Misplaced Pages

Lansdale/Doylestown Line

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.

The Lansdale/Doylestown Line is a SEPTA Regional Rail line connecting Center City Philadelphia to Doylestown in Bucks County, Pennsylvania . Until 1981, diesel-powered trains continued on the Bethlehem Branch from Lansdale to Quakertown , Bethlehem , and Allentown .

#330669

54-696: Restored service has been proposed, but is not planned by SEPTA . The line is currently used by the East Penn Railroad , serving Quakertown's industrial complexes and distribution centers. With 6,884 daily riders every weekday in FY 2022, it is the second busiest line in SEPTA's Regional Rail network. The Lansdale/Doylestown Line utilizes what is known as the SEPTA Main Line , a four-track line that has been owned by SEPTA since 1983. Prior to that, it

108-769: A citywide system of bus , trolley , and trackless trolley routes, the Market–Frankford Line (subway-elevated rail), the Broad Street Line (subway), and the Delaware River Bridge Line (subway-elevated rail to City Hall, Camden, NJ) which became SEPTA's City Transit Division. The PTC had been created in 1940 with the merger of the Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company (formed in 1902), and a group of smaller, then-independent transit companies operating within

162-487: A door-to-door ridesharing service through advance reservations for senior citizens age 65 or older in the city of Philadelphia for travel within the city and to points within 3 miles (4.8 km) of the city's borders. The ADA Paratransit Service provides door-to-door service through advance reservations for people with disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), allowing for travel across

216-660: A future alternate to New York via the West Trenton Line and NJT. Another plan offers a connection for travel to Baltimore and Washington, D.C. via MARC, involving extensions of the SEPTA Wilmington/Newark Line from Newark, Delaware, an extension of MARC's Penn service from Perryville, Maryland , or both. CCT Connect is a paratransit service from SEPTA that offers a Shared-Ride Program for senior citizens and ADA Paratransit Service for people with disabilities. The Shared-Ride Program provides

270-599: A nearly five-year suspension. Until June 2002, five SEPTA routes were operated with trackless trolleys, using AM General vehicles built in 1978–79. Routes 29 , 59 , 66 , 75 and 79 used trackless trolleys, but were converted to diesel buses for an indefinite period starting in 2002 (routes 59, 66, 75) and 2003 (routes 29, 79). The aging AM General trackless trolleys were retired and in February 2006, SEPTA placed an order for 38 new low-floor trackless trolleys from New Flyer Industries , enough for routes 59, 66 and 75, and

324-502: A new station atop the existing footprint. In 2008, construction began to build a new station at Ambler across the street from the existing station. All three projects were complete by 2010. The R-number naming system was dropped on July 25, 2010. As of 2022, most Lansdale/Doylestown Line trains continue through Center City to Wilmington or Newark on the Wilmington/Newark Line on weekdays and to Malvern or Thorndale on

378-1158: A subsidiary of SEPTA) to Frontier Division in November 1983. Krapf Transit operates one bus line under contract to SEPTA in Chester County: Route 204 between Paoli Regional Rail Station and Eagleview. This route is operated from Krapf's own garage, located in West Chester, Pennsylvania . Krapf has operated three other bus routes for SEPTA in the past. Route 202 (West Chester to Wilmington), Route 207 (The Whiteland WHIRL) and Route 208 (Strafford Train Station to Chesterbrook) are no longer operating. SEPTA contracted bus operations before in Chester County. SEPTA and Reeder's Inc. joined forces in 1977 to operate three bus routes out of West Chester. These routes were Route 120 (West Chester to Coatesville), Route 121 (West Chester to Paoli), and Route 122 (West Chester to Oxford). Bus service between West Chester and Coatesville

