprised no one has said Newtown Line yet. So let me be the first.

I'm with Alex on this one. Its the most picturesque of the lines.

Thirded- I'm too young to have ever experienced it while it was in operation, but even the 'ruins' of it are still nice- the signals, bridges, remaining stations... I'd love to be able to go up to Bryn Athyn one day and walk up the ROW as far as I could.

Of the active lines though, I'd say the favorite is Chestnut Hill West because of the scenery and station buildings.

SEPTAR3kid wrote:Media/Elwyn mostly because its closest to me but also because it has some great old stations, like Wallingford and Moylan-Rose Valley. A close second is the Paoli/Thorndale because of all the variety that can be seen on there between Amtrak and Septa and also the high frequency of trains.

I have heard that the Media/Elwyn line is pretty in the fall season. I have not ridden this line in the fall. I have only ridden it during the summer.

the Paoli line, since most of its stations are in the commercial cores, it's in good condition, and has real express trains.

Suburban Station wrote:the Paoli line, since most of its stations are in the commercial cores, it's in good condition, and has real express trains.

I've ridden the Paoli line as far as Strafford, and to Villanova regularly for nearly four years, I always found the stretch between 30th Street and Overbrook to be the best part. Between stations it is very boring to me. And the "express" trains seem to run nearly as slow as the regulars anyway, they just skip stations.

R8Guy wrote: I've ridden the Paoli line as far as Strafford, and to Villanova regularly for nearly four years, I always found the stretch between 30th Street and Overbrook to be the best part. Between stations it is very boring to me. And the "express" trains seem to run nearly as slow as the regulars anyway, they just skip stations.

I can't say it's beautiful rolling countryside but I've always found it interesting enough. having most stations in the commercial core is a huge plus from a use point of view. and you're last point is patently false. maybe it's true on the poorly built reading side but not on the Main Line.
looking at the schedule, a bryn mawr express shaves 8 min off the trip from bryn mawr to 30th st. the Great Valley Flyer shaves off 16 minutes from Malvern. could it be better? yeah, Amtrak does the run to Paoli in as little as 22 minutes (a savings of 22 min). When they finally replace the old interlockings, schedules should be reduced again. there's even a reverse express that shaves 10 min off the trip to Paoli. fact is, you can do a lot more with four tracks, even if they have ridiculously antiquated signaling and old as dirt interlockings. since they replace most of the line to Paoli, the ride is pretty smooth (except when SEPTA is running with a flat wheel as happened to me two weeks ago)

http://www.septa.org/schedules/rail/pdf/tho.pdf

Clearfield wrote:

AlexC wrote:Quite frankly, I'm a little surprised no one has said Newtown Line yet. So let me be the first.

I'm with Alex on this one. Its the most picturesque of the lines.

LOL, I said the Norristown Line in my original post. I highly agree with you that it's one of the most picturesque lines in the system. The West Trenton Line comes close, though...especiallly in the area of Neshaminy Falls and Woodbourne.

The Thorndale Line.

It's very interesting, especially with PRR phase break signals, and the relics of the old 52nd street station between 30th Street and Overbrook, and all the PRR junction stuff.