Report SEPTA Delays Here:

It would have been nice if SEPTA would have posted that 0219 was canceled. I was waiting at Warminster and they didn't post ANYTHING until someone went on the PA at 7:55 saying it was canceled. 4119 was absolutely packed, people practically waiting in the vestibule, it was crazy.

Trains headed to the Keystone Corridor are ending at 30th Street due to AMTRAK problems.
Also there is a problem on the Warminster branch, as trains are being guided through STOP signals by the dispatcher.

WPVI (Channel 6)'s web site is reporting that this is due to downed trees and wires, unsurprising given the weather this afternoon. In spite of more aggressive tree trimming in the past few years along the Main Line, there are still plenty of tree branches close enough to the ROW to fall and take wires with them.

Service on R5 Paoli/Thorndale line just restored. 1570 will be first train inbound from Malvern. 1555 will be first train outbound from Center City.

Lots of delays this morning. SEPTA's web site says up to 10 min delays due to slippery rails, but a lot seem running later.

I'm on the R2's 5212 as I write this. The train (7 car Bombardier PP) was reported 14 late at 7:05, we were 21 late out of Marcus Hook and are now 30 late out of Norwood, crawling through restricted and stop signals in Delaware County. Judging by boardings in Ridley Park and Norwood, they routed a local ahead of us, which seems like right thing to do given how late we are.


Is this really just slippery rails, or were there some operational or scheduling problems implementing the new schedule this morning. At least on this side of the R2, Amtrak seems on time, the train itself seems OK and yet we're 30+ late.

#4007 was 20 mins delayed as of 7AM this morning, it bypassed Bethayres which stranded a good number of people. #319 was 20 mins late as of 7:30. It was announced that it (#319) would run local to Center City as scheduled. After Elkins Park, I heard the conductor talking on the radio and we were going to run express from Elkins to Temple. I was standing by the end door so I was able to hear what was going on, but the conductor made no announcement about the change in pace. We ended up getting downtown around 8:15. I stopped by the Info office at Suburban, and the guy on duty didn't know we ran express, and he said the massive delays were due to slippery rail season.

khecht wrote:Lots of delays this morning. SEPTA's web site says up to 10 min delays due to slippery rails, but a lot seem running later.

I'm on the R2's 5212 as I write this. The train (7 car Bombardier PP) was reported 14 late at 7:05, we were 21 late out of Marcus Hook and are now 30 late out of Norwood, crawling through restricted and stop signals in Delaware County. Judging by boardings in Ridley Park and Norwood, they routed a local ahead of us, which seems like right thing to do given how late we are.


Is this really just slippery rails, or were there some operational or scheduling problems implementing the new schedule this morning. At least on this side of the R2, Amtrak seems on time, the train itself seems OK and yet we're 30+ late.

The funny thing was that I checked train view around 7am, and 5212 was still on-time, even though half the trains out there were highlighed in yellow, meaning a delay of over 5(?) minutes. I had an obstructed view, and couldn't see if 9214 was at Marcus Hook, but judging by the time, I knew it went out ahead. The stops at Ridley Park and Norwood were seconds long, as everybody probably piled onto 9214. And Amtrak would NEVER let the R2 onto the inner tracks, God forbid. I think we were like 45 minutes late getting into Market East.

I thought the NEC was relatively immune to slippery rail. I knew this being the first day of a new schedule, that things might be delayed a little, but today was a bad one.

Keep in mind that the only way to get onto Track 2 north of Hook before Phil interlocking is a reverse move at Baldwin (at least I think that's the name) as it's not a full interlocking.

I'm a bit confused as to the original reason for the delays though, unless the trainset for 5212 laid over at Frazer and had slipping problems getting up the hill to Malvern on its way to originate passengers at Suburban as 7295. I doubt it lost time on the NEC due to leaves.

You would think that the NEC was immune to slippery rail season but it isnt at all. I can name a few that were pretty treacherous during the fall. Glenolden, Ridley Park, Crum Lynn, Eddystone, Tacony, Torresdale, Bristol(believe it or not). I use to think the same thing as you cpontani and there were a few times I was hit with a major slid out and had to back up. As we all know, the entire Paoli line is bad during the fall.

per request to the moderator, thread is now at the top of the page!

Possible delays up-to 15 minutes en route on the R3 Media and the R5 Paoli Lines due to slippery rail. Please listen for announcements.

Maybe there should be twice-daily runs of the gel trains??

On the way home today I just happened to see the R3 WT crawling in the 60 yards between Noble and Rydal, outbound train on the inbound tracks.

That can't be good.

R8 Fox Chase Line: Service is suspended due to a fallen tree at Lawndale blocking the track. SEPTA advises you to please seek alternate means of transportation to Olney, Lawndale, Cheltenham, Ryers and Fox Chase stations.


Neshaminy line was single tracked from 3:00-5:30 today because of downed wires near Noble.

(Per John Almeida)
Trains at 17:16

West Trenton 363 Media 27 mins
West Trenton 369 Elwyn 4 mins
Elwyn 370 West Trenton 50 mins
Elwyn 376 West Trenton 7 mins
Elwyn 384 West Trenton 10 mins
Marcus Hook 4372 West Trenton 6 mins

My train, #376 was sent up the branch running on the (usually) southbound track. We met up with a southbound train at Philmont and it was running on the (usually) northbound track. All in all, the delay wasn't too bad and the only slow spot was coming into Wayne Junction.

TheOneCalledA1 wrote:R8 Fox Chase Line: Service is suspended due to a fallen tree at Lawndale blocking the track. SEPTA advises you to please seek alternate means of transportation to Olney, Lawndale, Cheltenham, Ryers and Fox Chase stations.


Neshaminy line was single tracked from 3:00-5:30 today because of downed wires near Noble.

(Per John Almeida)
Trains at 17:16

West Trenton 363 Media 27 mins
West Trenton 369 Elwyn 4 mins
Elwyn 370 West Trenton 50 mins
Elwyn 376 West Trenton 7 mins
Elwyn 384 West Trenton 10 mins
Marcus Hook 4372 West Trenton 6 mins

My train, #376 was sent up the branch running on the (usually) southbound track. We met up with a southbound train at Philmont and it was running on the (usually) northbound track. All in all, the delay wasn't too bad and the only slow spot was coming into Wayne Junction.

I had used one of my contingency plans and opted for an R7 local and a car ride back to Neshaminy. NEC was fine, but when I had arrived back at Neshaminy around 6, the outbound rush hour trains were all stacked one behind the other.

Lot of delays this morning. 6519 had a pantograph fire up on the Doylestown branch, cut off the cars at Lansdale, and expressed Lansdale-Jenkintown a half hour late. Protect was up for 346, don't know why. 9344 40 late, 6625 a half hour late, 9010 a half hour late, 327 25 minutes late, 822 18 late, just to name a few. And the wire train went into emergency just past Ambler station. First the train was roaring by the platform, next it was stopped just past Butler Pike.