432-697: Is a member of the Northeast Corridor Commission , a federal commission on Northeast Corridor rail service. In 2020, annual ridership was 223.5 million individual rides. 17.1 million were rides on SEPTA's suburban network. 26.3 million were rides on SEPTA's "regional rail" network. 180.1 million were rides on SEPTA's "city transit" network. Ridership had decreased 13% from 2014 to 2019 due to many factors. Some explanations mentioned by SEPTA for this decrease are "increased competition, structural changes in ridership patterns, and moderate gas prices." The 24% decrease in ridership from 2019 to 2020

486-402: Is a regional public transportation authority that operates bus , rapid transit , commuter rail , light rail , and electric trolleybus services for nearly four million people throughout five counties in and around Philadelphia , Pennsylvania . It also manages projects that maintain, replace, and expand its infrastructure, facilities, and vehicles. SEPTA is the major transit provider for

540-564: Is provided by other agencies: the PATCO Speedline from Camden County, New Jersey is run by the Delaware River Port Authority , a bi-state agency; NJ Transit operates many bus lines and a commuter rail line to Philadelphia's Center City ; and DART First State runs feeder bus lines to SEPTA stations in the state of Delaware . SEPTA has the seventh-largest U.S. rapid transit system by ridership, and

594-848: Is sometimes referred to as the Red Arrow Division. On March 1, 1976, SEPTA acquired the transit operations of Schuylkill Valley Lines, known today as the Frontier Division . Meanwhile, SEPTA gradually began to take over the Pennsylvania Railroad and Reading Company commuter trains. SEPTA primarily sought to consolidate the formerly-competing services, leading to severe cutbacks in the mid-1980s. Subsequent proposals have since been made to restore service to Allentown , Bethlehem , West Chester , and Newtown , with support from commuters, local officials, and pro-train advocates. SEPTA's planning department focused on

SECTION 10

#1732772038331

648-820: Is the descendant of the Philadelphia Transportation Company . Aside from the two heavy rail lines, the City Transit Division has eight operating depots in this division: five of these depots only operate buses, one is a mixed bus/trackless trolley depot, one is a mixed bus/streetcar depot and one is a streetcar-only facility. The Victory District operates suburban bus and trolley or light rail routes that are based at 69th Street Transportation Center in Upper Darby in Delaware County . Its light rail routes comprise

702-641: Is the descendant of the six electrified commuter lines of the Reading Company (RDG), the six electrified commuter lines of the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR, later Penn Central: PC), and the new airport line constructed by the City of Philadelphia between 1974 and 1984. With the construction and opening of the Center City Commuter Connection Tunnel in 1984, lines were paired such that a former Pennsylvania Railroad line

756-506: Is the only U.S. transit authority that operates all five major types of terrestrial transit vehicles: regional commuter rail trains , rapid transit subway and elevated trains , light rail trolleys , trolleybuses , and motorbuses . This title was shared with Boston 's Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority , which also ran ferryboat service, until trolleybuses in Greater Boston were officially discontinued in 2023. SEPTA

810-538: The Lansdale/Doylestown , Paoli/Thorndale , and Trenton lines each receiving over 7,000 riders per day. Most of the cars used on the lines were built between 1976 and 2013. After building delays, the first Silverliner V cars were introduced into service on October 29, 2010. These cars represent the first new electric multiple units purchased for the Regional Rail system since the completion of

864-548: The Media–Sharon Hill Line ) as the "SEPTA Metro", in order to make the system easier to navigate. Under this proposal, new maps, station signage, and line designations would be created. Under the proposed nomenclature, trunk lines would receive a letter and a color, with services having a numeric suffix and service name to make wayfinding easier. Services on the current Market–Frankford Line, for instance, would be called "the L" and colored blue, with local service becoming

918-805: The Norristown High Speed Line (Route 100) that runs from 69th Street Transportation Center to Norristown Transportation Center and the Media–Sharon Hill Line (Routes 101 and 102). This district is the descendant of the Philadelphia Suburban Transportation Company, also known as the Red Arrow Lines. Some residents of the Victory District operating area still refer to this district as the "Red Arrow Division". The Frontier District operates suburban bus routes that are based at

