View source for SEPTA Regional Rail

{{Short description|Commuter rail service in Pennsylvania, US}}
{{Infobox public transit
| box_width = 
| name = SEPTA Regional Rail
| image = SEPTARegionalRail.svg
| imagesize = 100px
| alt = SEPTA Regional Rail logo
| image2 = Silverliner V SEPTA-811-philadelphia-22-6-2012-fws.jpg
| caption2 = A SEPTA Regional Rail train at [[30th Street Station]] in [[Philadelphia]]
| owner = [[SEPTA]]
| headquarters = 1234 [[Market Street (Philadelphia)|Market Street]]<br />[[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]] 19107
| area served = [[Delaware Valley]]
| transit_type = [[Commuter rail]]
| lines = 13
| stations = 155<ref name="FY 2019 Operating">{{cite web|title=SEPTA OPERATING FACTS, FY 2019|url=https://planning.septa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Operating-Facts-FY2019.pdf|access-date=2022-06-27}}</ref>
| daily_ridership = {{American transit ridership|PA Philadelphia CR daily}} ({{American transit ridership|dailydate}}){{American transit ridership|dailycitation}}
| annual_ridership = 17,910,709 ({{abbr|FY|Fiscal year}} 2023)<ref name="ridership">{{cite web | title=Route Operating Statistics | url=https://public.tableau.com/shared/D9P89XMFT | accessdate=March 22, 2024}}</ref>
| website = {{URL|septa.org/service/rail}}
| began_operation = Assumed operations in 1976, officially established 1983
| marks = SEPA, SPAX 
| host = {{Unbulleted list
   | SEPTA
   | [[Amtrak]]
   | [[CSX Transportation]]
   | [[Philadelphia|City of Philadelphia]]
   }}
| vehicles = 404 revenue vehicles <small>{{As of|2015|lc=y}}</small><ref name="FY 2015 Operating">{{cite web|title=SEPTA OPERATING FACTS, FY 2015|url=http://www.septa.org/strategic-plan/reports/opfacts.pdf|access-date=2016-07-16|archive-date=2015-10-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151007172137/http://www.septa.org/strategic-plan/reports/opfacts.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| system_length ='''Total:''' {{convert|280|mi|km|abbr=on}}<ref name="FY 2015 Operating" />
* SEPTA: {{convert|151|mi|km|abbr=on}}
* Amtrak: {{convert|108|mi|km|abbr=on}}
* CSX: {{convert|15|mi|km|abbr=on}}
* City of Philadelphia: {{convert|6|mi|km|abbr=on}}
| track_gauge = {{Track gauge|ussg|allk=on}}
| el = [[Overhead line]], 12 kV 25 Hz AC:<br />[[Amtrak's 25 Hz traction power system]]<br />[[SEPTA's 25 Hz traction power system]]
| average_speed = <!-- {{convert|0|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} -->
| top_speed = <!-- {{convert|0|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} -->
| map = [[File:SEPTA Regional Rail Diagram.svg|300px]]
| map_state = collapsed
}}

The '''SEPTA Regional Rail''' system {{reporting mark|SEPA|SPAX}} is a [[commuter rail]] network owned by [[SEPTA]] and serving the [[Delaware Valley|Philadelphia metropolitan area]]. The system has 13 branches and more than 150 active stations in [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]], its suburbs and [[satellite city|satellite towns and cities]]. It is the [[List of United States commuter rail systems by ridership|sixth-busiest commuter railroad]] in the United States. In 2016, the Regional Rail system had an average of 132,000 daily riders <ref>{{cite web|url=http://septa.org/strategic-plan/reports/revenue-ride.pdf|title=Revenue & Ridership Performance, February FY2016|access-date=2016-03-16|archive-date=2016-04-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160407171133/http://septa.org/strategic-plan/reports/revenue-ride.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> and 118,800 daily riders as of 2019.<ref name="FY 2019 Operating" />

The core of the Regional Rail system is the [[Center City Commuter Connection]], a tunnel linking three [[Center City, Philadelphia|Center City]] stations: the above-ground upper level of [[30th Street Station]], the underground [[Suburban Station]], and [[Jefferson Station (SEPTA)|Jefferson Station]]. All trains stop at these Center City stations; most also stop at [[Temple University (SEPTA station)|Temple University station]] on the campus of [[Temple University]] in [[North Philadelphia]]. Operations are handled by the '''SEPTA Railroad Division'''.<ref>[http://www.regulations.gov/contentStreamer?objectId=0900006480e7263a&disposition=attachment&contentType=pdf 2008 SEPTA Railroad Division employee timetable] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111209002149/http://www.regulations.gov/contentStreamer?objectId=0900006480e7263a&disposition=attachment&contentType=pdf |date=2011-12-09 }} accessed August 16, 2011</ref>

Of the 13 branches, six were originally owned and operated by the [[Pennsylvania Railroad]] (PRR) (later [[Penn Central]]), six by the [[Reading Company]], while one was constructed under SEPTA in 1985. The PRR lines terminated at Suburban Station; the Reading lines at [[Reading Terminal]]. The Center City Commuter Connection opened in November 1984 to unite the two systems, turning the two terminal stations into through-stations. Reading Terminal was replaced by the newly built underground Market East Station (now Jefferson Station). Most inbound trains from one line continue on as outbound trains on another line. Some trains, including all trains on the [[Cynwyd Line]], terminate on one of the stub-end tracks at [[Suburban Station]]. Service on most lines operates from 5:30&nbsp;a.m. to midnight.

==Lines==
{{SEPTA Regional Rail RDT|collapse=y}}

Each former PRR line, as well as the Airport Line, was once paired with a former Reading line and numbered from R1 to R8 (except for R4), so that one route number described two lines, one on the PRR side and one on the Reading side. This was ultimately deemed more confusing than helpful, so on July 25, 2010, SEPTA dropped the R-number and color-coded route designators and changed dispatching patterns so fewer trains follow both sides of the same route.<ref>{{cite web |date=3 February 2010 |title=SEPTA to Change Regional Rail designations |url=http://planphilly.com/septa-change-regional-rail-designations |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120623151609/http://planphilly.com/septa-change-regional-rail-designations |archive-date=23 June 2012 |access-date=5 March 2010 |publisher=PlanPhilly}}</ref>

'''Former Pennsylvania Railroad lines'''
* [[Airport Line (SEPTA)|Airport Line]]: terminates at the [[Philadelphia International Airport]]. This line is geographically on the PRR side of the system, however service did not begin on the line until 1985.
* [[Chestnut Hill West Line]]: terminates in the [[Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia|Chestnut Hill]] section of Philadelphia.
* [[Cynwyd Line]]: terminates in [[Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania|Cynwyd]] and operates weekdays only. Until 1986, trains continued on to Ivy Ridge station in northwestern Philadelphia.
* [[Media/Wawa Line]]: terminates at [[Wawa Station|Wawa]]. Until 1986, trains continued on to [[West Chester, Pennsylvania|West Chester]]. On August 21, 2022, SEPTA restored service to Wawa, approximately three miles (5&nbsp;km) west of the previous terminus at [[Elwyn station|Elwyn]].
* [[Paoli/Thorndale Line]]: trains terminate at [[Malvern, Pennsylvania|Malvern]] or [[Thorndale, Pennsylvania|Thorndale]]; additional rush hour trains terminate at [[Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania|Bryn Mawr]] or [[Paoli, Pennsylvania|Paoli]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Paoli/Thorndale Line Regional Rail Schedule |url=http://www.septa.org/schedules/rail/w/PAO_0.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190506182603/http://septa.org/schedules/rail/w/PAO_0.html |archive-date=6 May 2019 |access-date=14 March 2019 |website=SEPTA}}</ref> From April 2, 1990 to November 11, 1996, trains continued on to [[Parkesburg, Pennsylvania|Parkesburg]]. Service was extended to [[Thorndale_station_(SEPTA)|Thorndale]] on November 22, 1999. In March 2019, SEPTA announced a plan to extend service to [[Coatesville, Pennsylvania|Coatesville]], approximately three miles west of Thorndale, once a new train station is constructed.<ref>{{cite news |author=Lucas Rodgers |date=7 March 2019 |title=SEPTA Regional Rail set to return to Coatesville |newspaper=[[Daily Local News]] |url=https://www.dailylocal.com/news/septa-regional-rail-set-to-return-to-coatesville/article_6da699ba-4120-11e9-a87a-cbb866b9a0c2.html |url-status=live |access-date=8 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190308040026/https://www.dailylocal.com/news/septa-regional-rail-set-to-return-to-coatesville/article_6da699ba-4120-11e9-a87a-cbb866b9a0c2.html |archive-date=8 March 2019}}</ref>
* [[Trenton Line (SEPTA)|Trenton Line]]: terminates in [[Trenton, New Jersey]]. This line uses [[Amtrak]]'s [[Northeast Corridor]], and offers a connection at Trenton to [[New Jersey Transit]]'s [[Northeast Corridor Line]] for continued service to [[New York Penn Station|New York City]].
* [[Wilmington/Newark Line]]: terminates in [[Wilmington, Delaware]], with some weekday trains continuing to [[Newark, Delaware]]. The [[Delaware Department of Transportation]] (DelDOT) subsidizes Delaware service. This line runs entirely on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor.
'''Former Reading Company lines'''

