Report SEPTA Delays Here:

60 minute delays on all trains through Jenkintown this morning, all trains operating on the outbound side only. From chopper shots, looks like SLIV 284 snagged the catenary just south of the station at the crossovers so they are obviously single tracking between Glenside and Fern Rock.

I was on that disabled train this morning.... Not a lot of fun, and the there was onboard misinformation as to which train would eventually get us into CC.
I'm not sure of the full causes, but we stopped short just north of Jenkintown on the mainline (waiting 10 minutes), limped into and boarded at Jenkintown over another 10 minutes, then crawled south for about 500 feet until the wire was all over us like an octopus. A couple of people pulled an emergency release, jumped off and walked back to the station despite having a live wire in the area. (The conductor was not pleased about that)
Once we eventually powered back to Jenkintown, it was a mess all around. The 5 overcrowded cars worth of passengers repeatedly had to go through the pedestrian underpass following conflictory information about where to go.. Nobody got hurt as far as I know, but it was a 3 hour mess. Glad we all eventually got where we needed to get to.

Anyone know whats going on with the NHSL? Just got an alert that service between NTC and Radnor is suspended due to police/fire activity, that doesn't sound good. Usually police activity means someone was hit but I haven't seen the fire alert before.

I got a message from a rider who got bused from Norristown to Gulph Mills and was stranded there. NFI.

Another bus eventually came along and took the riders to Radnor. No information was given, but passengers boarding at Radnor told them that the bus was going to Gulph Mills and/or Norristown, so everybody who got on at Gulph Mills got off. My source was in the back of the bus; maybe the driver gave info to those up front. A 69th Street-bound car arrived shortly. Time from Morristown to 69th Street was two hours.

What's going on tonight? Sounds like massive delays at Wayne/NX.

scotty269 wrote:What's going on tonight? Sounds like massive delays at Wayne/NX.

Heard there were signal issues at NX ( Newtown Junction ). I honestly can't believe they even call it that anymore.

A person was struck and killed somewhere between Colmar and Fortuna stations this morning so passengers had to use Lansdale station for service to Center City
There were cancellations this morning and huge delays on the Lansdale/Doylestown line
http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/loc ... 64074.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It took most of the morning to clear the scene of the fatality on the Doylestown Branch. I began why it took so long to pronounce someone dead after being hit by a train.

Curiosity got the best of me. Today I learned the Montgomery County Coroner is an elected position. He all has an appointed Deputy Coroner.

So there is your strange fact for the day. I wonder if there is a difference between a Democrat or Republican coroner?

There have been at least three pedestrians hit by SEPTA Regional Rail trains in Montgomery County this month. Amazingly, one actually survived. It was probably not a direct hit. I think that the train crew didn't even realize that they hit someone.

Yes, Montgomery County's Coroner is elected, although the person elected in 2007 and then re-elected in 2011 was a trained forensic pathologist. He stepped down for health reasons in 2015 and has since died.

Wire problems plaguing SEPTA Regional Rail lines
Updated: MAY 17, 2017 — 9:59 AM EDT

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/in-t ... -2017.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

JeffersonLeeEng wrote:Wire problems plaguing SEPTA Regional Rail lines
Updated: MAY 17, 2017 — 9:59 AM EDT

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/in-t ... -2017.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

With this early heat wave, we may see some speed reductions later on as well in response to potential rail kinks.

I'll take wires sagging over a heat kink in the rails any day. Worst case scenario with sagging / downed wires you loose power for a few hours. With a heat kink in the rails, you could have a possible derailment if the track slews.

Seems like the catenary in the Jenkintown area causes a problem a couple times per year ever since PENN DOT replaced that overhead bridge at Jenkintown Station 3 years ago.

The delays from the morning rush seemed to continue to infect on time performance issues all the way into the evening commute home tonight.

I was just happy my train had a good working HVAC system on the ride home. Normally, those old Silverliner IV's have A/C issues during the first warm spell of the season.

Message from SEPTA re: Wire Problems on May 17, 2017

http://www.septa.org/service/rail/2017-05-message.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

NorthPennLimited wrote: Seems like the catenary in the Jenkintown area causes a problem a couple times per year ever since PENN DOT replaced that overhead bridge at Jenkintown Station 3 years ago.

I think the catenary problems at Jenkintown have more to do with the crossovers south of the station than the bridge. From the SEPTA update, it sounds like it will be reconfigured.

In addition to SEPTA Power forces and our wire train being deployed to complete the immediate wire repairs, the original design consultant was out on-site today to investigate the problem as it was occurring. Taking the information gathered this morning, they are now developing a catenary wire configuration redesign plan for this section of track. Once completed and approved, SEPTA will expedite the replacement work.