Philadelphia to Harrisburg Main Line

Philadelphia to Harrisburg Main Line
Philadelphia to Harrisburg Main Line
	Amtrak and SEPTA Regional Rail service share operations over the Main Line grade between Philadelphia and Thorndale.
Overview
Status	Operating
Owner	Amtrak
Locale	Pennsylvania
Termini	Suburban Station (Physical Line); 30th Street Station (Intercity Service); Harrisburg Transportation Center ;
Connecting lines	Pittsburgh Line
Stations	31
Service
Type	Higher-speed rail ; Inter-city rail ; Commuter rail
System	Amtrak ; Norfolk Southern Railway
Services	Keystone Service, Pennsylvanian, Paoli/Thorndale Line
Operator(s)	Amtrak, SEPTA
Technical
Line length	102.9 mi (165.6 km)
Track length	105.2 mi (169.3 km)
Number of tracks	2-4
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Electrification	Overhead line, 12 kV 25 Hz AC
Operating speed	110 mph (180 km/h)
Signalling	Cab signalling
Route map
Route map
	Legend
	This diagram: view ; talk ; edit ;

Last updated January 14, 2025

The Philadelphia to Harrisburg Main Line is a rail line owned and operated by Amtrak in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. This is the only electrified Amtrak line in the United States outside of the main line of the Northeast Corridor. The line runs from Philadelphia, where it meets the Northeast Corridor at Zoo Junction at milepost 1.9, west to Harrisburg (MP 104.6), where electrification ends. The Main Line is part of the longer Keystone Corridor, which continues west to Pittsburgh along the Norfolk Southern Railway's Pittsburgh Line.^[1] This section is sometimes referred to as "Keystone East"^[2] and is part of Amtrak's Keystone Service.

Philadelphia's Broad Street Station was the original start of the line. It was replaced by Suburban Station, the headquarters for the Pennsylvania Railroad, in 1930. Current service patterns dictate that all passenger rail service on the line begins 1 mile (1.6 km) west of Suburban Station at 30th Street Station, Philadelphia's primary commercial rail station.

History

20th century

The Main Line runs along the route of the former Pennsylvania Main Line and passes through the Philadelphia Main Line, the suburban region for which it is named. The Pennsylvania Railroad originally electrified this line in the 1930s, but it fell into disuse in the 1980s under Amtrak's traction power system.^[3]^[4]

21st century

Amtrak and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation restored electrical service in October 2006.^[5] This allows speeds up to 110 miles per hour.^[6]

The line received about $26 million from the 2009 Federal American Reinvestment and Recovery Act that was used to eliminate the last three grade crossings, which is intended to advance the goal of the line reaching 125-mph operations, reduce overall trip times, and improve service reliability. The grade crossings were located in Lancaster County and the last was closed in 2014.^[7]^[8]^[9]^[10]

In the 2000s, there was discussion of initiating commuter rail service from Lancaster to Harrisburg, known as the Capital Red Rose Corridor, but the proposal was subsequently abandoned.^[11]

Amtrak's Keystone Service and Pennsylvanian operate over the entire line. SEPTA Regional Rail Paoli/Thorndale Line trains operate east of Thorndale, with the rights to continue revenue service west to Parkesburg and to run west to Cork Interlocking just east of Amtrak's Lancaster station to reverse direction.^[1]

Freight trackage rights over the whole line are assigned to the Norfolk Southern Railway. The Canadian Pacific Railway also has rights over a small piece near Harrisburg, from the west end to Roy Interlocking in Royalton, to allow CP trains to get from the end of their Sunbury Line or Allentown to Perryville, Maryland.^[1]

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania provides the subsidies for Amtrak for the Keystone Service and Pennsylvanian passenger routes that operate on this line.

Stations

All stations are located in Pennsylvania.

