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69-469: Passenger trains previously ran on this route from 1838 to 1981, when SEPTA discontinued service past Norristown on what is now known as the Manayunk/Norristown Line . Since then, various proposals have been made to restore full service to Reading. Interest around the route has grown in the 2020s. In 2021 Amtrak included the route in its 2035 expansion vision. In 2022 county governments formed

138-736: 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

207-482: 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

276-640: 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

345-651: A higher cost of around $ 800 million. Inclusion of this expansion in the State Rail Plan was important for the initiative to receive federal funding from the Federal Rail Authority. Amtrak has subsequently included this project in its plans, which in turn is also helpful for discussions with Norfolk Southern and the FRA. Stations would be located in Reading, Pottstown , Royersford , Phoenixville, and Norristown; from where

414-594: 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

483-851: A new connection at the current Paoli/Thorndale Line at Paoli Station . This project was cancelled when funding could not be obtained. After the Schuylkill Valley Metro plan was rejected by FTA , the Montgomery County Planning Commission initiated the R6 Extension Study (later called the Norristown Extension ) as an alternative approach. Unlike the SVM, the R6 Extension Study would only see electrification extended as far as King of Prussia (with SEPTA extending

552-418: A new park-and-ride lot. Service to Reading used electric multiple-unit cars between Philadelphia's Reading Terminal and Norristown, and diesel-electric "push-pull" cars from Norristown to Reading. This operation continued until SEPTA ceased funding for the diesel section in 1981, two years prior to taking direct control of Philadelphia's commuter rail routes from Conrail. In 1986 service on the former PRR line

621-485: A nuclear plant 60 miles southwest of Chicago, had spilled millions of gallons of water containing tritium , a radioactive form of hydrogen, multiple times over a decade. Exelon officials eventually apologized and said the risks from the leak were "minimal", with tritium levels in surrounding wells all found to be below regulatory limits. In 2009, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced its plan for

690-1126: 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

759-685: 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

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828-402: 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

897-647: Is enough ridership for rail service. The service will be operated by a private bus company and will run for two years. On June 6, 2022, the Amtrak Thruway bus connecting Philadelphia to Reading via Pottstown began service. The service, which is operated by Krapf Coaches , consists of two daily round trips. Stops are located at 30th Street Station in Philadelphia, the Charles W. Dickinson Transportation Center in Pottstown, and

966-545: 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

1035-823: 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

1104-784: 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

1173-615: 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

1242-582: Is the largest regulated electric utility in the United States with approximately 10 million customers. The company is ranked 99th on the Fortune 500 . Exelon owns six regulated utilities: Atlantic City Electric ( New Jersey ), Commonwealth Edison ( Illinois ), PECO Energy Company ( Pennsylvania ), Baltimore Gas and Electric ( Maryland ), Delmarva Power and Light ( Delaware and Maryland ), and Pepco ( Washington, DC and Maryland ). Exelon Corporation

1311-499: 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

1380-772: The BARTA Transportation Center in Reading. In May 2022, Berks , Chester , and Montgomery counties formed the Schuylkill River Passenger Rail Authority for the purpose of furthering the project. The authority's first meeting was held in July 2022. The Rail Authority applied to the Corridor Identification and Development Program , the mechanism for the Federal Railroad Administration to develop new train routes funded by

1449-565: The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC), was lambasted by several regional politicians, most notably Pennsylvania House of Representatives member Mike Vereb . Vereb and the influential passenger rail advocacy group Pennsylvania Transit Expansion Coalition jointly appeared at a DVRPC open forum on September 13, 2011 where DVRPC Executive Director Barry Seymour was presenting. On October 5, 2011, under increasing pressure and opposition, DVRPC cancelled

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1518-582: The District of Columbia Public Service Commission in August 2015, though it was approved by other federal and state regulators. The companies appealed the decision. On March 23, 2016, the merger was finally approved by the District of Columbia Public Service Commission after the company made concessions and the merger was completed, making Exelon the largest regulated utility in the United States by customer count and total revenue. On February 2, 2022, Exelon completed

1587-539: The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved the merger of Exelon and Public Service Enterprise Group , a New Jersey utility; however, after 18 months, the two companies terminated the agreement due to pressure put on the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities by public interest groups, including New Jersey Citizen Action. On March 12, 2012, Exelon acquired Constellation Energy , with

