Trenton Line

Last updated
Trenton Line
SEPTA Silverliner IV 402 on the R7.jpg
Train #4656 pulls into the Cornwells Heights station.
Overview
StatusOperating
Termini
Stations15
Website septa.org
Service
Type Commuter rail
System SEPTA Regional Rail
Operator(s) SEPTA
Rolling stock Electric Multiple Units, push-pull trains
Daily ridership4,507 (FY 2022) [1]
Technical
Track gauge 4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Electrification Overhead line, 12 kV 25 Hz AC
Route map
Trenton Line
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32.5 mi
52.3 km
Trenton BSicon TRAM.svg NJT logo.svg BSicon LOGO Amtrak2.svg
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Zone
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 4 
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Morrisville
closed
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26.0 mi
41.8 km
Levittown
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Edgely
closed
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22.7 mi
36.5 km
Bristol
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Zone
 4 
 3 
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19.9 mi
32 km
Croydon
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18.2 mi
29.3 km
Eddington
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16.9 mi
27.2 km
Cornwells Heights BSicon LOGO Amtrak2.svg
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Andalusia
closed
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14.8 mi
23.8 km
Torresdale
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Zone
 3 
 2 
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12.2 mi
19.6 km
Holmesburg Junction
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11.2 mi
18 km
Tacony
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Wissinoming
closed
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9.3 mi
15 km
Bridesburg
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Zone
 2 
 1 
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ACL
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CHW
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4.5 mi
7.2 km
North Philadelphia
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Zone
 1 
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Ridge Avenue
closed
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Engleside
closed
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0.9 mi
1.4 km
30th Street
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0 mi
0 km
Suburban
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0.5 mi
0.8 km
Jefferson
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2.1 mi
3.4 km
Temple University
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The Trenton Line is a route of the SEPTA Regional Rail (commuter rail) system. The route serves the northeastern suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with service in Bucks County along the Delaware River to Trenton, New Jersey.

Contents

Route

Trenton Line trains operate along a four-track line from 30th Street Station via the Philadelphia Zoo (without stopping there), to North Philadelphia, before running parallel to I-95 and then US 13 for several miles. It crosses the Delaware River at Trenton, New Jersey before making its final stop at Trenton Transit Center, which is also served by Amtrak and New Jersey Transit trains.

The route is part of the middle leg of Amtrak's Northeast Corridor; all 11 of Amtrak's Northeast Corridor services run along this line. The line's termini, 30th Street and Trenton Transit Center, have long been among the busiest Amtrak stations in the country. On weekdays, Amtrak connections are also available at North Philadelphia and Cornwells Heights. Connecting Trenton Line service is listed in timetables for NJ Transit's Northeast Corridor Line, of which Trenton Transit Center is the southern terminus.

History

R7 Trenton.gif

Electrified service between Philadelphia and Trenton began on June 29, 1930.

Between 1984–2010 the route was designated R7 Trenton as part of SEPTA's diametrical reorganization of its lines. Trenton Line trains operated through the city center to the Chestnut Hill East Line on the ex-Reading side of the system. [2] The R-number naming system was dropped on July 25, 2010. [3] As of 2022, most Trenton Line trains continue through Center City to the Chestnut Hill East Line, while some trains terminate at Temple University or continue to other destinations. [4]

The Trenton Line usually has two push-pull electric-locomotive-hauled trains on the morning express runs and two on the evening express runs. Each train is usually made up of 6 coach trailers made by Bombardier with ACS-64 locomotives hauling them.[ citation needed ]

SEPTA activated positive train control on the Trenton Line on May 1, 2017. [5]

Stations

North Philadelphia station in 2013 North Philadelphia station, September 2013.jpg
North Philadelphia station in 2013
The utilitarian Torresdale station (seen in 2012) is typical of the Trenton Line Torresdale Station.jpg
The utilitarian Torresdale station (seen in 2012) is typical of the Trenton Line

The Trenton Line includes the following stations north of the Center City Commuter Connection; stations indicated with gray background are closed. All stations within the Philadelphia city limits have a ticket office for purchasing ticket(s) to ride the Trenton line. Many stations outside the city limits have a ticket office as well, however they have shorter hours (most outside the city limits are closed on weekends) and fewer amenities than the ticket offices inside the stations within Philadelphia. Cornwells Heights station is considered a popular station on the route as it is the busiest SEPTA Regional Rail station outside of Center City, and serves Amtrak trains as well. [6] [4]

