Warminster Line

Last updated
Warminster Line
SEPTA Silverliner IV 450 inbound between Hatboro and Willow Grove.jpeg
A southbound Warminster Line train between the Hatboro and Willow Grove stations
Overview
Service type SEPTA Regional Rail commuter service
Current operator(s) SEPTA
Ridership3,657 (daily FY 2022) [1]
Route
Termini Warminster
30th Street Station
Stops16
Line(s) used
Technical
Rolling stock Electric multiple units
Electrification Overhead line, 12 kV 25 Hz AC

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.

Contents

Route

The Warminster Line uses the SEPTA Main Line between Center City and Glenside station, where it branches off onto the Warminster Branch to Hatboro and Warminster. The tracks continue past Warminster to Ivyland and eventually to New Hope, where the New Hope Railroad runs heritage excursion trains.

The Warminster Line becomes a single-track line just north of Ardsley, but was once double-tracked as far north as Roslyn, the original northbound track being removed in 2010. A passing siding exists north of Willow Grove. There is also a second storage track at the Hatboro station and the line becomes double-tracked again as it approaches the terminus at Warminster station.

History

Hatboro station was the extent of electrified service until 1974 Hatboro PA SEPTA station from parking lot December 2015.jpg
Hatboro station was the extent of electrified service until 1974
The logo for the Warminister Line R2 Warminster.gif
The logo for the Warminister Line

The Warminster Line is a continuation of the Reading Company's suburban services over the Warminster Branch. The line was built between 1872 and 1874 and electrified as far as Hatboro in 1931. [2] Passenger service beyond Hatboro ended in 1952. The Reading extended electrification and suburban service to Warminster on July 29, 1974. [2] [3]

With the Reading's final bankruptcy in 1976 Conrail took over the operation of the trains and ownership of the branch. [4] The Warminster Branch was conveyed to SEPTA in 1979; SEPTA took over operation of the trains in 1983. A train crash occurred on July 1, 2006, in Abington Township injuring 38 passengers and 6 crew members. [5]

Beginning in 1984 the route was designated R2 Warminster as part of SEPTA's diametrical reorganization of its lines. Warminster Line trains operated through the city center to the Wilmington/Newark Line (then Marcus Hook) on the ex-Pennsylvania side of the system. [6] The R-number naming system was dropped on July 25, 2010. [7] As of 2024 the majority of Warminster trains continue on to the Airport Line, though some weekday trains terminate at 30th Street Station, Thorndale, or Trenton Transit Center. [8]

On April 18, 2016, SEPTA launched positive train control on the Warminster Line, the first Regional Rail line to use the signal system which will enhance safety. [9] [10]

Potential for expansion beyond Warminster

In a 1991 report, the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission ranked the line between Warminster and New Hope as having "medium potential" for reuse based on projected growth in population and employment in the region. It noted that SEPTA considered the line a "long range transit opportunity corridor." [11]

Stations

Warminster station, which serves as the terminus of the Warminster Line Warminster PA SEPTA station February 2018.jpg
Warminster station, which serves as the terminus of the Warminster Line

The Warminster Line includes the following stations north of the Center City Commuter Connection; stations indicated with gray background area closed. [8]