* [[Chestnut Hill East Line]]: terminates in the [[Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia|Chestnut Hill]] section of Philadelphia.
* [[Fox Chase Line]]: terminates in the [[Fox Chase, Philadelphia|Fox Chase]] section of Philadelphia.
* [[Lansdale/Doylestown Line]]: terminates at [[Doylestown, Pennsylvania|Doylestown]]. On weekdays, approximately half of the local trains terminate at [[Lansdale, Pennsylvania|Lansdale]] while the remainder of the local trains, and some expresses, continue on to Doylestown.
* [[Manayunk/Norristown Line]]: terminates at Elm Street in [[Norristown, Pennsylvania|Norristown]].
* [[Warminster Line]]: terminates in [[Warminster Township, Pennsylvania|Warminster]].
* [[West Trenton Line]]: terminates at the [[West Trenton (SEPTA station)|West Trenton station]] in [[Ewing, New Jersey]].

{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Line
!Inbound Terminal(s)
!Outbound Terminal(s)
!Stations
!Length<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=SEPTA Route Statistics 2020 |url=https://planning.septa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Route-Statistics-2020.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220912010837/https://planning.septa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Route-Statistics-2020.pdf |archive-date=September 12, 2022 |access-date=November 25, 2022 |website=SEPTA Planning}}</ref>
!Daily weekday<br/>boardings (FY 2024)<ref>{{Cite web |title=2024 Route Statistics |url=https://wwww.septa.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/2024-ROUTE-STATISTICS.pdf |url-status=live |access-date=2025-04-16}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=SEPTA Route Statistics Tableau Dashboard |url=https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/septa.data.group/viz/shared/2PGM374D9 |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=[[SEPTA]]}}</ref>
!Annual Passengers (FY 2024)<ref name=":1" />
!County(s) Served<ref name=":3" />
|-
|{{lnl|SEPTA|Airport}}
|[[Glenside station|Glenside]]
|[[Philadelphia International Airport stations|Philadelphia Airport]]
|16
|{{cvt|20.2|mi}}
|5,722
|1,668,039
|[[Montgomery County, Pennsylvania|Montgomery]], [[Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]], [[Delaware County, Pennsylvania|Delaware]]
|-
|{{lnl|SEPTA|Chestnut Hill East}}
|[[30th Street Station]], [[Penn Medicine Station]]
|[[Chestnut Hill East station|Chestnut Hill East]]
|15
|{{cvt|12.2|mi}}
|3,095
|903,755
|[[Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]]
|-
|{{lnl|SEPTA|Chestnut Hill West}}
|[[Temple University station|Temple University]]
|[[Chestnut Hill West station|Chestnut Hill West]]
|14
|{{cvt|14.7|mi}}
|3,142
|916,302
|[[Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]]
|-
|{{lnl|SEPTA|Cynwyd}}
|[[Suburban Station]]
|[[Cynwyd station (SEPTA)|Cynwyd]]
|5
|{{cvt|6.1|mi}}
|160
|42,128
|[[Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]], [[Montgomery County, Pennsylvania|Montgomery]]
|-
|{{lnl|SEPTA|Fox Chase}}
|[[Penn Medicine Station]], [[30th Street Station]]
|[[Fox Chase station|Fox Chase]]
|11
|{{cvt|12.5|mi}}
|3,450
|1,007,613
|[[Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]]
|-
|{{lnl|SEPTA|Lansdale/Doylestown}}
|[[Penn Medicine Station]]
|[[Doylestown station|Doylestown]]
|27
|{{cvt|35.8|mi}}
|9,257
|2,698,687
|[[Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]], [[Montgomery County, Pennsylvania|Montgomery]], [[Bucks County, Pennsylvania|Bucks]]
|-
|{{lnl|SEPTA|Manayunk/Norristown}}
|[[Penn Medicine Station]]
|[[Miquon station|Miquon]], [[Norristown Transit Center|Norristown]], [[Elm Street station|Elm Street]]
|17
|{{cvt|19.5|mi}}
|8,191
|2,387,874
|[[Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]], [[Montgomery County, Pennsylvania|Montgomery]]
|-
|{{lnl|SEPTA|Media/Wawa}}
|[[Temple University station|Temple University]]
|[[Media station (SEPTA)|Media]], [[Elwyn station|Elwyn]], [[Wawa Station|Wawa]]
|20
|{{cvt|18.1|mi}}
|4,470
|1,303,117
|[[Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]], [[Delaware County, Pennsylvania|Delaware]]
|-
|{{lnl|SEPTA|Paoli/Thorndale}}
|[[Temple University station|Temple University]]
|[[Bryn Mawr station (SEPTA Regional Rail)|Bryn Mawr]], [[Malvern station (SEPTA)|Malvern]], [[Thorndale station (SEPTA)|Thorndale]]
|26
|{{cvt|37.9|mi}}
|9,817
|2,861,041
|[[Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]], [[Montgomery County, Pennsylvania|Montgomery]], [[Delaware County, Pennsylvania|Delaware]], [[Chester County, Pennsylvania|Chester]]
|-
|{{lnl|SEPTA|Trenton}}
|[[Temple University station|Temple University]]
|[[Trenton Transit Center|Trenton]]
|15
|{{cvt|36.4|mi}}
|7,937
|2,315,458
|[[Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]], [[Bucks County, Pennsylvania|Bucks]], [[Mercer County, New Jersey|Mercer (NJ)]]
|-
|{{lnl|SEPTA|Warminster}}
|[[Penn Medicine Station]]
|[[Glenside station|Glenside]], [[Warminster station (SEPTA)|Warminster]]
|17
|{{cvt|22.3|mi}}
|5,034
|1,467,444
|[[Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]], [[Montgomery County, Pennsylvania|Montgomery]], [[Bucks County, Pennsylvania|Bucks]]
|-
|{{lnl|SEPTA|West Trenton}}
|[[Penn Medicine Station]]
|[[West Trenton station|West Trenton]]
|22
|{{cvt|34.7|mi}}
|7,253
|2,114,374
|[[Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]], [[Montgomery County, Pennsylvania|Montgomery]], [[Bucks County, Pennsylvania|Bucks]], [[Mercer County, New Jersey|Mercer (NJ)]] 
|-
|{{lnl|SEPTA|Wilmington/Newark}}
|[[Temple University station|Temple University]]
|[[Marcus Hook station|Marcus Hook]], [[Wilmington station (Delaware)|Wilmington]], [[Newark station (Delaware)|Newark]]
|22
|{{cvt|41.1|mi}}
|4,301
|1,253,750
|[[Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]], [[Delaware County, Pennsylvania|Delaware]], [[New Castle County, Delaware|New Castle (DE)]]
|}

===Network map===
{{maplink-road
|from1=Airport Line (SEPTA).map
|from2=Wilmington/Newark Line.map
|from3=Media/Wawa Line.map
|from4=Paoli/Thorndale Line.map
|from5=Cynwyd Line.map
|from6=Manayunk/Norristown Line.map
|from7=Chestnut Hill West Line.map
|from8=Chestnut Hill East Line.map
|from9=Lansdale/Doylestown Line.map
|from10=Warminster Line.map
|from11=West Trenton Line.map
|from12=Fox Chase Line.map
|from13=Trenton Line.map
}}

==Stations==
{{Main|List of SEPTA Regional Rail stations}}
There are 154 active stations on the Regional Rail system (as of 2016), including 51 in the city of [[Philadelphia]], 42 in [[Montgomery County, Pennsylvania|Montgomery County]], 29 in [[Delaware County, Pennsylvania|Delaware County]], 16 in [[Bucks County, Pennsylvania|Bucks County]], 10 in [[Chester County, Pennsylvania|Chester County]], and six outside the state of Pennsylvania (two in [[Mercer County, New Jersey]] and four in [[New Castle County, Delaware|New Castle County]], [[Delaware]]). In 2003, passengers boarding in Philadelphia accounted for 61% of trips on a typical weekday, with 45% from the three Center City stations and Temple University station.