StateZoneLocationStation Miles (km)
from
Center City
Connections and notes
PA C Mantua, Philadelphia Zoological Garden 1.9 (3.1)Closed November 24, 1901 [7]
Brewerytown, Philadelphia Engleside2.8 (4.5)Discontinued April 5, 1903 [8]
Strawberry Mansion, Philadelphia Ridge Avenue3.2 (5.1)Discontinued April 5, 1903 [8]
22nd Street3.9 (6.3)
1 Glenwood, Philadelphia North Philadelphia 4.5 (7.2) BSicon LOGO Amtrak2.svg Amtrak: Keystone Service
SEPTA.svg SEPTA Regional Rail:       Chestnut Hill West Line
SEPTA Metro.svg SEPTA Metro: SEPTA B icon.svg Broad Street Line
Bus-logo.svg SEPTA City Bus: 4 , 16
11th Street
Fairhill, Philadelphia North Penn Junction
Harrowgate, Philadelphia Harrowgate
Frankford Junction Discontinued October 4, 1992 [9]
Frankford, Philadelphia
FrankfordClosed 1990
2 Bridesburg 9.3 (15.0) Bus-logo.svg SEPTA City Bus: 73
Wissinoming, Philadelphia Fitler
Wissinoming 10.1 (16.3)Discontinued November 9, 2003 [10]
Tacony, Philadelphia Tacony 11.2 (18.0)
Holmesburg, Philadelphia Holmesburg Junction 12.2 (19.6) Bus-logo.svg SEPTA City Bus: 84
3Liddonfield
Pierson's Station
Torresdale, Philadelphia Torresdale 14.8 (23.8) Bus-logo.svg SEPTA City Bus: 19 , 84
Andalusia AndalusiaDiscontinued October 4, 1992 [9]
Cornwells Heights Cornwells Heights Wheelchair symbol.svg 16.9 (27.2) BSicon LOGO Amtrak2.svg Amtrak: Keystone Service
Bus-logo.svg SEPTA City Bus: 78
BSicon BUS2.svg SEPTA Suburban Bus: 133
Eddington Eddington 18.2 (29.3) BSicon BUS2.svg SEPTA Suburban Bus: 133
Croydon Croydon Wheelchair symbol.svg 19.9 (32.0) BSicon BUS2.svg SEPTA Suburban Bus: 128
4 Bristol Bristol 22.7 (36.5) BSicon BUS2.svg SEPTA Suburban Bus: 129
Bus-logo.svg TMA Bucks: Bristol Rushbus
Levittown EdgelyClosed in 1956; the railroad razed the depot at Edgely on January 16, 1957. [11]
Tullytown Levittown Wheelchair symbol.svg 26.0 (41.8) BSicon BUS2.svg SEPTA Suburban Bus: 127 , 128
Tullytown
Morrisville MorrisvilleClosed October 25, 1969 [12]
NJ NJ Trenton Trenton Transit Center Wheelchair symbol.svg 32.4 (52.1) BSicon LOGO Amtrak2.svg Amtrak: Cardinal , Carolinian , Crescent , Keystone Service, Northeast Regional , Palmetto , Pennsylvanian , Silver Meteor , Vermonter
NJT logo.svg NJ Transit Rail:       Northeast Corridor Line,       River Line
BSicon BUS2.svg NJ Transit Bus: 409 , 418 , 600 , 601 , 604 , 606 , 608 , 609 , 611 , 613 , 619
BSicon BUS2.svg SEPTA Suburban Bus: 127

Ridership

Between FY 2013–FY 2019 yearly ridership on the Trenton Line ranged from 3.1–3.6 million before collapsing during the COVID-19 pandemic. [note 1]

1,000,000
2,000,000
3,000,000
4,000,000
FY 2013
FY 2014
FY 2015
FY 2016
FY 2017
FY 2018
FY 2019
FY 2020
FY 2021
FY 2022
FY 2023

Notes

  1. Data for individual lines is not available for FY 2020. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SEPTA</span> Public transportation authority

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) 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.

