Lansdale/Doylestown Line

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Lansdale/Doylestown Line
Jenkintown Platform.JPG
Jenkintown-Wyncote station, a major stop on the Lansdale/Doylestown line
Overview
Type Commuter rail line
System SEPTA
Status Operating
Termini 30th Street Station
Doylestown
Stations 27
Website septa.org
Operation
Operator(s) SEPTA Regional Rail
Rolling stock Electric Multiple Units
Technical
Track gauge 4 ft 8 12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Route map
Regional Rail
Subway–Surface Lines
and Market–Frankford Line
30th Street Station 30th Street (SEPTA station) Bicycle facilities Bus interchange Amtrak New Jersey Transit
Schuylkill River
Suburban Station 15th Street (SEPTA station) Bus interchange
City Hall Broad Street Line
Jefferson Station
8th Street & 11th Street
11th Street (SEPTA Market–Frankford Line station) Bus interchange
Market–Frankford Line
Reading Terminal
Temple University Bicycle facilities
Fare Zone
Center City
1
North Broad Bus interchange
North Philadelphia
Manayunk/Norristown Line
US 1
Wayne Junction Bus interchange
Fox Chase Line
PA 611
Fern Rock Bus interchange Parking
Fare Zone
1
2
Melrose Park Bicycle facilities Bus interchange Parking
Elkins Park Bus interchange Parking
PA 611
Fare Zone
2
3
Jenkintown-Wyncote Bicycle facilities Bus interchange Parking
West Trenton Line
Glenside Bicycle facilities Bus interchange Parking
Warminster Line
North Hills Bicycle facilities Bus interchange Parking
Oreland Bicycle facilities Bus interchange Parking
Fellwick
PA 309
I-276 / Penna Turnpike
Fort Washington Bicycle facilities Bus interchange Parking
Ambler Bicycle facilities Bus interchange Parking
Penllyn Bicycle facilities Bus interchange Parking
Gwynedd Valley Bicycle facilities Parking
US 202
Fare Zone
3
4
North Wales Bicycle facilities Bus interchange Parking
Pennbrook Bicycle facilities Bus interchange Parking
Stoney Creek Branch (freight-only)
Lansdale Bicycle facilities Bus interchange Parking
Bethlehem Branch(freight-only)
diesel powered; service ended 1981
Hatfield
Souderton
Telford
Derstines
Sellersville
Perkasie
Quakertown
Center Valley
Hellertown
Bethlehem
Allentown
9th Street Parking
Fortuna Bus interchange Parking
PA 309
Colmar Bicycle facilities Parking
Link Belt
Chalfont Bicycle facilities Parking
New Britain Bicycle facilities Parking
Delaware Valley College Bus interchange Parking
PA 611
Doylestown Bicycle facilities Bus interchange Parking

The Lansdale/Doylestown Line is a SEPTA Regional Rail line connecting Center City Philadelphia to Doylestown in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

History

Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. The Lansdale-Doylestown line utilizes what is known as the SEPTA Main Line, a four-track line that has been owned by SEPTA since 1983 (prior to that, by Conrail between 1976 and 1983 and by the Reading Railroad before 1976), and the former Reading Railroad (RDG) Doylestown Branch. Historically, the main part of the line, from Philadelphia north to Lansdale, was part of the Reading Railroad's route from Philadelphia to Bethlehem, and then to Wilkes-Barre and Scranton.

R5 train at North Wales

Originally arriving and departing at the former Reading Terminal, now part of the Pennsylvania Convention Center, the line has, since 1985, been directly connected to the ex-PRR/Penn Central side by the Center City Commuter Rail Tunnel. Unlike the ex-PRR/Penn Central Paoli/Thorndale Line it is often paired with for through-service, the ex-RDG line was not as heavily built, as the RDG segregated its through-freight and passenger movements. While the four-track section between the tunnel and Wayne Junction and the two-track section from Wayne Junction to Jenkintown are grade-separated, the two-track section from Jenkintown to Lansdale and the single track from Lansdale to Doylestown has both at-grade railroad crossings and over- and underpasses.[1]

Electrified service between Philadelphia and Hatboro, Lansdale, Doylestown and West Trenton was opened on July 26, 1931. Equipment consisted of dark green painted electric multiple unit cars built at the Reading's own shops. Some of the cars were rebuilt during the 1960s receiving air conditioning, refreshed interior and a new blue paint scheme resulting in their being referred to as "Blueliners". Today, the line uses the Silverliner family of EMU cars which operate throughout SEPTA's Regional Rail system.[1]

Service to Bethlehem and the Lehigh Valley languished due to the post-World War II surge of the automobile as well as the opening of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension in 1957. Service north of Lansdale in the non-electrified territory was terminated by SEPTA on July 29, 1981.[1] Trackage north of Quakertown was dismantled after the railbed was leased for use as the interim Saucon Rail Trail.

