Like all of the Reading Company's commuter lines, the West Trenton Line was electrified in the early 1930s and has a mix of at-grade and grade separated crossings. Electrified service to West Trenton was opened on July 26, 1931. The RDG planned to also electrify tracks between West Trenton and the CNJ Terminal in Jersey City for long-distance service, but had to drop plans for electrification outside of the commuter service area due to economic setbacks as a result of the Great Depression.
Prior to 1981, limited service continued north to Newark, New Jersey (Jersey City prior to the Aldene Plan of the 1960s), using Budd Company-built Diesel multiple units. This service was the last remains of the Reading's Crusader service, which began in 1937 using streamlined steam locomotives and passenger cars. SEPTA ended service beyond West Trenton on August 1, 1981; connecting NJT diesel service lasted until December 1982.[2][3] NJT has since considered service resumption on their West Trenton Line.[4]
Beginning in 1984 the route was designated R1 West Trenton as part of SEPTA's diametrical reorganization of its lines. West Trenton Line trains operated through the city center to the Airport Line on the ex-Pennsylvania side of the system.[5] In later years this behavior changed; the line was designated R3 West Trenton and trains continued on to the Media/Elwyn Line on weekdays and the Airport Line on weekends.[6] The R-number naming system was dropped on July 25, 2010.[7]As of 2022[update], most West Trenton Line trains terminate at 30th Street Station on weekdays, while most evening trains operate to Malvern or Thorndale on the Paoli/Thorndale Line. Most weekend trains operate to Chestnut Hill West on the Chestnut Hill West Line.[8]
On April 9, 2020, service on the line was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic,[9] though stations between Center City and Jenkintown–Wyncote were still being served by other rail services. Service resumed on June 15, 2020.[10]
The West Trenton Line includes the following stations north of the Center City Commuter Connection; stations indicated with a gray background are closed. The train expresses from Bethayres to Temple University inbound on some trains in the morning and expresses outbound from Temple University to Bethayres on some trains in the evening.[8]
Between FY 2013–FY 2019 yearly ridership on the West Trenton Line held steady at 3.3–3.5 million, except for a dip to 3 million in FY 2018, 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
↑ Data for individual lines is not available for FY 2020.[1]
↑ Williams, Gerry (1998). Trains, Trolleys & Transit: A Guide to Philadelphia Area Rail Transit. Piscataway, New Jersey: Railpace Company. p.71. ISBN978-0-9621541-7-1.
↑ Pawson, John (March 1993). "New Backing for "Crusader" Route". The Delaware Valley Rail Passenger. 13 (3). Delaware Valley Association of Railroad Passengers. Archived from the original on 2017-09-05. Retrieved 2017-01-31.
↑ "Chapter 1: Purpose and Need"(PDF). Proposed Restoration of Passenger Rail Service on the West Trenton Line Draft Environmental Assessment. New Jersey Transit. November 2007. p.1-1. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2017-02-02. Retrieved 2017-01-31.
↑ Vuchic, Vukan; Kikuchi, Shinya (1984). General Operations Plan for the SEPTA Regional High Speed System. Philadelphia: SEPTA. pp.2–8.
↑ "New Rail Schedules Set". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. October 2, 1992. p.36. Retrieved October 19, 2017– via Newspapers.com.
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