972-492: The Paoli/Thorndale Line on weekends. On August 29, 2011, SEPTA adjusted the midday service pattern to encourage ridership at Colmar station , which had available parking capacity immediately adjacent to Pennsylvania Route 309 . Previously, every other train turned back at Lansdale; those trains then continued on to call at Colmar before terminating at Link Belt , providing half-hourly service at Colmar between

1026-614: The Railroad Division . Like New York City 's Second Avenue Subway , the original proposal for the Roosevelt Boulevard Subway dates back to 1913, but construction has remained elusive. Instead, after completing the Market–Frankford Line in and around the city stagnated until the early 2000s. On September 30, 1968, SEPTA acquired the Philadelphia Transportation Company (PTC), which operated

1080-586: The Schuylkill Valley Metro , a "cross-county metro" that would re-establish service to Phoenixville , Pottstown , and Reading without requiring the rider to go into Philadelphia. However, ridership projections were dubious, and the Federal Railroad Administration refused to fund the project. Many derelict lines under SEPTA ownership have been converted to rail trails, postponing any restoration proposals for

1134-454: The "L1 Market–Frankford Local". SEPTA budgeted $ 40 million for the rebranding in June 2023. SEPTA upgraded its website in late 2023 in advance of the planned rollout of SEPTA Metro in 2024. In 2024, general manager Leslie Richards resigned. At its founding in 1968, the board had 11 members. In 1991 the state legislature added four additional members, giving themselves more influence on

SECTION 20

#1732772038331

1188-666: The 120 Silverliner V cars in the SEPTA regional rail fleet. SEPTA announced that it would take "the rest of the summer" to repair and would reduce the system's capacity by as much as 50%. In addition to regular commuter rail service, the loss of system capacity was also expected to cause transportation issues for the Democratic National Convention being held in Philadelphia on the week of July 25, 2016. SEPTA has three major operating divisions: City Transit, Suburban, and Regional Rail. These divisions reflect

1242-622: The Broad Street Line to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard . As of December 2017 , SEPTA had completed an Environmental Impact Statement to extend the Norristown High Speed Line to the King of Prussia area. In September 2021, SEPTA proposed rebranding their rail transit services, the Market–Frankford Line , Broad Street Line, Subway–Surface trolley lines , Norristown High Speed Line , Route 15 trolley, and

1296-838: The COVID-19 pandemic, especially during peak hours. Before the pandemic, during peak hours there were 10 trains in the morning (arriving in Center City from open until 9:30 a.m.) and 11 peak trains in the afternoon (leaving Center City between 4 and 7 p.m.). Of the peak morning trains, 5 originated in Doylestown , 2 originated in Colmar , and 3 originated in Lansdale . Five of the peak morning trains were express trains; 3 were express from Fort Washington to Temple University and 2 were express from Jenkintown to Temple University . Of

1350-556: The Lansdale/Doylestown Line from Doylestown to Glenside on June 13, 2016. Positive train control was activated from Glenside to Fern Rock on December 12, 2016 and from Fern Rock to 30th Street on January 9, 2017. On April 9, 2020, service on the line was truncated to Lansdale due to the COVID-19 pandemic . Service to Doylestown resumed on June 22, 2020. While service has resumed, it remains more limited than before

1404-857: The Norristown Transportation Center in Montgomery County and bus lines that serve eastern Bucks County. This district is the descendant of the Schuylkill Valley Lines in the Norristown area and the Trenton-Philadelphia Coach Lines in eastern Bucks County. SEPTA took over Schuylkill Valley Lines operations on March 1, 1976. SEPTA turned over the Bucks County routes (formerly Trenton-Philadelphia Coach Line Routes,

1458-700: The Pennsylvania Railroad merged with the New York Central railroad to become Penn Central , only to file for bankruptcy on June 21, 1970. Penn Central continued to operate in bankruptcy until 1976, when Conrail took over its assets along with those of several other bankrupt railroads, including the Reading Company. Conrail operated commuter services under contract to SEPTA until January 1, 1983, when SEPTA took over operations and acquired track, rolling stock, and other assets to form

