Railroad Forums 

  • SEPTA Rebuilding for the Future Updates

  • 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

 #1520301  by MikeBPRR
 
rcthompson04 wrote: Mon Sep 16, 2019 5:46 am
njt/mnrrbuff wrote: Fri Sep 13, 2019 9:49 pm Septa Regional Rail will never serve West Chester anymore. The right of way, presently used by the West Chester Railroad, is very twisty, making it not viable at all for quick daily rail service. On the other hand, West Chester Railroad is looking at running some trips to connect to Septa trains at Wawa, when it opens up.
I have a hard time with the “winding” argument because commuter service was operated to West Chester until the 1980s. If Silverliner IVs handled it back then why couldn’t they handle it now?

I am not the hugest fan at coming into West Chester through Media though. The West Chester station would be the closest to my house, but I would still have a quicker ride from Malvern or Exton even with the drive. Trying to make it work via the Mainline as I described would be a better option in my opinion.
The study SEPTA published last year said that trains would make it to Suburban between 65 and 75 minutes of leaving West Chester. Locals would take closer to 75, and the expresses from Media to Morton or from Primos to University City would take closer to 65. Even when you factor in the drive to Exton or Malvern, there's no way that is time-competitive with the Great Valley Flyer - nothing beats the 40-45 minutes from Exton/Malvern to Suburban. The locals or semi-expresses on the Paoli/Thorndale Line are another story, though, and it definitely matches the 104/MFL transfer.

I've always thought that a restored West Chester Branch would be just as beneficial to the reverse commuters. A lot of residents of Delco or Philly would greatly benefit from the train, especially if they work in Chester County government or if they take classes at WCU. I also could see a 200-series bus connecting either the downtown West Chester station or West Chester/Nields Street with the Goshen Corporate Campus. It's probably not as practical for those commuting downtown (barring the introduction of one or two Media-University City express trains that I seem to recall from Google Images searches of old timetables), but it could work very well for inter-suburb commutes or reverse commutes.

But Middletown Station? Elwyn is already in Middletown and is probably more central in Middletown Township than is The Artist Formerly Known as Wawa Station. Why not Middletown/Wawa? [/yelling at cloud]
 #1520464  by SRC90
 
njt/mnrrbuff wrote: Fri Sep 13, 2019 9:49 pm Septa Regional Rail will never serve West Chester anymore. The right of way, presently used by the West Chester Railroad, is very twisty, making it not viable at all for quick daily rail service. On the other hand, West Chester Railroad is looking at running some trips to connect to Septa trains at Wawa, when it opens up.
I'm a WCRR volunteer and this is news to me. Not sure if it's just a railfan rumor or something floated by someone else as a "what if...", but it's not being seriously planned or discussed.
 #1520779  by NorthPennLimited
 
The news showed a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Paoli Station.

It looks like they put down a high platform on top of the inside tracks. The signals on the overhead bridge are gone as well. Did they also reconfigure the Interlocking? I would assume the inside tracks connect to the outside tracks with a simple turnout now.

It’s been a while since I was out that way. Photos courtesy of the Delco Times newspaper.

https://www.delcotimes.com/news/ribbon- ... c72e6.html
 #1520791  by rcthompson04
 
NorthPennLimited wrote: Mon Sep 23, 2019 6:39 pm The news showed a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Paoli Station.

It looks like they put down a high platform on top of the inside tracks. The signals on the overhead bridge are gone as well. Did they also reconfigure the Interlocking? I would assume the inside tracks connect to the outside tracks with a simple turnout now.

It’s been a while since I was out that way. Photos courtesy of the Delco Times newspaper.

https://www.delcotimes.com/news/ribbon- ... c72e6.html
Tracks 2 and 3 end at the east side of the station with interlockings and stubs east of the station. On the west side there remains an interlocking, but only two tracks go to Malvern. Work continues on the tracks at Paoli and west as has been causing bus substitution west of Paoli some weekends this summer for SEPTA.
 #1521694  by NorthPennLimited
 
Levittown is in a great location for a park & ride for NY commuters from Bucks & Montgomery County. It would save an extra 15-20 minutes driving to Hamilton Station or Trenton (and bridge tolls.

It’s a shame NJT can’t extend service to Levittown from NY Penn. The station is in perfect proximity to I-295, I-276, and I-95

Another great park and ride for NY commuters would be if NJT extended service down the ex PRR Trenton Cutoff to Willow Grove. The tracks go over the intersection of Rt 611 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike
 #1521735  by JeffK
 
Yet another would be to consolidate the Radnor RRD and P&W stations, with a park & ride off 476. It seems ridiculous to have 3 modes of transportation within maybe 1000' of each other but no connected access.

