EL A and B trains.

I don't usually ride the EL, but this week I am in the city and I ride it a few times a day. I noticed on the maps (and on the front of the trains) there are A and B stations. ... yet, I haven't seen an A or B train ever come to a station and I have ridden at all rush and late night times.

Was this supposed to be an express type operation and it just fell through? Can someone explain this?

It's a form of limited skip-stop. I rode a 'B' train the other day and only skipped one stop (63rd), which struck me as a poor choice for a skip stop due to buses on 63rd, but I don't know the lines that well. I'd be interested on anything operations-wise people know about this, but that's all I can say. According to nycsubway.org, the system was put in place 1/30/56, so it's been around for a while.

Most of the A and B stops are on the Frankford end of the line. The A train only skips Millbourne and 46th street in West Philadelphia, so if you only see the operations on that side the difference between the A and B trains and the locals is barely noticable.
They're supposed to run between 7:00 and 8:45 in the morning and between about 4:00 and 5:30 in the evening.

There used to be more stops on the Market Street side of the line. Over the years SEPTA has gradually eliminated most of them.

Presumably 63rd St. is still an A stop to balance Millbourne but as was pointed out that probably doesn't make a lot of sense today. Millbourne remains a skip-stop because it has comparatively fewer boardings.

The official criterion for conversion to an all-stop station is patronage. When 34th St. was converted SEPTA said it was done because of increased demand from the University City area. However I've also heard that they were getting complaints from riders about being passed by and about having to change trains.

I've ridden a number of times, usually between 11th and Market and 30th Street Station. I definitely noticed A and B trains -- this was at a little before 8 in the morning that I'm thinking of. The letter is right in the center of the leading car, up top.

Years ago there were more A/B stops. Spring Garden, 2nd Street and 34th Street were all skip stop stations. With the trains running every 3 minutes during rush hour, I think they should make more stations skip-stop. All stations between 30th and 69th St in West Philly should be skip stop except 52nd Street

Along the Frankford Half of the EL there are more A/B stops. Chicago had an A/B system too, but it was eliminated a few years back.

Thanks Matt. I was in Chicago last year and wondered why I didn't get a skip stop train to O'Hare during rush hour.

I don't know why SEPTA doesen't use this more often, 2nd street is very light in the morning. and with 3 minute headways its not a major imposition to have a handful of people wait. Then again, how much time is really saved skipping a station?

although when it comes to regional rail, SEPTA is over-eager to axe stations permenantly to "improve speed" and travel time on the line. Never mind that they just shut out more riders.

jfrey40535 wrote:I don't know why SEPTA doesen't use this more often, 2nd street is very light in the morning. and with 3 minute headways its not a major imposition to have a handful of people wait. Then again, how much time is really saved skipping a station?

although when it comes to regional rail, SEPTA is over-eager to axe stations permenantly to "improve speed" and travel time on the line. Never mind that they just shut out more riders.

Some days it seems to me that every station on my regional rail line is a flag station... weird thing is that my station is listed as a flag stations on weekends and off hours, but all trains stop.

jfrey40535 wrote:Then again, how much time is really saved skipping a station?

Between station standing time and time lost braking and accelerating, it adds up quickly. I would guess as much as 30s to a minute.