Transit Strike Modified Regional Rail Schedules

Its still slower than dirt. I've seen slugs move faster than SEPTA's trains do.

Actually, much of the plant rationalization Amtrak has done, particularly around Zoo, actually reduced conflicts between SEPTA and Amtrak movements.

Oh?
At Zoo they used to be able to run 2 trains south at the same time but not any more. Amtrak's been piddling around removing and renewing switches at Zoo and North Phila. for more than a decade and all they have to show for it is a skeletonized facility for a 1930's traffic pattern.

Amtrak Zoo tower can and still does move two or sometimes more trains in the same direction. However, when it comes to SEPTA trains, Zoo is not in much of a hurry. You have to understand that on Amtrak territory, SEPTA moves are an afterthought. Seriously, they are. I've seen Zoo hold Westbound R-5 Paoli-Thorndale trains at 36th street for Amtrak Keystone trains that have just left lower level 30th street. I've seen Amtrak hold R7 Trenton trains at Girard interlocking for a New Jersey Transit trains for several minutes. Sometimes those SEPTA trains run at such a "snails" pace is because they are following another train on their route. I don't think Amtrak had Septa on their mind when they reconfigured the old North Philadelphia interlocking, at least not on the corridor. They did give SEPTA control of the portion of North Philadelphia station that serves the R8 Chestnut Hill West branch. Ever since the changeover from North Philadelphia to Lehigh occured, the diverting route to the Hill branch is actually SLOWER than it was when it was still North Philadelphia. When they installed the new signal bridges for Lehigh's homes signals, the cab signal system FORCES the engineer to operate at restricted speed for quite a distance Eastbound for the crossover to Hill West.

whovian wrote:Amtrak Zoo tower can and still does move two or sometimes more trains in the same direction. However, when it comes to SEPTA trains, Zoo is not in much of a hurry. You have to understand that on Amtrak territory, SEPTA moves are an afterthought. Seriously, they are. I've seen Zoo hold Westbound R-5 Paoli-Thorndale trains at 36th street for Amtrak Keystone trains that have just left lower level 30th street. I've seen Amtrak hold R7 Trenton trains at Girard interlocking for a New Jersey Transit trains for several minutes. Sometimes those SEPTA trains run at such a "snails" pace is because they are following another train on their route. I don't think Amtrak had Septa on their mind when they reconfigured the old North Philadelphia interlocking, at least not on the corridor. They did give SEPTA control of the portion of North Philadelphia station that serves the R8 Chestnut Hill West branch. Ever since the changeover from North Philadelphia to Lehigh occured, the diverting route to the Hill branch is actually SLOWER than it was when it was still North Philadelphia. When they installed the new signal bridges for Lehigh's homes signals, the cab signal system FORCES the engineer to operate at restricted speed for quite a distance Eastbound for the crossover to Hill West.

Yeah, I noticed that too...the new signal bridge at Lehigh is what, about 500 to 800 feet further away from the crossovers than the old signals were? And if a Slow Approach is the best you can get diverting to the Hill, couple that with 15-mph crossovers, add the extra distance, and yep, slower is the word.

It's similar to inbound R2 trains coming up to Phil en route from Wilmington. You leave Darby, and have track speed until you get by the automatic just north of the Elmwood carbarn. If Amtrak has no route lined up at Phil yet, the cab signals drop to Approach, and you're stuck poking along at 30, to drop further to 15 when the cabs drop to Restricting. And that's a heck of a distance to travel at restricted speed (from 73rd Street to 58th).