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 ridership7,937 (FY 2024) [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
 NJ 
 4 
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Morrisville
closed
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26.0 mi
41.8 km
Levittown
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Edgely
closed
BSicon HST.svg
22.7 mi
36.5 km
Bristol
BSicon STR+GRZq.svg
Zone
 4 
 3 
BSicon HSTACC.svg
19.9 mi
32 km
Croydon
BSicon HST.svg
18.2 mi
29.3 km
Eddington
BSicon HSTACC.svg
16.9 mi
27.2 km
Cornwells Heights BSicon LOGO Amtrak2.svg
BSicon eHST.svg
Andalusia
closed
BSicon HST.svg
14.8 mi
23.8 km
Torresdale
BSicon STR+GRZq.svg
Zone
 3 
 2 
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12.2 mi
19.6 km
Holmesburg Junction
BSicon HST.svg
11.2 mi
18 km
Tacony
BSicon eHST.svg
Wissinoming
closed
BSicon HST.svg
9.3 mi
15 km
Bridesburg
BSicon STR+GRZq.svg
Zone
 2 
 1 
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BSicon CONTfq.svg
ACL
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SEPTA L icon.svg
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Chestnut Hill West Line.svg
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4.5 mi
7.2 km
North Philadelphia
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Zone
 1 
 C 
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Ridge Avenue
closed
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Engleside
closed
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BSicon eHST.svg
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0.9 mi
1.4 km
30th Street Station
SEPTA L icon.svg SEPTA T icon.svg NJT logo.svg BSicon LOGO Amtrak2.svg
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0 mi
0 km
Suburban Station
SEPTA B icon.svg SEPTA M icon.svg SEPTA T icon.svg
BSicon tINTACC.svg
0.5 mi
0.8 km
Jefferson Station
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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
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] [13]

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
FY 2024

Notes

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

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. Archived from the original on August 22, 2016. 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.
  13. "SEPTA Route Statistics". SEPTA . Retrieved 2025-04-16.