{| style="margin:auto; text-align:right;"
|- style="background:#efefef;"
! style="width:40%;"| County
! style="width:20%;"| Stations
! style="width:20%;"| Boardings in 2003
! style="width:20%;"| Boardings in 2001
|- 
| [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]]
| 51 || 60 967 || 61 970
|- 
| [[Montgomery County, Pennsylvania|Montgomery County]]
| 42 || 17 228 || 18 334
|- 
| [[Delaware County, Pennsylvania|Delaware County]]
| 29 || 8 310 || 8 745
|- 
| [[Bucks County, Pennsylvania|Bucks County]]
| 16 || 5 332 || 5 845
|- 
| [[Chester County, Pennsylvania|Chester County]]
| 10 || 5 154 || 5 079
|- 
| Outside Pennsylvania
| 6 || 2 860 || 3 423
|- 
| ''total''
| 154 || 99 851 || 103 396
|}

==Rolling stock==
{{More citations needed section|date=March 2017}}
{{Stack|
[[File:SEPTA GE Silverliner IV 308.jpg|thumb|right|SEPTA [[Silverliner IV]] at [[Fern Rock Transportation Center]] in [[Philadelphia]]]]
[[File:SEPTA Silverliner V 834 inbound approaching Hatboro Station.jpg|thumb|A SEPTA [[Silverliner V]] approaching [[Hatboro station]]]]
[[File:SEPTA ACS-64 910 inbound departing Hatboro Station.jpeg|thumb|A SEPTA ACS-64 910 leads a train out of Hatboro station]]
}}
[[SEPTA]] uses a mixed fleet of [[General Electric]] and [[Hyundai Rotem]] "[[Silverliner]]" [[electric multiple unit]] (EMU) cars, used on all Regional Rail lines. SEPTA also uses push-pull equipment: coaches built by [[Bombardier Transportation|Bombardier]], hauled by [[Siemens ACS-64|ACS-64]] electric locomotives similar to those used by [[Amtrak]]. The push-pull equipment is used primarily for peak express service because it accelerates slower than EMU equipment, making it less suitable for local service with close station spacing and frequent stops and starts.

As of 2012, all cars have a blended red-and-blue SEPTA window logo and "ditch lights" that flash at grade crossings and when "deadheading" through stations, as required by Amtrak for operations on the [[Northeast Corridor|Northeast]] and [[Keystone Corridor]]s. SEPTA's railroad [[reporting mark]] '''SEPA''' is the official mark for their revenue equipment, though it is rarely seen on external markings. '''SPAX''' can be seen on non-revenue work equipment, including boxcars, diesel locomotives, and other rolling stock.

The Silverliner coaches were first built by Budd in Philadelphia and used by the PRR in 1958 as a prototype intercity EMU alternative to the [[GG1]]-hauled trains. Similarly designed cars were purchased in 1963 as the Silverliner II, in 1967 as the Silverliner III, and the Silverliner IV in 1973.

The Silverliner V, a more modern version of the railcar was introduced in 2010.<ref name="inquirer">{{cite news|url=http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20101030_SEPTA_s_new_railcar_model_makes_inaugural_trip.html|title=SEPTA's new railcar model makes inaugural trip|newspaper=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]|date=30 October 2010|access-date=3 November 2010|archive-date=2 November 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101102162654/http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20101030_SEPTA_s_new_railcar_model_makes_inaugural_trip.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> A total of 120 cars were purchased for $274&nbsp;million, and they were constructed in facilities located in [[South Philadelphia]] and [[South Korea]] by [[Hyundai Rotem]].<ref name="inquirer" /><ref name="progressive">{{cite web |date=3 November 2010 |title=SEPTA unveils first Silverliner V train |url=http://www.progressiverailroading.com/news/article.asp?id=24942 |access-date=3 November 2010 |publisher=Progressive Railroading}}</ref> The cars were built with wider seats and quarter point doors for easier boarding or departing at high-level stations in Center City. The Silverliner V cars represent one-third of SEPTA's regional rail fleet.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Smith |first1=Sandy |date=2 July 2016 |title=Details Emerge on SEPTA Silverliner V Defect |url=http://www.phillymag.com/news/2016/07/02/new-info-on-septa-silverliner-v-defect/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160705235640/http://www.phillymag.com/news/2016/07/02/new-info-on-septa-silverliner-v-defect/ |archive-date=5 July 2016 |access-date=3 July 2016 |website=Philadelphia Magazine |publisher=Metro Corp.}}</ref>

In late 2014, and the beginning of early 2015, SEPTA began the "Rebuilding for the Future" campaign that will replace all deteriorated rolling stock and rail lines with new, modernized, equipment, including ACS-64 locomotives, bi-level cars, and better signaling. The ACS-64 locomotives for push-pull trains arrived in 2018. An order of 45 multi-level railcars from CRRC Massachusetts was placed in 2017. They were intended to be delivered beginning in 2019, but repeated delays, design flaws, and quality control issues caused the order to be cancelled in April 2024. <ref>{{cite web |title=SEPTA Terminates CRRC Contract ‘For Cause’ |url=https://www.railwayage.com/passenger/commuterregional/septa-terminates-crrc-contract-for-cause/}}</ref>

SEPTA passenger rolling stock includes:

===Electric multiple units===
{{Main|Silverliner}}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Year
!Make
!Model
!Numbers
!Type
!Total
![[Tare weight|Tare]]<br />([[Short ton|Ton]]/[[Tonne|t]])
!Seats
!Notes
|-
| rowspan="5" |{{Nowrap|1973–76}}
| rowspan="5" |[[GE Transportation|GE]]
| rowspan="5" |{{Nowrap|[[Silverliner IV]]}}
|{{Nowrap|101–188}}
| rowspan="3" |married pairs
|88
| rowspan="5" |62.5/56.8
| rowspan="5" |125
|Ex-Reading.
|-
|{{Nowrap|304–399}}
|95
|Ex-Penn Central. <br/>Unit 304 repainted to Conrail heritage livery.
|-
|{{Nowrap|417–460}}
|44
|Units renumbered when [[Polychlorinated biphenyl|PCB]] transformers were replaced with silicone transformers.
|-
|{{Nowrap|276–303}}
| rowspan="2" |single cars
|28
|Units 280 and 293 repainted to Reading heritage livery.<br/>Unit 276 repainted to Pennsylvania Railroad heritage livery. 
|-
|{{Nowrap|400–416}}
|16
|Units renumbered when [[Polychlorinated biphenyl|PCB]] transformers were replaced with silicone transformers.<br/>Unit 401 repainted to Penn Central heritage livery. 
|-
| rowspan="2" |2010–13
| rowspan="2" |[[Hyundai Rotem|Rotem]]
| rowspan="2" |[[Silverliner V]]
|701–738
|single cars
|38
| rowspan="2" |62.5/56.8
| rowspan="2" |110
| rowspan="2" |Replacements for 70 older [[Silverliner II]] and [[Silverliner III]] cars; will also add capacity.<ref name="progressive" /> First three cars entered revenue service October 29, 2010; delivery completed as of March 21, 2013. In July 2016, all units temporarily withdrawn due to cracks on some of the components and began returning to service in September 2016.
|-
|801–882
|married pairs
|82
|}

===Push-pull passenger cars===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Year
!Make
!Model
!Type
!Numbers
!Total
![[Tare weight|Tare]]<br />([[Short ton|Ton]]/[[Tonne|t]])
!Seats
!Notes
|-
| rowspan="2" |1987
| rowspan="3" |[[Bombardier Transportation|Bombardier]]
| rowspan="2" |{{Nowrap|[[Comet (railcar)|SEPTA I]]}}
|Cab cars
|{{Nowrap|2401–2410}}
|10
| rowspan="3" |50/45.4
|118
|
|-
|Trailers
|{{Nowrap|2501–2525}}
|25
|131
|
|-
|1999
|{{Nowrap|[[Comet (railcar)|SEPTA II]]}}
|Trailers
|{{Nowrap|2550–2559}}
|10
|117
|These cars have a center door on each side for high level only boarding.
|}

