COVID-19 Effects on SEPTA

It will take time for many people to return to riding RRD. Even in better times, I wasn't a big fan anyway of having two RRD Lines ending in Chestnut Hill. Those two lines should have been light rail from the start.

From the start they were built by two competing railroad companies and powered by steam, which was accepted custom and practice for the time, well before 1900 and the development of electric traction. Over some decades the possibility of light rail has been considered but has always foundered on what to do about Center City access. Fox Chase might also be a good candidate for conversion to light rail, but the same problem of downtown access exists. I believe that at one time mention was made of converting two tracks of the Center City Commuter Connection to light rail, but that appears to be totally impractical. It seems that what we have is what we have.

While risking veering off topic, has there been any study done of whether CHW could be connected to the Broad St Line? The horizontal difference between the two lines is quite small, but of course there's the vertical (i.e., underground) issue. I'm sure it wouldn't be cheap, and would require taking some buildings to build, but would be interesting to see what the long term cost/benefit analysis of providing more frequent travel at lower operating cost, versus the capital expenditure to make the connection and conversion.

Aside from the expense of the connection, the line seems to be an easy conversion given that it's 100% grade separated (can't recall from memory if there's any pedestrian crossings at stations, but certainly no street crossings), now free of freight traffic, and even has some stations converted to high level platforms.

I suppose the other knock against the conversion would be the density along some stretches of the line - does this area of the city warrant rapid transit service versus others? Certainly in a world where capital funding is in question this is all pie-in-the-sky thinking.

octr202 wrote: ↑Wed Jan 27, 2021 8:50 am While risking veering off topic, has there been any study done of whether CHW could be connected to the Broad St Line? The horizontal difference between the two lines is quite small, but of course there's the vertical (i.e., underground) issue.

The original goal under the Vuchic plan was always to connect the CHW line to the CHE at Swampoodle - that obviously never happened.

More here:
* map-with-swampoodle-t65643.html
* swampoodle-connection-t82232.html

https://www.inquirer.com/transportation ... 10126.html

With ridership down about 85% from pre-pandemic levels, SEPTA Regional Rail is essentially running empty trains, and it’s clear that many of its suburban riders won’t return to five-day-a-week schedules given the appeal of white-collar telework. To sustain and grow Regional Rail ridership, transportation experts say, it should try to appeal to those it hasn’t in the past because of pricey fares and less frequent service. That was true before COVID-19 but may be more necessary now than ever, with the identity of Regional Rail turned on its head.

ExCon90 wrote: ↑Tue Jan 26, 2021 10:29 pmFrom the start they were built by two competing railroad companies and powered by steam, which was accepted custom and practice for the time, well before 1900 and the development of electric traction.

Actually, the Reading line between 9th & Green Sts. and Germantown Ave. & Price St. started out with horse power. Does that qualify it as Light Rail? When it 1st got a steam locomotive, the horses were still used in bad weather.

Now that you mention it, its beginnings as a horse-drawn operation might grandfather it as a light-rail line. It's a start, especially as "temporary" substitutions of service are not unprecedented in Philadelphia ...

SEPTA is gonna reopen the CHW line

SEPTA Regional Rail’s Chestnut Hill West Line, one of two lines suspended in COVID-19 schedule changes last spring, will return with some service in March, general manager Leslie S. Richards said Thursday.

https://www.inquirer.com/transportation ... 10128.html

March 8 changes:

https://septa.org/schedules/upcoming-rail.html

Chestnut Hill East is back
Paoli Thorndale reduced to hourly during middle of the day

Not surprised, Paoli-Thorndale ridership doesn't seem to be increasing like other lines are starting to. Too many workers with the types of jobs that can still stay home and no colleges.

RCT: You mean Chestnut Hill WEST is back - limited to weekdays only after a one-year shutdown.
I also noticed the increase in service on the Wilmington-Newark Line. Not only is there more service to NRK
all trains operate into Delaware - nothing originates or terminates at Marcus Hook.

Everyone: I give SEPTA credit for making schedule folder PDFs available as well alongside printed timetables.
As an example the LIRR in the past year no longer offers any printed copies of branch line timetables.
LIRR timetables are only available in PDF form. Thankfully SEPTA realizes that some riders still would
rather have a folded print copy of schedules - count me among them - instead of having to rely on
mobile devices and/or PDFs to access RRD schedule information.

I remember the mention about public transportation that there is a percentage of riders that do prefer to
use traditional printed schedules - and these people tended to be older or have lower incomes primarily.

MACTRAXX

No announcement but more cuts to many outlying station's ticket office hours today. Unfortunately the website hasn't been updated to reflect the last couple rounds of changes so it is not a good source to check for changes.

I might be able to go back to work voluntarily starting June 14. How is Suburban Station during peak times? Whether I go back in voluntarily really depends on how the one block walk from Suburban Station to 1600 Market is during rush hour.

rcthompson04 wrote: ↑Wed Apr 28, 2021 11:44 am I might be able to go back to work voluntarily starting June 14. How is Suburban Station during peak times? Whether I go back in voluntarily really depends on how the one block walk from Suburban Station to 1600 Market is during rush hour.

Not bad, crowded at peak times but certainly not like the pre pandemic days. The homeless have more or less been sent packing. At most times of the day, only the entrance at 17th and JFK is open

Regional Rail seemed to hold up well to the influx of workers for Comcast this morning. Comcast made workers start coming back today and it meant a noticeable increase on the Paoli Thorndale Line. For 7am Malvern's lot looked like 7am in the pre-COVID days.

The conductor staffing has been a sore spot as ridership has increased and today it probably slowed the train down a few minutes having everyone board through one spot on low-level platforms. My train was still on time, but it has added a few minutes since mid-summer due to higher volumes. Not a bad thing, but an extra conductor would make a big difference on a 5 car train that has each car in use and over 66% full.