1656-578: The Great Valley Corporate Center in Malvern, Pennsylvania , using the former PRR/Penn Central Trenton Cutoff (now Norfolk Southern's Dale Secondary) used by the former PRR as a freight-only bypass around Philadelphia, although an alternative would be to have the Cross-County segment serve only King of Prussia with SEPTA extending the existing Norristown High-Speed Line to King of Prussia, via

1725-668: The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act . The route was accepted by the FRA in December 2023, granting $ 500,000 toward route development and prioritizing the project for future federal funding. 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 )

1794-522: 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

1863-548: 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

1932-762: 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

2001-595: 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

2070-490: 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

2139-455: The corporate spin-off of Constellation Energy , its energy generation business. Constellation was the largest operator of nuclear power plants in the United States and the largest non-governmental operator of nuclear power plants in the world. It is also the largest competitive U.S. power generator with approximately 35,500 megawatts of owned capacity. It had full or majority ownership of 23 nuclear reactors in 14 nuclear power plants . In

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2208-450: 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

2277-641: 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

2346-645: The 1970s, activists delayed the opening of nuclear power plants by PECO Energy . In 2015, Earth Quaker Action Team began a campaign to pressure PECO to expand the solar power it purchases, and to purchase it locally to create jobs. In 2005, Exelon was required to pay a $ 602,000 fine for exceeding the permitted sulfur dioxide emission limit from April to October 2004 at its Cromby Generating Station in Chester County, Pennsylvania . Exelon and Illinois state officials waited for four years until 2006 before disclosing that Exelon's Braidwood Nuclear Generating Station ,

2415-599: 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

2484-488: The Norristown High Speed Service) and no major reconstruction of any platforms. Any service west of King of Prussia would require new construction and the purchasing of extra push-pull consists hauled by dual-mode locomotives . Funding for the R6 Extension Study was to be provided by revenue earned via a proposed plan to toll U.S. Route 422 between Pottstown and King of Prussia. The tolling idea, suggested by

2553-801: 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,

2622-597: The PRR and Reading Company for continuation and improvement of regional rail service. Because the Reading's Norristown line was considered the stronger of the two, PRR service was cut back to Manayunk in 1960. Conrail assumed operations of both lines in April 1976, resulting in all freight activity shifting to the former Reading Main Line. Commuter service on the former PRR line was extended from Manayunk to Ivy Ridge station in order to serve

2691-676: 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

2760-814: 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

2829-510: The SEPTA service area within 3 ⁄ 4 mile (1.2 km) of fixed-route transit service when such service operates. CCT Connect is operated by third-party contractors for SEPTA. Exelon Corporation Exelon Corporation is a public utility headquartered in Chicago , and incorporated in Pennsylvania . Exelon is the largest electric parent company in the United States by revenue and

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2898-477: The SVM project would not be forthcoming and that it should be considered dead. In December 2007, Montgomery County authorized an unsuccessful study that looked at possible new funding sources. Congressman Jim Gerlach announced in April 2011 that the results from that Montgomery County study would be soon published. Another approach, known as the Greenline , proposed serving the towns of Oaks and Phoenixville via

2967-464: The Schuylkill River Passenger Rail Authority to further the development of the project. In 2023 the Federal Railroad Administration accepted the route into its Corridor Identification and Development Program , which allocates money for planning and prioritizes the project for future funding. The Philadelphia, Germantown and Norristown Railroad and the Philadelphia and Reading Railway Company built

3036-509: 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

3105-618: The Trenton Cutoff. Unlike the RDG trains, the new SVM would be entirely electric, with power being supplied by Amtrak , SEPTA, and (between Norristown and Reading) the Exelon Corporation , the successor company to the former Philadelphia Electric Company , later PECO Energy. Existing catenary wires, powered at 12 kV, 25 Hz AC, would be used on the old lines, with new high-tension catenary poles, powered at 25 kV, 60 Hz AC , and similar to

3174-631: 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

3243-426: 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

3312-410: 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

3381-406: The combined company owning more than 34 gigawatts of power generation (55% nuclear, 24% natural gas, 8% renewable including hydro, 7% oil and 6% coal). Exelon announced the proposed purchase of Pepco Holdings on April 30, 2014, for $ 6.8 billion in an all-cash transaction. The merger faced stiff opposition from community groups and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser . The merger was originally rejected by

3450-427: 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

3519-508: 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

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3588-406: 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