===Locomotives===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Year
!Make
!Model
!Numbers
!Total
![[Horsepower|Hp]]
![[Tare weight|Tare]]<br />([[Short ton|Ton]]/[[Tonne|t]])
!Notes
|-
|2018
|Siemens
|{{Nowrap|[[Siemens ACS-64|ACS-64]]}}
|{{Nowrap|901–915}}
|15
|8,600
|107.5/97.6
|Entered service on {{Nowrap|July 11, 2018}}. Replaced {{Nowrap|[[EMD AEM-7|AEM-7]]}} and {{Nowrap|[[ABB ALP-44|ALP-44]]}} fleet.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.phillymag.com/news/2015/11/11/septa-locomotives/|title=SEPTA Is Buying 13 New Locomotives for $113 Million|last=Dan|first=McQuade|date=November 11, 2015|work=Philadelphia Magazine|access-date=December 6, 2017|language=en-US|archive-date=December 7, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171207142951/http://www.phillymag.com/news/2015/11/11/septa-locomotives/|url-status=live}}</ref>
|}

==Electrification==
{{main|Amtrak's 25 Hz traction power system|SEPTA's 25 Hz traction power system}}

All lines used by SEPTA are electrified with [[overhead wire|overhead catenary]] supplying [[alternating current]] at 12&nbsp;kV with a frequency of 25&nbsp;Hz. The system on the former PRR side is [[Amtrak's 25 Hz traction power system|owned and operated by Amtrak]], part of the electrification of the Northeast Corridor. The electrification on the Reading side is [[SEPTA's 25 Hz traction power system|owned by SEPTA]]. The Amtrak system was originally built by the PRR between 1915 and 1938. The SEPTA-owned system was originally built by the Reading starting in 1931. The two systems are not electrically connected. After construction of the Center City Commuter Connection, the two electrical systems now meet near Girard Avenue at a “phase break,” a short section of unpowered track, which trains coast across. The gap is necessary because the two electrical systems are not kept in synchronization with each other.  

The entire system uses 12&nbsp;[[Volt|kV]] / 25&nbsp;[[Hertz|Hz]] [[Overhead line|overhead catenary lines]] that were erected by the PRR and Reading railroads between 1915 and 1938. All current SEPTA equipment is compatible with the power supplies on both the ex-PRR (Amtrak-supplied) and ex-Reading (SEPTA-supplied) sides of the system; the "phase break" is at the northern entrance to the Center City commuter tunnel between [[Jefferson Station (Philadelphia)|Jefferson Station]] and [[Temple University (SEPTA station)|Temple University Station]]. 

==Yards and maintenance facilities==
SEPTA has five major yards and facilities for the storage and maintenance of regional rail trains:
* Frazer Yard, in [[Frazer, Pennsylvania]], along the [[Paoli/Thorndale Line]]; services [[push-pull train]] sets.
* Overbrook Maintenance Facility, near [[Overbrook (SEPTA station)|Overbrook station]] on the Paoli/Thorndale Line; Services EMUs
* Powelton Yard, adjacent to [[30th Street Station]]
* Roberts Yard, adjacent to [[Wayne Junction (SEPTA station)|Wayne Junction]]
* Wayne Junction Electric Car Shop located at [[Wayne Junction (SEPTA station)]]

==History==
SEPTA was created to prevent passenger railroads and other mass transit services from disappearing or shrinking in the region. Passenger rail service was previously provided by for-profit companies, but by the 1960s the profitability had eroded, not least because huge growth of automobile use over the previous 30 years had reduced ridership. SEPTA's creation provided government subsidies to such operations and thus kept them from closing down. For the railroads, at first it was a matter of paying the existing railroad companies to continue passenger service. In 1966 SEPTA had contracts with the PRR and Reading to continue commuter rail services in the Philadelphia region.<ref name=drury/>

===The Pennsylvania Railroad and the Reading Company===
The PRR and Reading operated both passenger and freight trains along their tracks in the Philadelphia region. Starting in 1915, both companies [[Railway electrification system|electrified]] their busiest lines to improve the efficiency of their passenger service. They used an overhead catenary trolley wire energized at 11,000 [[volt]]s single-phase [[alternating current]] at 25 Hertz (Hz).<ref>This is uncommon today; the vast majority of American electrical systems use double-phase, 60&nbsp;Hz alternating current.</ref> The PRR electrified the Paoli line in 1915, the Chestnut Hill West line in 1918, and the Media/West Chester and Wilmington lines in 1928. Both railroads continued electrifying lines into the 1930s, replacing trains pulled by [[steam locomotives]] with electric [[multiple unit]] cars and locomotives. PRR electrification reached Trenton and Norristown in 1930. Reading began electrified operation in 1931 to West Trenton, Hatboro (extended to [[Warminster Township, Pennsylvania|Warminster]] in 1974) and Doylestown; and in 1933 to Chestnut Hill East and Norristown. The notable exception was the line to Newtown, the Reading's only suburban route not electrified. While the PRR expanded electrification throughout the northeast (ultimately stretching from [[Washington, D.C.]] to [[New York City]]), the Reading never expanded electric lines beyond the Philadelphia commuter district.<ref name=williams/>

By the late 1950s, commuter service had become a drag on profitability for the PRR and Reading, like most railroads of the era. Commuter service requires large amounts of equipment, large numbers of employees to operate equipment and station sites, and large amounts of maintenance on track that see extremely heavy usage for only six hours a day, five days a week.<ref name=drury/> Meanwhile, the rise in [[automobile]] ownership and the building of the [[Interstate Highway System]] chipped away at the steady patronage as population in the suburbs grew. When the Philadelphia suburbs were small towns, people lived close enough to a train station to walk to and from the trains. When the suburbs expanded into what had been fields and pastures, the trip to the station required an automobile, leading commuters to remain in their cars and drive all the way into the city as a matter of convenience.<ref name=drury/>

Both railroads shed a few minor money-losing routes, but more major pruning efforts ran into public opposition and government regulation.<ref name=williams/> Ending a major line involved hearings before the [[Interstate Commerce Commission]] (ICC), the predecessor to the [[Surface Transportation Board]], which moved at a glacial pace and was capricious in the matter of approval, requiring one railroad to continue operating a local train on a route covered by four other trains while allowing another to discontinue a well-patronized train that had no competing lines.<ref name=drury/> In response, the railroads made commuting unpleasant for passengers by neglecting the upkeep of equipment.<ref name=drury/>

Faced with the possible loss of commuter service, local business interests, politicians, and the railroad unions in Philadelphia pushed for limited government subsidization.<ref name=williams/> In 1958, the city enacted the Philadelphia Passenger Service Improvement Corporation (PSIC), which consisted of a partnership with the Reading and PRR to subsidize service on both Chestnut Hill branches.<ref name=williams/> This was not enough to reverse the deterioration of the railroad infrastructure. By 1960, the PSIC assisted with services reaching as far as the city border in all directions. PSIC subsidized trains to Manayunk on the PRR's Schuylkill Branch<ref name=williams/> to Shawmont on the Reading Norristown line, to Fox Chase on the Reading Newtown line, and as far as Torresdale on the PRR's northeast corridor to New York City.<ref name=williams/> Subsequently, the city purchased new trains. The success of the PSIC subsidy program resulted in its expanding throughout the five-county suburban area under the '''Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Compact (SEPACT)''' in 1962.<ref name=williams/> In 1966, SEPTA began contracts with the [[Pennsylvania Railroad]] and the [[Reading Company]] to subsidize their commuter lines.

Still, the subsidies could not save the big railroads. The PRR attempted to stay solvent by merging with the [[New York Central Railroad]] on February 1, 1968, but the resulting company, [[Penn Central Transportation Company|Penn Central]], went bankrupt on June 21, 1970. The Reading filed for bankruptcy in 1971.<ref name=drury/> Between 1974 and 1976, SEPTA ordered and accepted the delivery of the [[Silverliner]] IVs.