ZoneLocationStation Miles (km)
from
Center City 		Date openedConnections / notes
C Temple University Temple University Wheelchair symbol.svg 2.1 (3.4) SEPTA.svg SEPTA Regional Rail: all lines
1 Nicetown–Tioga, Philadelphia Wayne Junction Wheelchair symbol.svg 5.1 (8.2) SEPTA.svg SEPTA Regional Rail:       Chestnut Hill East Line,       Fox Chase Line,       Lansdale/​Doylestown Line,       West Trenton Line
SEPTA.svg SEPTA City Bus: Bus-logo.svg 2 , 23 , 53
SEPTA.svg SEPTA Trackless Trolley: BSicon OBUS.svg 75
Olney-Oak Lane, Philadelphia
LoganOne of four stations discontinued on October 4, 1992 [12]
TaborClosed 1992
Fern Rock Transportation Center Wheelchair symbol.svg 7.3 (11.7) SEPTA.svg SEPTA Regional Rail:       Lansdale/​Doylestown Line,       West Trenton Line
SEPTA.svg SEPTA City Transit: BSL Broad Street Line
SEPTA.svg SEPTA City Bus: Bus-logo.svg 4 , 28 , 57 , 70
2 Melrose Park Melrose Park Wheelchair symbol.svg 8.4 (13.5) SEPTA.svg SEPTA Regional Rail:       Lansdale/​Doylestown Line,       West Trenton Line
Elkins Park Elkins Park 9.2 (14.8)May 14, 1899 [13] SEPTA.svg SEPTA Regional Rail:       Lansdale/​Doylestown Line,       West Trenton Line
SEPTA.svg SEPTA City Bus: Bus-logo.svg 28
3 Jenkintown Jenkintown–Wyncote 10.8 (17.4) SEPTA.svg SEPTA Regional Rail:       Lansdale/​Doylestown Line,       West Trenton Line
SEPTA.svg SEPTA City Bus: Bus-logo.svg 77
Glenside Glenside 11.9 (19.2) SEPTA.svg SEPTA Regional Rail:       Lansdale/​Doylestown Line
SEPTA.svg SEPTA City Bus: Bus-logo.svg 22 , 77
Ardsley Wheelchair symbol.svg 13.0 (20.9)
Roslyn Roslyn Wheelchair symbol.svg 14.2 (22.9) SEPTA.svg SEPTA City Bus: Bus-logo.svg 22
Abington Crestmont Wheelchair symbol.svg 15.4 (24.8)
Willow Grove Willow Grove 16.2 (26.1) SEPTA.svg SEPTA City Bus: Bus-logo.svg 22 , 55 , 310 , 311
Upper Moreland Township Fulmor 18.1 (29.1)Closed November 10, 1996 [14]
Hatboro Hatboro 18.6 (29.9)
Warminster Warminster Wheelchair symbol.svg 20.1 (32.3)July 29, 1974 [15] SEPTA.svg SEPTA City Bus: Bus-logo.svg 22
TMA Bucks: Bus-logo.svg Richboro-Warminster Rushbus [16]

Ridership

Between FY 2013–FY 2019 yearly ridership on the Warminster Line ranged between 2.3 and 2.7 million before collapsing during the COVID-19 pandemic. [note 1]

500,000
1,000,000
1,500,000
2,000,000
2,500,000
3,000,000
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]

Footnotes

  1. 1 2 SEPTA Data Group. "Route Operating Statistics" . Retrieved March 1, 2024.
  2. 1 2 Coates (1990), p. 84.
  3. ↑ Bell (1992), p. 69.
  4. ↑ USRA (1975), p. 281.
  5. ↑ King, Larry (August 5, 2007). "A collision of errors on the R2 is detailed". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  6. ↑ Vuchic, Vukan; Kikuchi, Shinya (1984). General Operations Plan for the SEPTA Regional High Speed System. Philadelphia: SEPTA. pp. 2–8.
  7. ↑ Lustig, David (November 2010). "SEPTA makeover". Trains . Kalmbach Publishing: 26.
  8. 1 2 "Warminster Line timetable" (PDF). Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: SEPTA. January 7, 2024. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  9. ↑ Laughlin, Jason (February 28, 2016). "Feds approve new SEPTA train-control safety system". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved May 22, 2016.
  10. ↑ "Positive Train Control Update". SEPTA. April 28, 2016. Retrieved May 22, 2016.
  11. ↑ "Potential Reuse of Inactive Rail Lines" (PDF). Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  12. ↑ "New Rail Schedules Set". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. October 2, 1992. p. 36. Retrieved October 19, 2017– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  13. ↑ "Elkins Station Opened at Ogontz Park". The Philadelphia Times. May 15, 1899. p. 3. Retrieved July 3, 2019– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  14. ↑ Dougherty, Frank (October 25, 1996). "Septa Board Cuts Service But Opposition Is Spirited". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
  15. ↑ "The Scene". The Philadelphia Inquirer. July 29, 1974. p. 1. Retrieved July 2, 2019– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  16. ↑ "Richboro-Warminster Rushbus" (PDF). tmabucks.com. TMA Bucks. p. January 2, 2015. Retrieved October 19, 2017.

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References

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