1512-588: The Reading's own shops. Some of the cars were rebuilt during the 1960s receiving air conditioning, refreshed interior and a new blue paint scheme resulting in their being referred to as "Blueliners". Today, the line uses the Silverliner family of EMU cars which operate throughout SEPTA's Regional Rail system. Service to Bethlehem and the Lehigh Valley languished due to the post-World War II surge of

1566-832: The Route 120 was strong it continued to operate under the operations of Reeder's Inc. even after SEPTA pulled the funding source. Krapf purchased the Reeder's operation in 1992 and designated the remaining (West Chester to Coatesville) bus route as Krapf Transit "Route A". Route 205 (Paoli Station to Chesterbrook) was formerly operated by Krapf until late 2019, when it was merged into SEPTA's own Route 206 (Paoli Station to Great Valley). The Railroad Division operates 13 commuter railroad routes that begin in Center City Philadelphia and radiate outwards, terminating in intra-city, suburban and out-of-state locations. This division

1620-516: The Silverliner IV order in 1976 and the first such purchase to be made by SEPTA. As of March 19, 2013, all Silverliner V cars are in service and make up almost one-third of the current 400 car Regional Rail fleet, which are replacing the older, aging fleet. In July 2016, a serious structural flaw, including cracks in a weight-bearing beam on a train car's undercarriage, was discovered during an emergency inspection to exist in more than 95% of

1674-520: The System. On the Lansdale/Doylestown Line, this means 8 peak trains in the morning and 8 peak trains in the afternoon with roughly half express trains. Of the morning, two express from Fort Washington to Temple University , and 3 are express from Jenkintown to Temple University , while in the afternoon, two express from Temple University to Jenkintown and 2 was express from Temple University to Fort Washington . The Lansdale/Doylestown Line makes

Lansdale/Doylestown Line - Misplaced Pages Continue

1728-501: The afternoon. Of the morning trains, only 4 are express trains; one is express from Fort Washington to Temple University , and 3 are express from Jenkintown to Temple University . Only three of the afternoon trains are express; one is express from Temple University to Jenkintown and 1 was express from Temple University to Fort Washington . Beginning in September 2024, SEPTA is restoring up to 80% pre-pandemic capacity across

1782-601: The automobile as well as the opening of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension in 1957. Service north of Lansdale in the non-electrified territory was terminated by SEPTA on July 29, 1981. Trackage north of Quakertown was dismantled after the railbed was leased for use as the interim Saucon Rail Trail. Between 1984–2010 the route was designated R5 Doylestown and R5 Lansdale as part of SEPTA's diametrical reorganization of its lines. Lansdale and Doylestown trains operated through

1836-691: The board. SEPTA is governed by a 15-member board of directors: The members of the SEPTA Board as of March 2023 are: The day-to-day operations of SEPTA are handled by the general manager , who is appointed and hired by the board of directors. The general manager is assisted by nine department heads called assistant general managers. The present general manager is Leslie Richards . Past general managers include Jeffrey Knueppel, Joseph Casey, Faye L. M. Moore, Joseph T. Mack, John "Jack" Leary, Louis Gambaccini , and David L. Gunn . Past acting general managers include James Kilcur and Bill Stead. SEPTA

1890-617: The city and its environs. On January 30, 1970, SEPTA acquired the Philadelphia Suburban Transportation Company, also known as the Red Arrow Lines, which included the Philadelphia and Western Railroad (P&W) route now called the Norristown High Speed Line , the Media–Sharon Hill Line (Routes 101 and 102), and several suburban bus routes in Delaware County. Today, this is known as the Victory Division , though it

1944-458: The city center to the Paoli Line on the ex-Pennsylvania side of the system. In the early 2000s, upgrades were made to several stations to make them ADA-accessible by giving them elevated platforms. In 2005, construction began on a new station at Fort Washington which was moved 300 feet to the south. In 2007, construction began to reconstruct the platforms at North Wales station and build