===Conrail===
In 1976, [[Conrail]] took over the railroad-related assets and operations of the bankrupt PRR and Reading railroads, including the commuter rail operations. Conrail provided commuter rail services under contract to SEPTA until January 1, 1983, when SEPTA assumed operations.<ref name=drury/>

===The end of diesel routes===
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:SEPTAboot2.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Delaware Valley Association of Railroad Passengers flyer protesting diesel service cuts.]] -->
The Regional Rail SEPTA inherited from Conrail and its predecessor railroads was almost entirely run with electric-powered [[multiple unit]] cars and locomotives. However, Conrail (the Reading before 1976) operated four SEPTA-branded routes under contract throughout the 1970s, all of which originated from Reading Terminal. The [[Allentown, Pennsylvania|Allentown]] via [[Bethlehem, Pennsylvania|Bethlehem]], [[Quakertown, Pennsylvania|Quakertown]], and [[Lansdale, Pennsylvania|Lansdale]] service was gradually cut back. Allentown–Bethlehem service ended in 1979,<ref name="williams">{{cite book | last = Williams | first = Gerry | title = Trains, Trolleys and Transit: A Guide to Philadelphia Area Rail Transit | publisher = Railpace Company, Inc | year = 1998 | location = [[Piscataway, New Jersey]] | pages = 13–16, 46–47, 95–98 | isbn = 0-9621541-7-2}}</ref> Bethlehem-Quakertown service ended July 1, 1981, and Quakertown–Lansdale service ended July 27, 1981. [[Pottsville line]] service to [[Pottsville, Pennsylvania|Pottsville]] via [[Reading, Pennsylvania|Reading]] and [[Norristown, Pennsylvania|Norristown]], also ended July 27, 1981. West Trenton service [[Crusader (train)|previously ran]] to [[Pennsylvania Station (Newark)|Newark Penn Station]]; this was cut back to West Trenton on July 1, 1981, with replacement [[New Jersey Transit]] connecting service continuing until December 1982.<ref name=dvarp>{{cite journal |url=http://dvarp.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/dvrp9303.txt |title=New Backing for "Crusader" Route |first=John |last=Pawson |journal=The Delaware Valley Rail Passenger |date=March 1993 |volume=13 |issue=3 |publisher=Delaware Valley Association of Railroad Passengers |access-date=2017-01-31 |archive-date=2017-09-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170905140752/http://dvarp.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/dvrp9303.txt |url-status=live }}</ref> The final service, Fox Chase-Newtown service, initially ended on July 1, 1981. It was re-established on October 5, 1981, as the [[Fox Chase Rapid Transit Line]], which then ended on January 14, 1983.<ref name="williams" />

Most train equipment was either [[Budd Rail Diesel Car]]s, or locomotive-hauled [[Push–pull train|push-pull]] trains with former Reading [[EMD FP7|FP7]]s. The diesel equipment was maintained at the Reading Company/Conrail owned [[Reading Company#Reading Shops|Reading Shops]], in Reading, PA.

The services were phased out due to a number of reasons that included lack of ridership, a lack of funding outside the five-county area, withdrawal of Conrail as a contract carrier, a small pool of aging equipment that needed replacement, and a lack of SEPTA-owned diesel maintenance infrastructure. The death knell for any resumption of diesel service was the [[Center City Commuter Connection]] tunnel project, which lacks the necessary ventilation for exhaust-producing locomotives.<ref name=phillytrolley>{{cite web|url=http://www.phillytrolley.org/RDC/rdc05.html|title=Philadelphia Trolley Tracks: Diesel Train Service|website=www.phillytrolley.org|access-date=2011-02-23|archive-date=2010-12-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101222052523/http://www.phillytrolley.org/RDC/rdc05.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Service from Cynwyd was extended to a new high-level station at Ivy Ridge in 1980, and the 52nd Street Station closed in the same year.

===SEPTA takeover and strike===
{{main|1983 SEPTA Regional Rail strike|Fox Chase Rapid Transit Line}}

The transition from Conrail to SEPTA, overseen by General Manager [[David L. Gunn]] (who later became President of the [[New York City Transit Authority]] and [[Amtrak]]), was a turbulent one.<ref name=drury>{{cite book | last = Drury | first = George H. | title = The Train-Watcher's Guide to North American Railroads: A Contemporary Reference to the Major railroads of the U.S., Canada and Mexico | publisher = Kalmbach Publishing | year = 1992 | location = [[Waukesha, Wisconsin]] | pages = 19, 150, 201–202, 267 | isbn = 0-89024-131-7}}</ref> SEPTA attempted to impose lower transit (bus and subway driver's) pay scales and work rules, which was met by resistance by the [[Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers|BLE]] (an experiment was already in place on the diesel-only [[Fox Chase Rapid Transit Line]], which used City Transit Division employees instead of traditional railroad employees as a bargaining chip). As the January 1, 1983 deadline approached, the unions stated they agreed to work even if new union contracts were not in place by the new year.<ref name=williams/> SEPTA had spent most of December 1982 preparing riders for the likelihood of no train service come the new year.<ref name=williams/> Even with the unions' offers to continue working, SEPTA insisted that a brief shutdown of service would still be necessary, arguing that it would not know until the eleventh hour how many Conrail employees would actually come to work for SEPTA.<ref name=williams/> In addition, SEPTA claimed that these employees would have to be qualified to work on portions of the system unfamiliar to them.<ref name=williams/>

A lawyer who regularly commuted from [[Newtown (SEPTA station)|Newtown]] on the Fox Chase Rapid Transit line filed a class action lawsuit against SEPTA to force the agency to keep trains running.<ref name=williams/> The judge who heard the case, while agreeing that SEPTA probably would not be able initially to operate a full schedule, ordered the agency to keep as much train service running as possible.<ref name=williams/> This resulted in limited service after January 1, 1983 on all the Reading lines and the heavily patronized PRR [[Paoli/Thorndale Line|Paoli line]].<ref name=williams/> Full service was gradually restored over the next several weeks.<ref name=williams/>

The unions then surprised SEPTA on March 15, 1983, by going on strike, still without contracts, in an action timed to coincide with an expected City Transit Division strike.<ref name=williams/> At the time, the City Transit Division was chafing at SEPTA for discontinuing diesel service on the Fox Chase Rapid Transit Line on January 14, 1983, as personnel were paid higher salaries for traveling a considerable distance to operate trains based in Newtown.<ref name=williams/> SEPTA, however, settled with the transit union shortly before its strike deadline, a move that rail unions took as a betrayal.<ref name=williams/> The rail unions had hoped that with both the railroads and City Transit shut down, the unions could extract whatever settlement they desired.<ref name=drury/> The railroad strike lasted 108 days, and service did not resume until July 3, 1983, when the last holdout union agreed to a contract to settle from the other rail unions.<ref name=williams/>

In the end, SEPTA would treat the rail unions workers as railroad workers rather than transit operators, but their pay scale remains lower than that of other Northeast commuter railroads, such as [[NJ Transit]] and the [[Long Island Rail Road]]. The strike resulted in lower ridership, which took over 10 years to rebuild.

===Center City tunnel===
{{main|Center City Commuter Connection}}
[[File:Vuchic SEPTA plan.png|thumb|right|Original Regional Rail plan with R1-R7.]]
The idea of linking the Philadelphia and Reading lines with an urban tunnel was first adopted by the Philadelphia City Planning Commission in 1960, under the leadership of [[Edmund Bacon (architect)|Edmund Bacon]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Heller|Garvin|2013|p=140}}</ref> Such a tunnel would improve the [[Connectivity (graph theory)|connectivity]] of the network.<ref>{{Harvnb|Vuchic|Kikuchi|1984|pp=1–4}}</ref> The tunnel was constructed between 1976 and 1984 at a cost of $330 million.<ref>{{Harvnb|Treese|2012|p=44}}</ref>

As part of the tunnel project SEPTA implemented a diametrical mode of operation. Heretofore the Pennsylvania and Reading trains had terminated in their respective terminals. Besides making transfers difficult, this led to congestion and reduced capacity. With the opening of the tunnel, Pennsylvania trains would run through the tunnel on to matched Reading lines, and vice versa. This would reduce congestion at the downtown stations, as very few trains would terminate or originate at them, and reduce the number of potential passenger transfers as each train reached more destinations. The original plan for the system was made by [[University of Pennsylvania]] professor [[Vukan Vuchic]], based on the [[S-Bahn]] [[commuter rail]] systems in [[Germany]]. Numbers were assigned to the Pennsylvania lines in order from south (Airport) to northeast (Trenton); the Reading line matches were chosen to balance ridership, the physical characteristics of the lines, and the location of yards. An additional consideration was avoiding crossovers on the trunk lines. and to attempt to avoid trains running full on one side and then running mostly empty on the other.<ref>{{Harvnb|Vuchic|Kikuchi|1985|pp=52–57}}</ref> Vuchic recommended seven lines:<ref>{{Harvnb|Vuchic|Kikuchi|1984|p=5-2}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
! Line !! Stage 1 !! Stage 2
|-
| '''R1''' || Airport to West Trenton || Airport to West Trenton
|-
| '''R2''' || Marcus Hook to Warminster || Marcus Hook to Warminster
|-
| '''R3''' || West Chester/Elwyn to Wayne Junction/Suburban Station || West Chester/Elwyn to Chestnut Hill West
|-
| '''R4''' || Bryn Mawr to Wayne Junction/Suburban Station || Bryn Mawr to Fox Chase/Newtown
|-
| '''R4S''' || || Fox Chase to Newtown
|-
| '''R5''' || Paoli to Doylestown/Lansdale || Paoli to Doylestown/Lansdale
|-
| '''R6''' || Ivy Ridge to Norristown || Ivy Ridge to Norristown
|-
| '''R7''' || Trenton to Chestnut Hill East || Trenton to Chestnut Hill East
|-
| '''R8''' || Chestnut Hill West to Fox Chase ||
|}

