Question about Airport Line in Philly

Hello fellow posters,

Is there any way to see the Airport Line from inside the security area at any of the terminals? I don't want to leave the security area and have to go through the lines again (for fear of missing my flight), but I have a 4 hour layover at Philly on my way back up to Cornell University in Ithaca on Friday, the 20th of January, and, ideally, would want to do some railfanning (I'm content with Silverliners only--those stainless steel bodies and oval windows are so chic). All of this is assuming that it's actually possible to see. Any help on this matter would be greatly appreciated!

-Bailey Chang

Hey FAMO - I like your avatar... is that one of the new EMUs from Tokyo's Yamanote line?

As to your question: It's difficult if not impossible to see the R1 from Terminals F, E or D. You might be able to catch a glimpse from the security gates at B and C, but you'll definitely get some suspicious glances from the TSA guards. Your best bet is probably down by Terminal A and the new international terminal. There, you should be able to get a good look through the glass curtain wall and remain in the secure area. The only problem is that the trains run directly under the customs/immigration building at that point, so the sunlight won't be very good.

If you're flying to Cornell, that probably means you're leaving from Terminal F and that's a VERY long trek from Terminal A.

Hah, sure is! I rode the Yamanote back when they still had the 205 series on it, when I was a wee little lad. Are you into Japanese stuff as well?

Thanks so much for the response--yeah, I'll be flying out of good ol' Terminal F, but I've got 4 hours to blow so I'll probably end up wandering around anyways.

You speak a little German, I'm assuming? (Eisenbahner)

Once again, thanks a lot for the info. Much appreciated.

-Bailey Chang

Eisenbahner wrote:If you're flying to Cornell, that probably means you're leaving from Terminal F and that's a VERY long trek from Terminal A.

Actually, you can go to Terminal B (remaining within the security cordon), and from there take a shuttle bus to Terminal F.

FAMO wrote: I've got 4 hours to blow so I'll probably end up wandering around anyways.

A round trip to 30th Street takes less than an hour.
Or take a chance and go a bit further;
you'll still have plenty of time to deal with the TSAs.

A four hour layover would give you enough time to catch the R1 into Reading Terminal for lunch at the Market. Honestly, I've never been in a security line longer than 15 minutes at PHL.

Last September I had a 3 hour layover in Chicago Midway. I caught the Orange Line into the Loop, rode around once, got off, walked through the new Millenium Park, then went back to the airport, all in plenty of time for my flight. And just last month, I had a 3 hour layover in Minneapolis, so I put all my belongings in a locker and rode the Hiawatha Line to the Mall of America and back. There's no reason you wouldn't have enough time at PHL not to ride the R1. It would be just silly to stand there at the window of the concourse watching it go back and forth!

You should be able, in four hours, to ride to 30th.

However, when you get back, look for the terminal with the shortest line. You can get to F terminal via the shuttle-bus from terminal C.

If you just want to go out to the platforms, you should have no problem.

In 2005 I flew into Philly several times and always took the R1 into the city. The ride is pretty short, time-wise, and with a 4-hour layover you ought to be able to make the round trip easily enough. But I would be extra careful watching the clock, because these trains run every 1/2 hour and if you miss one you'll have that much less time to make sure you get through security at PHL before your flight. The R1, at least in my limited experience, is one line that does run on or very close to schedule.

Dear Fellow Posters,

Thank you very much for your information. I did as instructed, and lo and behold, I rode the R1 to 30th street, had me some Philly cheese steaks, walked around the station building, and was surrounded by Silverliners and the blue fireworks of sparking pans the whole time. And of course, I was able to make it back to the airport in time to catch my flight to Ithaca. The airport line is FAST! I think Atlanta's MARTA system could benefit by perhaps considering adding some express trackage to the airport.

I saw mainly IV's...save for a II just outside 30th street that was looking pretty tired and needing a little love...where do all the IIs and IIIs with airport scheme run?

Despite all the talk about "Inepta" I've read on this board, it seems the Regional Rail is pretty up to standards from what I saw, though there was a bit of timetableage that could have been better kept. Of course, I only rode one line two times, so I'm not really qualified to make any judgement!

Thanks once again,

-Bailey

FAMO wrote:Despite all the talk about "Inepta" I've read on this board, it seems the Regional Rail is pretty up to standards from what I saw, though there was a bit of timetableage that could have been better kept. Of course, I only rode one line two times, so I'm not really qualified to make any judgement!

Thanks once again,

-Bailey

at first glance it is a good system, but having known what it once was and what it (easily??) COULD be, this is where we have our beef

glad u had a good experience in Philadelphia

cheers

You know, you hit a point. The really sad thing is what the system used to be, and as you said, could be, with really minimal effort. There are so many ROWs already intact that it is fairly simple to reactivate and expand the current system. The problem is Septa has terrible management and cannot seem to spend money on the right things. Septa also has a very poor image in the community which certainly has lead to low ridership, in conjunction with a difficult to use fair system, bad/non-existent connections, and the frequency of service on some lines. It is time for Septa to go!

any other transit system in the world would look at our rail infrastructure and potential as an asset

speta views it as a liability

it's pretty much that simple