Milepost (km)	Station	Location	Current station opened	Services			Connections
Milepost (km)	Station	Location	Current station opened	P/T	KS	PA	Connections
0.0 mi (0 km)	Suburban Station	Philadelphia	September 28, 1930	●			SEPTA Regional Rail: all lines SEPTA Metro: Broad Street Line (at City Hall), Market–Frankford Line, Subway–Surface Trolleys (at 15th Street) SEPTA City Bus: 2, 4, 16, 17, 27, 31, 32, 33, 38, 44, 48, 62; SEPTA Suburban Bus: 124, 125
1.0 mi (1.6 km)	30th Street Station		1933^[12]	●	●	●	Amtrak: Acela , Cardinal , Carolinian , Crescent , Northeast Regional , Palmetto , Silver Meteor , Silver Star , Vermonter SEPTA Regional Rail: all lines NJ Transit Rail: ■ Atlantic City Line SEPTA Metro: Market–Frankford Line, Subway–Surface Trolleys SEPTA City Bus: 9, 12, 21, 30, 31, 42, 44, 49, 62, LUCY; SEPTA Suburban Bus: 124, 125
5.4 mi (8.7 km)	Overbrook		1860	●			SEPTA City Bus: 65, G
6.0 mi (9.7 km)	Merion	Lower Merion	1914	●
6.8 mi (10.9 km)	Narberth	Narberth	September 11, 1915^[13]	●			SEPTA City Bus: 44
7.4 mi (11.9 km)	Wynnewood	Wynnewood	1870^[14]	●			SEPTA Suburban Bus: 105
8.5 mi (13.7 km)	Ardmore	Ardmore	1870^[14]	●	●		SEPTA City Bus: 44; SEPTA Suburban Bus: 103, 105, 106
9.1 mi (14.6 km)	Haverford	Haverford	1880^[14]	●			SEPTA Suburban Bus: 105, 106
10.1 mi (16.3 km)	Bryn Mawr	Bryn Mawr	1869^[14]	●			SEPTA Suburban Bus: 105, 106
10.9 mi (17.5 km)	Rosemont	Rosemont	1871	●			SEPTA Suburban Bus: 105, 106
12.0 mi (19.3 km)	Villanova	Radnor	1890^[15]	●			SEPTA Suburban Bus: 106
13.0 mi (20.9 km)	Radnor		1872^[16]	●			SEPTA Suburban Bus: 106
13.7 mi (22.0 km)	St. Davids		1890^[15]	●			SEPTA Suburban Bus: 106
14.5 mi (23.3 km)	Wayne		1884	●			SEPTA Suburban Bus: 106
15.4 mi (24.8 km)	Strafford	Tredyffrin	1876	●
16.4 mi (26.4 km)	Devon	Easttown	1890^[17]	●			SEPTA Suburban Bus: 106
17.5 mi (28.2 km)	Berwyn	Easttown	1884^[17]	●			SEPTA Suburban Bus: 106
18.6 mi (29.9 km)	Daylesford	Tredyffrin		●			SEPTA Suburban Bus: 106
19.9 mi (32.0 km)	Paoli	Paoli	1893^[18]	●	●	●	SEPTA Suburban Bus: 92, 106, 204, 206
21.6 mi (34.8 km)	Malvern	Malvern	1900	●			SEPTA Suburban Bus: 92
27.5 mi (44.3 km)	Exton	Exton	1981	●	●	EB	SEPTA Suburban Bus: 135; WCU Shuttle
28.3 mi (45.5 km)	Whitford	Exton	1880	●
32.4 mi (52.1 km)	Downingtown	Downingtown		●	●		SEPTA Suburban Bus: 135
35.5 mi (57.1 km)	Thorndale	Thorndale	November 22, 1999^[19]	●			SEPTA Suburban Bus: 135
38.4 mi (61.8 km)	Coatesville	Coatesville	1868^[18]		●		SEPTA Suburban Bus: 135; TMACC: Coatesville Link
44.2 mi (71.1 km)	Parkesburg	Parkesburg	1905^[18]		●		TMACC: Coatesville Link
68.0 mi (109.4 km)	Lancaster	Lancaster	1929^[18]		●	●	Red Rose Transit Authority: 3, 6, 10, 11, 19
80.1 mi (128.9 km)	Mount Joy	Mount Joy			●		Red Rose Transit Authority: 18
86.8 mi (139.7 km)	Elizabethtown	Elizabethtown	1915		●	●	Red Rose Transit Authority: 18
94.7 mi (152.4 km)	Middletown	Middletown	1990^[18]		●		CAT: 7
104.6 mi (168.3 km)	Harrisburg Transportation Center	Harrisburg	1887^[18]		●	●	CAT, Lebanon Transit, rabbittransit Fullington Trailways Greyhound Lines