Stage 1, which represented the state of affairs when the tunnel opened in 1984, was hampered by an "imbalance" between the Pennsylvania lines and Reading lines. Both the R3 and R4 would short turn at Wayne Junction or Suburban Station (as would some R7 trains), which cut against the diametrical principle.<ref>{{Harvnb|Vuchic|Kikuchi|1984|p=5-1}}</ref> To correct this, Vuchich proposed the construction of a connection in the Swampoodle neighborhood between the ex-Pennsylvania [[Chestnut Hill West Line]] and the ex-Reading trunk line west of [[Wayne Junction station|Wayne Junction]] as part of Stage 2, moving the Chestnut Hill West line to the "Reading" side.<ref>{{Harvnb|Vuchic|Kikuchi|1984|pp=2–8}}</ref> This connection was never built, leading (among other factors) to the following changes:

* R3 could not go to Chestnut Hill West, so R3 trains from Media/West Chester instead went to West Trenton along the R1. Service to Chestnut Hill West was picked up by the R8.
* R4 was dropped; The R5 Paoli runs local along its entire length most of the time, and Fox Chase became half of the R8.
* R8 was added for Fox Chase to Chestnut Hill West service, using the former R4-Fox Chase and R3-Chestnut Hill West halves.

One of the assumptions in this plan was that ridership would increase after the connection was open. Instead, ridership dropped after the 1983 strike. While recent rises in oil prices have resulted in increased rail ridership for daily commuters, many off-peak trains run with few riders. Pairing up the rail lines based on ridership is less relevant today than it was when the system was implemented.{{citation needed|date=July 2016}}

At a later time, R1 was applied to the former Reading side, shared with the R2 and R5 lines to [[Glenside station]], and R3 to [[Jenkintown-Wyncote (SEPTA station)|Jenkintown]], and R1-Airport trains ran to Glenside station rather than becoming R3 trains to West Trenton. In later years, SEPTA became more flexible in order to cope with differences in ridership on various lines. After the original service patterns were introduced, the following termini changed:{{citation needed|date=July 2016}}

* R2 – Marcus Hook was extended to Wilmington and Newark
* R3 – West Chester was cut back to Elwyn
* R5 – Paoli was extended to Downingtown and Parkesburg, then later cut back to Downingtown, and later re-extended to Thorndale
* R6 – Ivy Ridge was cut back to Cynwyd

On July 25, 2010, the R-numbering system was dropped and each branch was named after its primary outer terminals.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Lustig|first=David|title=SEPTA makeover|journal=Trains Magazine|date=November 2010|page=26|publisher=Kalmbach Publishing}}</ref>

===Expansion and cuts in the 1980s===
====Crises====
The 1980s and 1990s were difficult times for SEPTA. While the agency has spent most of its 50-year history staggering from crisis to crisis, the 1980s were a particularly low point. The era was defined by crippling strikes, engineer shortages, drastic service cuts and an abundance of mismanagement. State and local officials, commuters, and general observers were quick to brand SEPTA as the most inept of all the major transit agencies, though getting a handle on what exactly was the cause of its ills was historically difficult.<ref name=crisis>{{cite journal | last = Williams | first = Gerry | title = SEPTA Scene | journal = Railpace Newsmagazine | volume = 4 | issue = 9 | pages = 16–18 | publisher = Railpace Company, Inc. | location = Picataway, New Jersey | date = September 1984 | url = http://www.railpace.com/ | access-date = 2014-06-08 | archive-date = 2014-07-01 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140701115548/http://www.railpace.com/ | url-status = live }}</ref>

''Railpace Newsmagazine'' contributor Gerry Williams commented that understanding what routinely transpires in SEPTA upper management rarely made itself clearly known to the general public. Frequently, there were various hidden agendas working in the background, often working at cross purposes with one another. This was often the result of the city (Philadelphia)/Suburban (Bucks, Delaware, Chester, Montgomery) split. The city government had historically been Democratic, the four suburban counties Republican until 2019, when all four suburban counties elected Democratic leadership. This factor is regularly influenced by the changing political winds at the state capital in Harrisburg.<ref name=crisis/>

In addition, unlike all other U.S. railroad commuter agencies which are a state agency operated as a leg of its corresponding Department of Transportation, SEPTA is not a state agency and is beholden primarily to the five local governments which comprise it. Williams questioned why there has never been any massive public push to force SEPTA to "clean up its act." He concluded that the crisis within SEPTA "merely reflects the broader problems of local provincialism and petty political squabbles which are so rampant within the region."<ref name=crisis/> Williams later commented that "unfortunately, there does not seem to be any group out there influential enough to bring shame on SEPTA, and SEPTA just may be beyond shaming anyway."<ref name=crisis/>

====Expansion====
Service to [[Reading Terminal]] ended on November 6, 1984, in anticipation of the opening of the [[Center City Commuter Connection]], which opened on November 12, 1984.{{Cn|date=October 2022}} The tunnel, first proposed in the 1950s, is an underground connection between PRR and Reading lines; previously, PRR commuter trains terminated at Suburban Station and Reading at Reading Terminal. The connection converted Suburban Station into a through-station and rerouted Reading trains down a steep incline and into a tunnel that turns sharply west near the new Market East Station (now Jefferson Station). The conversion was meant to increase efficiency and reduce the number of tracks needed.<ref name=drury/> On April 28, 1985, the Airport Line opened, providing service from Suburban Station via 30th Street Station to [[Philadelphia International Airport]].{{Cn|date=October 2022}} This line runs along Amtrak's NEC, then crosses over onto Reading tracks that pass close to the airport. At the airport, a new bridge carries it over [[Interstate 95]] and into the airport terminals between the baggage claim in arrivals and the check-in counters in departures.<ref name="drury" /> In 1990, R5 service was extended from Downingtown to Coatesville and Parkesburg. However, on November 10, 1996, R5 service to Parkesburg was truncated to Downingtown. In 2006, SEPTA started negotiations with [[Wawa Food Markets]] to purchase land in [[Wawa, Pennsylvania]] to build a new Park-and-Ride facility for a planned restoration of service between Elwyn and Wawa on the [[Media/Wawa Line]], which previously ran to West Chester. On August 21, 2022, service was restored to Wawa Station, 3 miles (4.8 km) west of the Elwyn station. The project included new track, catenary, signals, and communications equipment; and new structures, including a new station at Wawa with a large park and ride facility. The Wawa Station is ADA-compliant with high platforms, a ticket office, ticket vending machines, and a waiting room, as well as a 600-car parking garage. The station is expected to see 500 commuters on a typical weekday, as it will sit next to [[U.S. Route&nbsp;1]] (US&nbsp;1) and serve the nearby corporate headquarters of convenience store chain Wawa. Bus service will connect the station to Painters Crossing and Concordville, Pennsylvania.

====Shrinking service====
[[File:Philadelphia Transit and Commuter Rail System.png|thumb|500px|right|Dotted gray lines represent former SEPTA-sponsored [[Conrail]] commuter rail service before July 1981. The Fox Chase-Newtown section was discontinued in January 1983. The electrified West Chester and Ivy Ridge lines were truncated in 1986, however service on the former has been extended back out to Wawa in 2022.]]
Between 1979 and 1983, diesel locomotives were phased out. With insufficient operating funds and a desire to avoid maintaining deteriorating lines, SEPTA cut various services throughout the 1980s.<ref name=mitchell/> '''[[Media/Wawa Line|R3 West Chester]]''' service was truncated to [[Elwyn (SEPTA station)|Elwyn]] on September 19, 1986, due to unsatisfactory track beyond. '''R6 Ivy Ridge''' service was truncated to [[Cynwyd (SEPTA station)|Cynwyd]] on May 17, 1986, due to concerns about the [[Manayunk Bridge]] over the [[Schuylkill River]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://dvarp.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/dvrp9206.txt|title=The Delaware Valley Rail Passenger|date=June 8, 1992|website=dvarp.org|publisher=Delaware Valley Association of Railroad Passengers|access-date=May 1, 2016|archive-date=May 7, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160507113917/http://dvarp.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/dvrp9206.txt|url-status=live}}</ref> Service to Cynwyd ended altogether in 1988, but fierce political pressure brought resumed service. '''R8''' diesel service between '''Fox Chase''' and '''Newtown''' ended on January 14, 1983, after SEPTA decided not to repair failing [[Budd Rail Diesel Car|diesel train equipment]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.abandonedrails.com/Newtown_Branch|title=Abandoned Rails: The Newtown Branch|website=www.abandonedrails.com|access-date=2016-05-01|archive-date=2016-03-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160331155717/http://www.abandonedrails.com/Newtown_Branch|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="williams" /> The service was initially terminated on July 1, 1981 (along with diesel services to Allentown and Pottsville) and reinstated on October 5, 1981, using operators from the city transit division. This experimental [[Fox Chase Rapid Transit Line]] caused a rift in unions within the organization, adding to the March 1983 strike that lasted 108 days.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newtownline.pa-tec.org/history.html|title=Newtown Branch history|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511231456/http://www.newtownline.pa-tec.org/history.html|archive-date=2011-05-11 }}</ref>