<i>Keystone Service</i> Amtrak service in Pennsylvania

The Keystone Service is a 195 mile regional passenger train service from Amtrak, that operates between the Harrisburg Transportation Center in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and 30th Street Station in Philadelphia, running along the Philadelphia to Harrisburg Main Line. Most trains then continue along the Northeast Corridor (NEC) to Penn Station in New York City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northeast Corridor Line</span> Commuter rail line in New Jersey and New York

The Northeast Corridor Line is a commuter rail service operated by NJ Transit between the Trenton Transit Center and New York Penn Station on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor in the United States. The service is the successor to Pennsylvania Railroad commuter trains between Trenton and New York, and is NJ Transit's busiest commuter rail service. After arrival at New York Penn Station, some trains load passengers and return to New Jersey, while others continue east to Sunnyside Yard for storage. Most servicing is done at the Morrisville Yard, at the west end of the line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SEPTA Regional Rail</span> Commuter rail service in Pennsylvania, US

The SEPTA Regional Rail system is a commuter rail network owned by SEPTA and serving the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The system has 13 branches and more than 150 active stations in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, its suburbs and satellite towns and cities. It is the sixth-busiest commuter railroad in the United States. In 2016, the Regional Rail system had an average of 132,000 daily riders and 118,800 daily riders as of 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suburban Station</span> Station on the SEPTA Regional Rail

Suburban Station is an art deco office building and underground commuter rail station in Penn Center in Philadelphia. Its official SEPTA address is 16th Street and JFK Boulevard. The station is owned and operated by SEPTA and is one of the three core Center City stations on the SEPTA Regional Rail and one of the busiest stations in the Regional Rail System.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wilmington station (Delaware)</span> Passenger rail station in Wilmington, Delaware

Wilmington station, also known as the Joseph R. Biden, Jr., Railroad Station, is a passenger rail station in Wilmington, Delaware. It serves nine Amtrak train routes and is part of the Northeast Corridor. It also serves SEPTA Regional Rail commuter trains on the Wilmington/Newark Line as well as DART First State local buses and Greyhound Lines intercity buses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trenton Transit Center</span> Train station in Trenton, New Jersey

Trenton Transit Center is the main passenger train station in Trenton, New Jersey. It is the southernmost stop in New Jersey on the Northeast Corridor. It is the terminus for NJ Transit trains to and from New York City and SEPTA Trenton Line Regional Rail trains to and from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and an intermediate station for Amtrak trains traveling between the two cities along the Northeast Corridor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Airport Line (SEPTA)</span> SEPTA Regional Rail service

The Airport Line is a route of the SEPTA Regional Rail commuter rail system in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which officially runs between Philadelphia International Airport through Center City to Temple University station. In practice, however, only a few trains originate or terminate at Temple University; most are through routed with lines to the north after leaving the Center City Commuter Connection. Half of weekday trains are through routed with the Warminster Line, with the other half of weekday trains through routed with the Fox Chase Line. All weekend and holiday trains are through routed with the Warminster Line and terminate either in Warminster or Glenside.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wilmington/Newark Line</span> SEPTA Regional Rail service

The Wilmington/Newark Line is a route of the SEPTA Regional Rail commuter rail system in the Philadelphia area. The line serves southeastern Pennsylvania and northern Delaware, with stations in Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania, Wilmington, Delaware, and Newark, Delaware. It is the longest of the 13 SEPTA Regional Rail lines.

Schuylkill River Passenger Rail is a proposed passenger train service along the Schuylkill River between Philadelphia and Reading, Pennsylvania, with intermediate stops in Norristown, King of Prussia, Phoenixville, and Pottstown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cornwells Heights station</span> Train station in Pennsylvania, US

Cornwells Heights station is a train station in Cornwells Heights, Pennsylvania. Located on Station Avenue near Bristol Pike in Bensalem Township, it serves the northeast suburbs of Philadelphia. It is served by SEPTA's Trenton Line commuter trains. On weekdays only, a limited number of Amtrak Keystone Service trains also stop at the station. The station has two side platforms serving the outer tracks of the four-track Northeast Corridor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frankford Junction station</span> Former train stop in Pennsylvania; Northeast Corridor-Atlantic City Line meet point

Frankford Junction is a railroad junction, and former junction station, located on the border between the Harrowgate neighborhood of Philadelphia and Frankford, Philadelphia. At the junction, the 4-track Northeast Corridor line from Trenton connects with the 2-track Atlantic City Line from Atlantic City in the northeastern portion of Philadelphia about 2.9 miles (4.7 km) northeast of North Philadelphia station. It lies near the intersection of Frankford Avenue and Butler Street, to the west of the interchange between Interstate 95 and the approach to the Betsy Ross Bridge. It has been used for rail transportation since 1832 but has not served as a station since October 4, 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warminster Line</span> SEPTA Regional Rail service