1998-410: The city of Philadelphia and four surrounding counties within the Philadelphia metropolitan area: Delaware , Montgomery , Bucks , and Chester . It is a state-created authority, with the majority of its board appointed by the five counties it serves. While several SEPTA commuter rail lines terminate in the nearby states of Delaware and New Jersey , additional service to Philadelphia from those states

2052-540: The commuter rail services formerly operated by Conrail under contract and reorganized them as Regional Rail. This division operates 13 lines serving more than 150 stations covering most of the five-county southeastern Pennsylvania region. It also runs trains to Wilmington and Newark in Delaware and Trenton and West Trenton in New Jersey . Daily ridership on the regional rail network averaged 58,713 in 2023, with

2106-508: The different transit and railroad operations that SEPTA has assumed. SEPTA also offers CCT Connect paratransit service. The City Transit Division operates routes mostly within Philadelphia , including buses , subway–surface trolleys , one surface trolley line , the Market–Frankford Line , and the Broad Street Line . SEPTA City Transit Division surface routes include bus and trackless trolley lines. Some city division routes extend into Delaware, Montgomery, and Bucks counties. This division

2160-406: The fifth-largest overall transit system in the U.S. with about 302 million annual unlinked trips as of fiscal year 2018. It controls 290 active stations, over 450 miles (720 km) of track, 2,350 revenue vehicles, and 196 routes. It also oversees shared-ride services in Philadelphia and ADA services across the region, which are operated by third-party contractors, Amtrak, and NJ Transit. SEPTA

2214-843: The following station stops after leaving the Center City Commuter Connection ; stations indicated with a gray background are closed. Between FY 2013–FY 2019 yearly ridership on the Lansdale/Doylestown Line ranged between 4.6–5.0 million before collapsing during the COVID-19 pandemic . 40°14′35″N 75°17′07″W  /  40.24305°N 75.28537°W  / 40.24305; -75.28537 SEPTA [REDACTED] Geographically-accurate map of SEPTA and connecting rail transit services as of 2005. Includes Regional Rail , rapid transit, and selected interurban and suburban trolley lines. Does not include SEPTA's subway-surface lines or Girard streetcar. The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority ( SEPTA )

Lansdale/Doylestown Line - Misplaced Pages Continue

2268-523: The foreseeable future. Proposals have also been made for increased service on existing lines, including later evenings and Sundays to Wilmington , Delaware , and Newark . Maryland's MARC commuter rail system is considering extending its service as far as Newark , which would allow passengers to connect directly between SEPTA and MARC. Other recent proposals have also focused on extending and enhancing SEPTA's other transit services. Senator of Pennsylvania, Bob Casey , has supported recent proposals expanding

2322-819: The largest trolley system in the United States. NRG (limited) Darby Transit Center (limited) SEPTA lists 115 bus routes, not including about two dozen school trips, with most routes in the City of Philadelphia proper. SEPTA generally employs lettered, one-digit, and two-digit route numbering for its City Division routes; 90-series and 100-series routes for its Suburban Division routes; 200-series routes for its Regional Rail connector routes; 300-series routes for other specialized or third-party contract routes; and 400-series routes for limited-service buses to schools within Philadelphia. Trolleybuses , or trackless trolleys as they are called by SEPTA, operate on routes 59 , 66 , and 75 . Service resumed in spring 2008 after

2376-539: The line has, since 1985, been directly connected to the ex-PRR/Penn Central side by the Center City Commuter Rail Tunnel . Unlike the ex-PRR/Penn Central Paoli/Thorndale Line it is often paired with for through-service, the ex-RDG line was not as heavily built, as the RDG segregated its through-freight and passenger movements. While the four-track section between the tunnel and Wayne Junction and