SEPTA management was criticized for the cuts. Vukan Vuchic, the transit expert and [[University of Pennsylvania]] professor who designed the former R-numbering system for SEPTA, said he had never seen a city the size of Philadelphia "cut transit services quite as drastically as SEPTA. For a system that is already obsolete, any more cutbacks would be disastrous—and likely spell doom for transit in the Philadelphia region. This city would be the first in the world to do that."<ref name=Vuchic>{{cite web|last=Hyland|first=Tim|access-date=2010-10-26|title=SEPTA in need of new ideas, more funding|publisher=Penn Current|date=2004-12-09|url=http://www.upenn.edu/pennnews/current/2004-12-09/features/septa-need-new-ideas-more-funding|archive-date=2015-09-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150907122901/http://www.upenn.edu/pennnews/current/2004-12-09/features/septa-need-new-ideas-more-funding|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Delaware Valley Association of Rail Passengers|DVARP]] said that SEPTA purposely truncated service and that while other commuter railroad counterparts "in North America expand their rail services, SEPTA is the only one continuing to cut and cut and cut. The only difference between SEPTA and its railroad and transit predecessors is that SEPTA eliminates services to avoid rebuilding assets, while its predecessors (PRR, Reading and Conrail) kept service running while deferring maintenance."<ref name=mitchell>{{cite news |first=Matthew |last=Mitchell |title= SEPTA Budget for Fiscal 1993: Continued Rail Retrenchment |work=The Delaware Valley Association of Railroad Passengers|date=April 1992}}</ref>

===RailWorks===
{{distinguish|Train Simulator (video game)}}
[[File:TempleStation3.JPG|thumb|left|Temple University station was constructed during RailWorks]]
On November 16, 1984, the Columbia Avenue (now Cecil B. Moore Avenue) bridge near old [[Temple University]] Station was found to be unsafe, putting all four tracks out of service north of Market East Station. In December 1984, a temporary bridge opened, allowing service to resume north of Market East Station.{{Cn|date=October 2022}} Nonetheless, the results of decades of deferred maintenance on the [[Reading Viaduct]] between the [[Center City Commuter Connection]] and Wayne Junction continued to threaten the right-of-way. In 1992, the bridge was in such poor condition that the bridge inspector actually saw the structure sag every time a train passed over the bridge; further inspection revealed that the bridge was in imminent danger of collapsing.<ref name="williams" />

Over the following year, SEPTA undertook a 10-month, $354 million (equivalent to ${{Inflation|r=1|US|354|1992}} million in {{currentyear}}) project to overhaul the viaduct, labeled "RailWorks."<ref name="williams" /> The viaduct was shut down completely from April 5 to October 3, 1992, and from May 2 to September 4, 1993, with the R6 Norristown, R7 Chestnut Hill East, and R8 Fox Chase lines suspended.<ref name=williams/><ref>{{cite news|url=http://articles.philly.com/1992-04-02/news/26004882_1_railworks-wayne-junction-fern-rock-transportation-center|title=Septa Riders Bracing For Railworks|last=Struzzi|first=Diane|date=2 April 1992|newspaper=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]|access-date=13 June 2016|archive-date=5 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160805130719/http://articles.philly.com/1992-04-02/news/26004882_1_railworks-wayne-junction-fern-rock-transportation-center|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://articles.philly.com/1993-09-05/news/25986552_1_wayne-junction-railworks-project-chestnut-hill-east|title=Septa Is Wooing Riders Anew: Railworks Worked. Trains Are Back.|last=Fish|first=Larry|date=5 September 1993|newspaper=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]|access-date=13 June 2016|archive-date=5 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160805141122/http://articles.philly.com/1993-09-05/news/25986552_1_wayne-junction-railworks-project-chestnut-hill-east|url-status=dead}}</ref> Other Reading lines only came as far into the city as the [[Fern Rock Transportation Center]], where riders had to transfer to the [[Broad Street Line]].<ref name=williams/> Express trackage was added to the Broad Street Line to improve travel times from Center City to Fern Rock. Nonetheless, the number of subway trains needed to carry both regular Broad Street Line riders, as well as passengers transferring to the subway because of RailWorks, exceeded the capacity of the above-ground, two-track, stub-end Fern Rock terminus.<ref name=williams/><ref name="nyc">{{cite web|url=http://www.nycsubway.org/wiki/SEPTA_Broad_Street_Subway|title=SEPTA Broad Street Subway|last2=Jones|first2=John|publisher=NYCSubway.org|last3=Metz|first3=George|last4=Wright|first4=Bob|first1=Peggy|last1=Darlington|access-date=2016-06-13|archive-date=2016-05-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160514103322/http://www.nycsubway.org/wiki/SEPTA_Broad_Street_Subway|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1993, SEPTA added a loop track to Fern Rock Yard, so that northbound trains did not need to use the crossovers at the station throat, somewhat ameliorating the problem.<ref name=williams/> During peak hours, SEPTA ran several diesel trains from the Reading side branches, along non-electrified [[Conrail]] trackage, to [[30th Street Station]].<ref name="williams" />

Meanwhile, SEPTA crews replaced several dilapidated bridges, installed new [[continuous welded rail]] and [[Railway electrification system|overhead catenary]], constructed new rail stations at [[Temple University]] and [[North Broad Street Station|North Broad Street]], and upgraded the [[Railway signalling|signals]].<ref name="williams" /> Upon the completion of RailWorks, the Reading Viaduct became the "newest" piece of railroad owned by SEPTA, although other projects have since allowed improved service on the ex-Reading side of the system.<ref name=williams/>

===Ridership===
When Conrail handled operations on SEPTA's behalf, overall ridership peaked in 1980 with over 373&nbsp;million unlinked trips per year. The Regional Rail Division carried over 32&nbsp;million passengers in 1980, a level which was not to be exceeded again for decades. Regional Rail ridership subsequently declined in 1982 after SEPTA ceased operating diesel service. It then sharply declined by half after SEPTA assumed operations in 1983, hitting a new low of just under 13&nbsp;million passengers. This decline of ridership was the result of a drawn-out strike by the railroad unions, the discontinuing of service to over 60 stations, the increase in fares during a period of decreasing gasoline prices, and the unfamiliarity of SEPTA's management in operating a commuter railroad.

In 1992, ridership dipped again due to economic factors and due to SEPTA's RailWorks project, which shut down half of the railroad over two periods of several months each in 1992 and 1993. A mild recession in 1992–1994 also dampened ridership, but a booming economy in the late 1990s helped increase ridership to near the peak level of 1980.