Of course the idea's been proposed before and hits a wall of NIMBYism every time, esp. from the North Wayne "Protective" Association. Makes you wonder what they're trying to protect ....
 #1528830  by Suburban Station
 
NorthPennLimited wrote: Mon Sep 23, 2019 6:39 pm The news showed a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Paoli Station.

It looks like they put down a high platform on top of the inside tracks. The signals on the overhead bridge are gone as well. Did they also reconfigure the Interlocking? I would assume the inside tracks connect to the outside tracks with a simple turnout now.

It’s been a while since I was out that way. Photos courtesy of the Delco Times newspaper.

https://www.delcotimes.com/news/ribbon- ... c72e6.html
now that it's been a few months since the ribbon cutting it's worth revisiting that this project has been a disaster. not only does the station leak but service has been a disaster since now all trains, including deadheads, must operate through the same two tracks without any of the necessary interlocking and signal work to mitigate the impact of reducing capacity. service meltdowns are now routine and even Keystone trains run late more often than not.
 #1528853  by ChrisinAbington
 
Suburban Station wrote: Fri Dec 20, 2019 11:28 am now that it's been a few months since the ribbon cutting it's worth revisiting that this project has been a disaster. not only does the station leak but service has been a disaster since now all trains, including deadheads, must operate through the same two tracks without any of the necessary interlocking and signal work to mitigate the impact of reducing capacity. service meltdowns are now routine and even Keystone trains run late more often than not.
How was this a good idea? I could see how this could work if you had the two terminating tracks be eligible for the platform, which would require demolishing the old station and widening the ROW considerably, but going from 4 to 2 tracks right at a busy station run by Amtrak & SEPTA? Just seems like an odd proposal from the start. Are there plans to add an additional outbound track to the north?
 #1528856  by rcthompson04
 
ChrisinAbington wrote: Fri Dec 20, 2019 1:15 pm How was this a good idea? I could see how this could work if you had the two terminating tracks be eligible for the platform, which would require demolishing the old station and widening the ROW considerably, but going from 4 to 2 tracks right at a busy station run by Amtrak & SEPTA? Just seems like an odd proposal from the start. Are there plans to add an additional outbound track to the north?
I am not sure the station itself is the problem. The bulk of the issues seem to be west of Paoli not at Paoli itself. For some reason the line seems to have went to hell between Frazer yard and Thorndale.

This morning had a fiasco due to a switch problem east of Paoli, but that is not where I get held up usually.
 #1530832  by Suburban Station
 
ChrisinAbington wrote: Fri Dec 20, 2019 1:15 pm
Suburban Station wrote: Fri Dec 20, 2019 11:28 am now that it's been a few months since the ribbon cutting it's worth revisiting that this project has been a disaster. not only does the station leak but service has been a disaster since now all trains, including deadheads, must operate through the same two tracks without any of the necessary interlocking and signal work to mitigate the impact of reducing capacity. service meltdowns are now routine and even Keystone trains run late more often than not.
How was this a good idea? I could see how this could work if you had the two terminating tracks be eligible for the platform, which would require demolishing the old station and widening the ROW considerably, but going from 4 to 2 tracks right at a busy station run by Amtrak & SEPTA? Just seems like an odd proposal from the start. Are there plans to add an additional outbound track to the north?
It really wasnt a good idea, even worse
Is that they didn't put universal's in east and west of the station so problems West of the station get worse at the new two track bottleneck. The long term plan is to replace valley rd with a new bridge to Darby paoli which would free up enough space to add back a third track which would certainly help.
 #1532329  by mcgrath618
 
I'm assuming you all have either seen minutes from or were present for SEPTA's meeting today. If you haven't, here's a summary on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/SicTransitPHL/statu ... 5880203265

Some points of note:
1) Norristown High Speed Line will take 10 more years of work
Yikes.
2) Track and electrical work is happening between 30th and Girard in anticipation of the 30th St Overbuild Project
Glad to see this project moving forward. I have high hopes for the overbuild.
3) The acquisition of Silverliner VIs (multilevel EMUs) from Bombardier
Another yikes.
 #1532337  by mcgrath618
 
rcthompson04 wrote: Wed Jan 29, 2020 11:39 pm
mcgrath618 wrote: Wed Jan 29, 2020 10:36 pm 3) The acquisition of Silverliner VIs (multilevel EMUs) from Bombardier
Another yikes.
Curious what is the yikes on this one.
I like the look of the Bomby EMUs, but they have their fair share of issues. SEPTA should be moving towards Tier Ia or Tier III stock, not Tier I.

The Bomby EMUs are:
•Heavy
•Married triplets
•In all likelihood, slow

And to boot, NJT’s existing MultiLevels have terrible dwell times. SEPTA should be looking into acquiring something like the MTA M9.
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