File:Lansdale 9th Street station.JPG
Lansdale's 9th Street station, opened November 15, 2015

On August 29, 2011, SEPTA adjusted the midday service pattern to encourage ridership at Colmar station, which had available parking capacity immediately adjacent to Pennsylvania Route 309. Previously, every other train turned back at Lansdale; those trains now call at Colmar before terminating at Link Belt, providing half-hourly service at Colmar between the morning and afternoon rush hours.[2]

On December 18, 2011, SEPTA eliminated weekend service at Link Belt and New Britain due to low ridership.

A large parking garage is to be built at Lansdale station. 9th Street station opened nearby on November 15, 2015 as an alternate parking location during construction; it will remain open afterwards to as part of planned transit-oriented development.[3]

Name change

On July 25, 2010 SEPTA renamed the service from the R5 Lansdale/Doylestown to simply the Lansdale/Doylestown Line as part of system-wide service change that drops the R-number naming.[4]

Station list

All stations have low level platforms unless otherwise noted

Zone Milepost Station Boardings[5] City/Township County Notes
C 2.1 Temple University 3,028 Philadelphia Philadelphia boardings include all lines; high level platforms
1 2.9 North Broad 103 boardings include Warminster Line and Manayunk/Norristown Line; low level platforms with mini-high-level platforms
5.1 Wayne Junction 527 boardings include Warminster Line, West Trenton Line, Chestnut Hill East Line, and Fox Chase Line; high-level platforms
7.3 Fern Rock Transportation Center 825 boardings include Warminster Line and West Trenton Line; high-level platforms
2 8.4 Melrose Park 458 Cheltenham Montgomery boardings include Warminster Line and West Trenton Line; high-level platforms
9.2 Elkins Park 632 boardings include Warminster Line and West Trenton Line; upgrade to high-level platforms planned
3 10.8 Jenkintown-Wyncote 1,998 Cheltenham/Jenkintown boardings include Warminster Line and West Trenton Line; upgrade to high-level platforms planned   Aerial photo
11.9 Glenside 1,064 Cheltenham boardings include Warminster Line;
13.0 North Hills 202 Abington
13.9 Oreland 276 Springfield
-- Fellwick Whitemarsh Closed in 1996
15.9 Fort Washington 1,108 high-level platforms
17.3 Ambler 1,017 Ambler high-level platforms
18.8 Penllyn 216 Lower Gwynedd
20.0 Gwynedd Valley 210
4 22.4 North Wales 790 North Wales high-level platforms
23.5 Pennbrook 467 Lansdale
24.4 Lansdale 1,396 Approximately half of Lansdale/Doylestown trains terminate here
25.0 9th Street high-level platforms; opened on November 15, 2015[3]
25.9 Fortuna 60 Hatfield upgrade to a high-level platform planned
26.8 Colmar 370 high-level platform
27.5 Link Belt 46 high-level platform
29.7 Chalfont 136 Chalfont Bucks high-level platform
31.5 New Britain 51 New Britain high-level platform
32.8 Delaware Valley College 68 Doylestown Township high-level platform
34.4 Doylestown 383 Doylestown

Ridership

Fiscal year Average weekday Annual passengers
FY 2014 16,267 4,636,214[6]
FY 2013 16,343 4,657,647[7]
FY 2012 16,429 4,682,402[8]
FY 2011 14,980 4,269,160[9]
FY 2010 15,487 4,385,929[10]
FY 2009 16,560 4,689,753[11]
FY 2008 16,285 4,611,900[12]
FY 2005 13,490 3,808,662
FY 2004 13,361 3,750,404
FY 2003 14,130 3,563,400
FY 2001 n/a 3,492,000
FY 2000 n/a 3,830,000
FY 1999 n/a 3,162,000
FY 1997 n/a 3,150,497
FY 1996 n/a 3,105,782
FY 1995 10,762 2,982,735
FY 1994 9,821 2,485,290
FY 1993 9,177 2,211,611
Note: n/a = not available

References

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  6. SEPTA (June 2015). Fiscal Year 2016 Annual Service Plan. p. 98 PDF (539 KiB)
  7. SEPTA (May 2014). Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Service Plan. p. 60 PDF (539 KiB)
  8. SEPTA (May 2013). Fiscal Year 2014 Annual Service Plan. p. 44 PDF
  9. SEPTA (May 2012). Fiscal Year 2013 Annual Service Plan. p. 55 PDF (539 KiB)
  10. http://www.septa.org/reports/pdf/asp12.pdf
  11. http://www.septa.org/reports/pdf/asp11.pdf
  12. http://www.septa.org/reports/pdf/asp10.pdf

External links

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