2430-557: The morning and afternoon rush hours. On December 18, 2011, SEPTA eliminated weekend service at Link Belt and New Britain due to low ridership. In the fall of 2012, New Britain was added back to the weekend schedule as a flag stop. A large parking garage opened at Lansdale station on April 17, 2017, offering space for over 600 vehicles. 9th Street station opened nearby in 2015 as an alternate parking location during construction, and remains open as part of planned transit-oriented development . SEPTA activated positive train control on

2484-417: The peak afternoon trains, 5 terminated at Lansdale , 1 terminated at Link Belt , and 5 terminated at Doylestown . Five of the peak afternoon trains were express trains; 4 were express from Temple University to Fort Washington and 1 was express from Temple University to North Wales . Through the first half of 2024, during the same peak hours, there are only 7 trains in the morning and 6 peak trains in

2538-648: The pilot trackless trolley arrived for testing in June 2007. The vehicles were delivered between February and August 2008. Trackless trolley service resumed on Routes 66 and 75 on April 14, 2008, and on Route 59 the following day, but was initially limited to just one or two vehicles on each route, as new trolley buses gradually replaced the motorbuses serving the routes over a period of several weeks. The SEPTA board voted in October 2006 not to order additional vehicles for Routes 29 and 79, and those routes permanently became non-electric. On January 1, 1983, SEPTA took over

2592-650: The route. Since ridership patterns have changed since the implementation of this plan, SEPTA removed the R-numbers from the lines in July 2010 and instead refers to the lines by the names of their termini. The out-of-state terminals offer connections with other transit agencies. The Trenton Line offers connections in Trenton, New Jersey to NJ Transit (NJT) or Amtrak for travel to New York City . Plans exist to restore NJT service to West Trenton, New Jersey , thus offering

2646-453: The two-track section from Wayne Junction to Jenkintown are grade-separated, the two-track section from Jenkintown to Lansdale and the single track from Lansdale to Doylestown has both at-grade railroad crossings and over- and underpasses. Electrified service between Philadelphia and Hatboro , Lansdale, Doylestown and West Trenton was opened on July 26, 1931. Equipment consisted of dark green painted electric multiple unit cars built at

2700-415: Was a replacement for the previous trolley service operated by West Chester Traction. SEPTA replaced two of the routes with their own bus service. Route 122 service was replaced by SEPTA's Route 91 in July 1982, after only one year of service. Route 91 was eliminated due to lack of ridership. Route 121 was replaced by SEPTA's Route 92 in October 1982. This service continues to operate today. Since ridership on

2754-426: Was coupled with a former Reading line. Seven such pairings were created and given route designations numbered R1 through R8 (with R4 not used). As a result, the routes were originally designed so that trains would proceed from one outlying terminal to Center City, stopping at 30th Street Station , Suburban Station and Jefferson , formerly Market East Station, then proceed out to the other outlying terminal assigned to

SECTION 50

#1732772038331

2808-471: Was created by the Pennsylvania legislature on August 17, 1963, to coordinate government funding to various transit and railroad companies in southeastern Pennsylvania. It commenced on February 18, 1964. On November 1, 1965, SEPTA absorbed two predecessor agencies: By 1966, the Reading Company and Pennsylvania Railroad commuter railroad lines were operated under contract to SEPTA. On February 1, 1968,

2862-450: Was mostly attributable to the impact of government-implemented lock-downs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that began in mid-March 2020. SEPTA's public services consist of three main networks: SEPTA Metro, bus operations, and regional rail. As of 2024 , SEPTA is in the process of rolling out SEPTA Metro, a unified brand for its urban rail transit services, including rapid transit , trolley , and interurban services. SEPTA has

2916-619: Was owned by Conrail between 1976 and 1983 and by the Reading Railroad before 1976. The main part of the line, from Philadelphia north to Lansdale , was part of the Reading Railroad's northbound route from Philadelphia to Bethlehem , and then to Wilkes-Barre and Scranton . Originally arriving and departing at the former Reading Terminal , now part of the Pennsylvania Convention Center ,

#330669