The Warminster Line is a route of the SEPTA Regional Rail commuter rail system. It serves stations between its namesake town, Warminster, and Center City Philadelphia. Half of the route is shared by other lines, including the Lansdale/Doylestown Line, West Trenton Line, Fox Chase Line, Chestnut Hill East Line, and Manayunk/Norristown Line. All trains continue as part of the Airport Line with the exception of some weekday trains that terminate at 30th Street Station, Thorndale, or Trenton Transit Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Trenton Line</span> SEPTA Regional Rail service

The West Trenton Line is a SEPTA Regional Rail service connecting Center City Philadelphia to the West Trenton section of Ewing Township, New Jersey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lansdale/Doylestown Line</span> SEPTA Regional Rail service

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paoli/Thorndale Line</span> SEPTA Regional Rail service

The Paoli/Thorndale Line, commonly known as the Main Line, is a SEPTA Regional Rail service running from Center City Philadelphia through Montgomery County and Delaware County to Thorndale in Chester County. It operates along the far eastern leg of Amtrak's Philadelphia to Harrisburg Main Line, which in turn was once the Main Line of the Pennsylvania Railroad and is now part of the Keystone Corridor, a federally-designated high-speed rail corridor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cynwyd Line</span> SEPTA Regional Rail service

The Cynwyd Line is a SEPTA Regional Rail line from Center City Philadelphia to Cynwyd in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Originally known as the Ivy Ridge Line, service was truncated on May 17, 1986, at its current terminus at Cynwyd.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manayunk/Norristown Line</span> SEPTA Regional Rail line

The Manayunk/Norristown Line is a commuter rail service in Southeastern Pennsylvania between Center City Philadelphia and Norristown, and one of the 13 lines in SEPTA's Regional Rail network. It has the second highest operating ratio (19.9%) on the SEPTA Regional Rail network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chestnut Hill East Line</span> SEPTA Regional Rail service

The Chestnut Hill East Line is a route of the SEPTA Regional Rail system. The route serves the northwestern section of Philadelphia with service to Germantown, Mount Airy, and Chestnut Hill. It is one of two lines that serve Chestnut Hill, the other one being the Chestnut Hill West Line. The line is fully grade-separated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chestnut Hill West Line</span> SEPTA Regional Rail service

The Chestnut Hill West Line is a commuter rail line in the SEPTA Regional Rail network. It connects Northwest Philadelphia, including the eponymous neighborhood of Chestnut Hill, West Mount Airy, and Germantown, to Center City.

References

  1. 1 2 SEPTA Data Group. "Route Operating Statistics" . Retrieved March 1, 2024.
  2. Vuchic, Vukan; Kikuchi, Shinya (1984). General Operations Plan for the SEPTA Regional High Speed System. Philadelphia: SEPTA. pp. 2–8.
  3. Lustig, David (November 2010). "SEPTA makeover". Trains Magazine. Kalmbach Publishing: 26.
  4. 1 2 "Trenton Line schedule" (PDF). SEPTA. January 7, 2024. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  5. "Positive Train Control Update". SEPTA. May 1, 2017. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
  6. "Fiscal Year 2021 Service Plan Update". SEPTA. June 2020. p. 24. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  7. Baer, Christopher T. (April 2015). "A General Chronology of the Successors of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company and Their Historical Context: 1901" (PDF). Pennsylvania Railroad Technical Historical Society. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
  8. 1 2 "Discontinuing All Stops of Trains at Paschal, South Street, Engelside and Ridge Avenue". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. April 3, 1903. p. 2. Retrieved October 17, 2017 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  9. 1 2 "New Rail Schedules Set". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. October 2, 1992. p. 36. Retrieved October 17, 2017 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  10. "SEPTA Regional Rail Schedules Change Sunday" (Press release). PR Newswire Association LLC. November 5, 2003. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
  11. "Landmark Ruled Out". The Bristol Daily Courier. Bristol, Pennsylvania. January 17, 1957. p. 7. Retrieved October 17, 2017 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  12. Baer, Christopher T. (April 2015). "A General Chronology of the Successors of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company and Their Historical Context: 1969" (PDF). Pennsylvania Railroad Technical Historical Society. Retrieved October 17, 2017.