3657-463: The first rail line between Philadelphia and Reading in the 1830s. This became the Main Line of the Reading Company . The Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) built the competing Schuylkill Branch along a parallel route in the 1880s. In 1930, the PRR electrified the portion of its line between Philadelphia and Norristown. The Reading Company did the same in 1933. The City of Philadelphia and suburban counties began providing public funds under contract with

3726-523: 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

3795-405: The former Reading's main line between Jefferson Station and Norristown ( Manayunk/Norristown Line ), before merging on the old Reading Main Line (now Norfolk Southern's Harrisburg Line ) west of the current Norristown station. A new spur, called the Cross-County Segment, would split off at Port Kennedy (near Valley Forge), and would allow SVM trains to access King of Prussia, Pennsylvania , and

3864-756: 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

3933-593: 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

4002-488: 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

4071-588: The system utilized on the Northeast Corridor north of New Haven, Connecticut , would be employed west of Norristown. Planners intended to operate trains at 15-minute intervals during peak travel times, Mondays to Fridays, and at 30-minute intervals at all other times. Norfolk Southern Railway trains would have been able to use most of the system at all hours, but would have been restricted to overnight movements at some locations after SVM ceased operations at night between Midnight and 6 a.m. In August 2006, Pennsylvania Governor Edward Rendell announced that funding for

4140-404: The tolling proposal and plans for the Norristown Extension. In mid-2018, the borough of Phoenixville began a study to restore SEPTA passenger rail service between Norristown and Phoenixville along Norfolk Southern freight railroad tracks. In 2018, The Berks Alliance commissioned a study on the restoration of Passenger Rail service between Reading and Philadelphia. This study indicated that there

4209-1197: The train will follow the existing Manayunk/Norristown Line to Philadelphia. Rail service between Reading and Philadelphia along the Norfolk Southern line is included in Amtrak 's service vision for 2035. In August 2021, Amtrak revealed their plan for train service from Reading to Philadelphia and New York City . Train service would follow the Norfolk Southern line between Reading and Philadelphia and Amtrak's Northeast Corridor between Philadelphia and New York City. Station stops will be located in Reading, Pottstown, Phoenixville, King of Prussia , Norristown, Philadelphia ( 30th Street Station ), North Philadelphia , Cornwells Heights , Trenton , Princeton Junction , New Brunswick , Metropark , Newark Airport , Newark ( Penn Station ), and New York City ( Penn Station ). Service would include three daily roundtrips and travel time would take 1 hour and 37 minutes between Reading and Philadelphia and 2 hours and 55 minutes between Reading and New York City. In 2022, Amtrak announced plans for an Amtrak Thruway express bus route between Franklin Street in Reading and 30th Street Station in Philadelphia, with an intermediate stop at Pottstown, to test if there

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4278-421: The work in Phoenixville and Reading created its own plan about the feasibility of extending passenger train service from Norristown to Reading along the Norfolk Southern freight line. The Berks Alliance report projected that proposed extension would cost $ 365 million, which includes buying the trains and paying Norfolk Southern to use the line, with an annual operating cost of $ 20 million. The PennDOT study projected

4347-415: 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

4416-426: 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

4485-410: 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,

4554-464: Was created in October 2000 by the merger between PECO Energy Company, formed in 1902, and Unicom Corporation, the parent of Commonwealth Edison , formed in 1907. Unicom was based in Chicago and the city became the headquarters of the new entity. The merger was overseen by the CEO of Unicom, John Rowe, who joined the corporation in 1998 and led the newly formed Exelon until 2012, becoming the nation's longest-serving utility executive. On July 31, 2005,

4623-489: Was cut back from Ivy Ridge to Cynwyd station in Lower Merion Township . From 2000 to 2002, the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission , SEPTA , and other regional stakeholders studied the possible return of passenger rail service between Philadelphia and Reading, a project known as the Schuylkill Valley Metro (SVM). The SVM would use both sides of the former SEPTA R6 lines; the former PRR Schuylkill Branch between Suburban Station and Ivy Ridge ( Cynwyd Line ), and

4692-450: 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

4761-437: Was sufficient ridership to make the service economically viable. The proposed extension would utilize existing Norfolk Southern freight railroad tracks. Some improvements may be required, but most of the line could handle passenger rail service at a maximum speed of 70 mph (110 km/h). Before service can be implemented, a study would need to take place. In 2020, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation inspired by

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