Related Research Articles

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References

1 2 3 Federal Railway Administration, "Appendix A: Ownership, Operating Rights and Agreements" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 27, 2006. (18.0 KiB)
↑ "Frequently-Asked Questions". Plan the Keystone. PennDOT. Archived from the original on February 3, 2016. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
↑ Michael, Froio (May 18, 2012). "The Pennsylvania Railroad's Harrisburg Terminal: A Historical Overview" . Retrieved February 7, 2016.
↑ Tom, Belden (January 18, 1998). "Orphan Rail Line Scorned No More Penndot And A Startup Company Have Both Made Proposals For Upgrading Amtrak's Keystone Route". Philly.com. Archived from the original on September 14, 2015. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
↑ "Amtrak's Northeast Corridor: FY 2010" (PDF). Amtrak. May 2011. p. 5. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
↑ "Northeast Corridor State of Good Repair Spend Plan" (PDF). Amtrak. April 15, 2009. p. 7. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
↑ "NEC Projects - The Keystone Corridor". Amtrak. Archived from the original on July 5, 2017. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
↑ "The Congressional Bicameral High - Speed & Intercity Passenger Rail Caucus" (PDF). Federal Briefing. WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff. August 14, 2012. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
↑ "America's foray into high speed rail should include NYC". March 5, 2010.
↑ Harris, Bernard (July 20, 2014). "New PennDOT bridge could mean faster trains on tracks below" (PDF). Plan the Keystone. Lancaster Online. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 26, 2015. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
↑ "Southcentral PA's Multi-Modal Transportation Efforts". Modern Transit Partnership. Archived from the original on February 7, 2016. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
↑ Teitelman, Edward & Longstreth, Richard W. (1981), Architecture in Philadelphia: A Guide, Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press, ISBN 0262700212 ^: 186
↑ Tatnall, Frank (Fall 2015). "A Century of Catenary". Classic Trains. 16 (3): 26.
1 2 3 4 Existing Stations in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
1 2 Existing Railroad Stations in Delaware County, Pennsylvania Archived October 9, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
↑ Morgan's Corner P&C RR station, 1856 (Existing Railroad Stations in Delaware County, Pennsylvania)
1 2 Existing Railroad Stations in Chester County, Pennsylvania Archived 2008-12-09 at the Wayback Machine
1 2 3 4 5 6 "Building Great American Stations". Amtrak . Retrieved September 21, 2019.
↑ Schogol, Marc (November 21, 1999). "SEPTA extends the R5 line to Thorndale". The Philadelphia Inquirer . p. 31. Retrieved February 22, 2019– via Newspapers.com.

"The Electrification of the Pennsylvania Railroad from Broad Street Terminal Philadelphia to Paoli." The Electric Journal. Vol. 12, No. 12 (December 1915). (Pittsburgh, PA: The Electric Journal.) pp. 536–541.

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[FRA-1] 1 2 3 Federal Railway Administration, "Appendix A: Ownership, Operating Rights and Agreements" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 27, 2006. (18.0 KiB)

[2] "Frequently-Asked Questions". Plan the Keystone. PennDOT. Archived from the original on February 3, 2016. Retrieved February 7, 2016.

[3] Michael, Froio (May 18, 2012). "The Pennsylvania Railroad's Harrisburg Terminal: A Historical Overview" . Retrieved February 7, 2016.

[4] Tom, Belden (January 18, 1998). "Orphan Rail Line Scorned No More Penndot And A Startup Company Have Both Made Proposals For Upgrading Amtrak's Keystone Route". Philly.com. Archived from the original on September 14, 2015. Retrieved February 7, 2016.

[5] "Amtrak's Northeast Corridor: FY 2010" (PDF). Amtrak. May 2011. p. 5. Retrieved February 7, 2016.

[6] "Northeast Corridor State of Good Repair Spend Plan" (PDF). Amtrak. April 15, 2009. p. 7. Retrieved February 7, 2016.

[7] "NEC Projects - The Keystone Corridor". Amtrak. Archived from the original on July 5, 2017. Retrieved February 7, 2016.

[8] "The Congressional Bicameral High - Speed & Intercity Passenger Rail Caucus" (PDF). Federal Briefing. WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff. August 14, 2012. Retrieved February 7, 2016.

[9] "America's foray into high speed rail should include NYC". March 5, 2010.

[10] Harris, Bernard (July 20, 2014). "New PennDOT bridge could mean faster trains on tracks below" (PDF). Plan the Keystone. Lancaster Online. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 26, 2015. Retrieved February 7, 2016.

[11] "Southcentral PA's Multi-Modal Transportation Efforts". Modern Transit Partnership. Archived from the original on February 7, 2016. Retrieved February 7, 2016.

[30thstreet-open-12] Teitelman, Edward & Longstreth, Richard W. (1981), Architecture in Philadelphia: A Guide, Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press, ISBN 0262700212 ^: 186

[paoli-electrification-13] Tatnall, Frank (Fall 2015). "A Century of Catenary". Classic Trains. 16 (3): 26.

[montgomery-open-14] 1 2 3 4 Existing Stations in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania

[delaware-open-15] 1 2 Existing Railroad Stations in Delaware County, Pennsylvania Archived October 9, 2008, at the Wayback Machine

[radnor-open-16] Morgan's Corner P&C RR station, 1856 (Existing Railroad Stations in Delaware County, Pennsylvania)

[chester-open-17] 1 2 Existing Railroad Stations in Chester County, Pennsylvania Archived 2008-12-09 at the Wayback Machine

[greatstations-18] 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Building Great American Stations". Amtrak . Retrieved September 21, 2019.

[thorndale-open-19] Schogol, Marc (November 21, 1999). "SEPTA extends the R5 line to Thorndale". The Philadelphia Inquirer . p. 31. Retrieved February 22, 2019– via Newspapers.com.

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