Everyone - 40 years ago this week SEPTA took direct operating control of the Regional Rail system from
Conrail - which operated the then-separate former PC and RDG commuter rail systems under contract
(April 1, 1976 to December 31, 1982) forming what was originally titled "SEPTA Regional High Speed Lines".
On January 1, 1983 for the record with Conrail's exit from contract operations of commuter rail services
New Jersey Transit Rail Operations and the Metro-North Commuter Railroad began their direct operations
of those respective systems along with SEPTA RHSL.
In the SEPTA Forum Archives can be found information about the five year period 1980-1984 which were the
toughest years in RRD's history until "The Problem" beginning in March 2020 caused significant ridership to
be lost - and as of this post 34 months later has not come close to numbers seen back in 2019...
1983 was a year to remember with how volatile the direct takeover of the RRD system turned out to be with
at first a planned shutdown of the entire system to "re-train" employees in January - a court injunction made
SEPTA issue special interim timetables for the Reading side lines and the Paoli Line initially - and then for the
other former PC routes later that month...
The most controversial subject was the effort to cut railroad employees to the level of City Transit Division pay
as part of the "transitization" effort - the primary reason for the resulting 108 day rail strike in Spring 1983.
Rail system ridership would decline to bottom out in 1984 even with incentives such as lower fares beginning
in the fall of 1982 - as an example the "Trailpass" valid on all routes replacing monthly railroad tickets was first
introduced to riders...
The biggest change in SEPTA RRD's early years would be the unification of the system with the opening of the
"Center City Commuter Connection" with Market East Station replacing Reading Terminal in November 1984.
In July 1985 the name "SEPTA Regional Rail Lines" replaced "Regional High Speed Lines" when SEPTA began
to finally recognize the system as a railroad - and the effort to "transitize" the system basically ended...
RRD Ridership began a steady climb upward beginning in 1985 that would remain basically stable until 2020.
The SEPTA Railroad Division now has an interesting 40 year history - those initial 1980s years were tough.
40 years of continuous service to the Philadelphia region is a noteable milestone...MACTRAXX
Conrail - which operated the then-separate former PC and RDG commuter rail systems under contract
(April 1, 1976 to December 31, 1982) forming what was originally titled "SEPTA Regional High Speed Lines".
On January 1, 1983 for the record with Conrail's exit from contract operations of commuter rail services
New Jersey Transit Rail Operations and the Metro-North Commuter Railroad began their direct operations
of those respective systems along with SEPTA RHSL.
In the SEPTA Forum Archives can be found information about the five year period 1980-1984 which were the
toughest years in RRD's history until "The Problem" beginning in March 2020 caused significant ridership to
be lost - and as of this post 34 months later has not come close to numbers seen back in 2019...
1983 was a year to remember with how volatile the direct takeover of the RRD system turned out to be with
at first a planned shutdown of the entire system to "re-train" employees in January - a court injunction made
SEPTA issue special interim timetables for the Reading side lines and the Paoli Line initially - and then for the
other former PC routes later that month...
The most controversial subject was the effort to cut railroad employees to the level of City Transit Division pay
as part of the "transitization" effort - the primary reason for the resulting 108 day rail strike in Spring 1983.
Rail system ridership would decline to bottom out in 1984 even with incentives such as lower fares beginning
in the fall of 1982 - as an example the "Trailpass" valid on all routes replacing monthly railroad tickets was first
introduced to riders...
The biggest change in SEPTA RRD's early years would be the unification of the system with the opening of the
"Center City Commuter Connection" with Market East Station replacing Reading Terminal in November 1984.
In July 1985 the name "SEPTA Regional Rail Lines" replaced "Regional High Speed Lines" when SEPTA began
to finally recognize the system as a railroad - and the effort to "transitize" the system basically ended...
RRD Ridership began a steady climb upward beginning in 1985 that would remain basically stable until 2020.
The SEPTA Railroad Division now has an interesting 40 year history - those initial 1980s years were tough.
40 years of continuous service to the Philadelphia region is a noteable milestone...MACTRAXX
EXPRESS TRAIN TO NEW YORK PENN STATION-NO JAMAICA ON THIS TRAIN-PLEASE STAND CLEAR OF THE CLOSING TRAIN DOORS