In 2000, ridership started a slight decline due to the slow economy, but in 2003 ridership started increasing again. The average weekday passenger counts have not increased at the same rate as the total annual passenger counts, which may mean that weekend ridership is increasing. In 2008, Regional Rail ridership hit an all-time high of over 35 million. In 2009, it was down 1% of this high, but by fiscal year 2013 ridership reached a new high of over 36 million.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.septa.org/media/releases/2013/07-22.html|title=SEPTA {{!}} SEPTA Sets New Record For Regional Rail Ridership|website=www.septa.org|access-date=2017-06-05|archive-date=2017-08-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170825111904/http://www.septa.org/media/releases/2013/07-22.html|url-status=live}}</ref>  This number was passed again in 2015 with a new record of 37.7 million trips.<ref name=":2" />  <!-- blacklisted link <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.examiner.com/x-8010-Philadelphia-Public-Transportation-Examiner~y2009m7d27-SEPTA-ridership-up-for-year-which-ended-on-a-down-note|title=Official Tickets and Your Source for Live Entertainment - AXS.com|website=www.examiner.com}}</ref> -->

The following chart shows SEPTA Regional Rail ridership from 1979 to 2021:<ref>SEPTA 1997 Ridership Census, Annual Service Plans FY 2001 through 2007</ref>{{Full citation needed|date=October 2016}}<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.pewtrusts.org/uploadedfiles/wwwpewtrustsorg/reports/philadelphia_research_initiative/philadelphia-city-statistics.pdf |title=Philadelphia 2013: The State of the City |date=2013 |access-date=August 11, 2016 |publisher=[[The Pew Charitable Trusts]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514094902/http://www.pewtrusts.org/uploadedFiles/wwwpewtrustsorg/Reports/Philadelphia_Research_Initiative/Philadelphia-City-Statistics.pdf |archive-date=May 14, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/SEPTA-Sets-Regional-Ridership-Record-216494331.html |title=SEPTA Sets Regional Rail Ridership Record |last=Glover |first=Sarah |date=July 23, 2013 |work=[[WCAU]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304194411/http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/SEPTA-Sets-Regional-Ridership-Record-216494331.html |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |access-date=August 11, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=FY 2013 SEPTA annual report|url=http://septa.org/strategic-plan/reports/annual-2013.pdf|publisher=SEPTA|access-date=13 October 2014|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304052929/http://septa.org/strategic-plan/reports/annual-2013.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author1=American Public Transportation Association |author1-link=American Public Transportation Association |title=Public Transportation Ridership Report: Fourth Quarter & End-of-Year 2014 |url=https://www.apta.com/wp-content/uploads/Resources/resources/statistics/Documents/Ridership/2014-q4-ridership-APTA.pdf |website=APTA |access-date=6 September 2022 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20220906181420/https://www.apta.com/wp-content/uploads/Resources/resources/statistics/Documents/Ridership/2014-q4-ridership-APTA.pdf |archive-date=6 September 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author1=American Public Transportation Association |author1-link=American Public Transportation Association |title=Public Transportation Ridership Report: Fourth Quarter 2017 |url=http://ti.org/pdfs/2017-Q4-Ridership-APTA.pdf |publisher=APTA |access-date=6 September 2022 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20220906181719/http://ti.org/pdfs/2017-Q4-Ridership-APTA.pdf |archive-date=6 September 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Ridership Report |url=https://www.apta.com/research-technical-resources/transit-statistics/ridership-report/ |website=American Public Transportation Association}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=June & Fiscal Year-End 2021 Report |url=https://planning.septa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/RRJun21.pdf |access-date=2022-06-27}}</ref>

{{Graph:Chart
| type=rect
| showValues = format:.3s
| colors = #{{rcr|SEPTA|Regional Rail}}
| xAxisAngle = -90
| yAxisFormat = s
| yGrid = 
| width = 700
| yAxisTitle =  Ridership (Trips in Millions)
| y = 31539688, 32194460, 27109824, 21826854, 12856207, 15960307, 18788437, 22522596, 22932834, 23797289, 24143591, 24381416, 23312199, 21128888, 19185111, 20875493, 22558492, 22545896, 23012000, 24805000, 25088000, 29437000, 28671000, 28300000, 28058200, 28234986, 28632658, 30433000, 31712000, 35454000, 35443000, 34913000, 35387000, 35255000, 36023000, 37132500, 37804600, 35453700, 34670200, 34373400, 34200000, 26300000, 06900000
| xAxisTitle = Fiscal Year (Jul - Jun)
| x = 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
}}

===2014 strike===
On June 14, 2014, a strike shut down SEPTA's Regional Rail service after negotiations failed between SEPTA and the [[Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen]] and the [[International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers]]. A total of 400 workers walked off the job.<ref>{{cite journal | last = Mulvihill | first = Geoff | title = SEPTA Commuter Rail Union on Strike | journal = [[WCAU]] | publisher = NBC10.com | location = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | date = June 14, 2014 | url = http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/SEPTA-Commuter-Rail-Union-Preparing-to-Strike-263121161.html | access-date = June 14, 2014 | archive-date = June 14, 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140614060827/http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/SEPTA-Commuter-Rail-Union-Preparing-to-Strike-263121161.html | url-status = live }}</ref><ref name=inq61414>{{cite news|last=Nussbaum|first=Paul|title=Regional Rail strike begins; Corbett to seek federal help|work=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]|date=June 14, 2014|url=http://articles.philly.com/2014-06-14/news/50583839_1_13-regional-rail-lines-norristown-high-speed-line-jerri-williams|access-date=June 15, 2014|archive-date=June 16, 2014|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140616031852/http://articles.philly.com/2014-06-14/news/50583839_1_13-regional-rail-lines-norristown-high-speed-line-jerri-williams|url-status=dead}}</ref> As a result of the strike, SEPTA planned to add additional capacity on bus, subway, and trolley routes along with the [[Norristown High Speed Line]] during off-peak hours.<ref name=inq61414/> On the first day of the strike, Governor [[Tom Corbett]] asked President [[Barack Obama]] to appoint a presidential emergency board to attempt to end the labor dispute and force employees back to work.<ref name=inq61414/> A short time after 7 p.m. on June 14, President Obama signed an executive order forcing workers to return and continue negotiations through the presidential emergency board. SEPTA Regional Rail service resumed on June 15.<ref>{{cite web|last=Dougherty|first=Mike, Jan Carabeo, and Andrew Kramer|title=Obama Intervenes As SEPTA Regional Rail Strike Ends, Service Resumes Sunday|publisher=KYW-TV|location=Philadelphia|date=June 14, 2014|url=http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2014/06/14/obama-intervenes-as-septa-regional-rail-strike-ends-service-resumes-sunday/|access-date=June 15, 2014|archive-date=June 18, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140618070129/http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2014/06/14/obama-intervenes-as-septa-regional-rail-strike-ends-service-resumes-sunday/|url-status=live}}</ref>

===COVID-19 measures (2020-2021)===
SEPTA Regional Rail operated "Lifeline Service" during the [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref name=covidmap>{{cite web |url=https://www.septa.org/covid-19/pdf/Regional-Rail-Rail-Transit-Line-Map-Covid-Closures-48x48.pdf |title=SEPTA Regional Rail & Rail Transit Lifeline Service |publisher=[[SEPTA]] |date=2020 |access-date=April 14, 2020 |archive-date=April 14, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200414173803/https://www.septa.org/covid-19/pdf/Regional-Rail-Rail-Transit-Line-Map-Covid-Closures-48x48.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> On April 9, 2020, service was suspended on the [[Chestnut Hill East Line|Chestnut Hill East]], [[Chestnut Hill West Line|Chestnut Hill West]], [[Cynwyd Line|Cynwyd]], [[Manayunk/Norristown Line|Manayunk/Norristown]], [[West Trenton Line (SEPTA)|West Trenton]], and [[Wilmington/Newark Line|Wilmington/Newark]] lines.<ref name=covid>{{cite web |url=http://www.septa.org/covid-19/service-information.html |title=Service Information |publisher=[[SEPTA]] |access-date=April 14, 2020 |archive-date=April 14, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200414070102/http://www.septa.org/covid-19/service-information.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Service along the [[Lansdale/Doylestown Line|Lansdale/Doylestown]] and [[Paoli/Thorndale Line|Paoli/Thorndale]] lines were also truncated to {{stn|Lansdale}} and {{stn|Malvern||SEPTA}}, respectively.<ref name=covid/> Wilmington/Newark Line service as far as {{stn|Wilmington||Delaware}} resumed on May 10, 2020, as part of the Southwest Connection Improvement Program, while service was suspended along the [[Media/Wawa Line]] on the same date.<ref>{{cite web|title=Southwest Connection Improvement Program|publisher=SEPTA|url=http://septa.org/southwestconnection/|access-date=May 1, 2020|archive-date=May 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502081309/http://septa.org/southwestconnection/|url-status=live}}</ref> The West Trenton Line and Paoli/Thorndale Line service to {{stn|Thorndale||SEPTA}} resumed on June 15, 2020. Lansdale/Doylestown Line service to {{stn|Doylestown}} resumed on June 22, 2020. The Chestnut Hill East, Manayunk/Norristown, and Media/Elwyn lines resumed on June 28, 2020. On the same date, service levels increased on all lines except the Chestnut Hill West and Cynwyd lines.<ref name=covid/> Service on the Wilmington/Newark Line to Newark resumed on January 25, 2021 in order to offer public transit options during a construction project along [[Interstate 95 in Delaware|Interstate 95]] in Wilmington.<ref>{{cite web|title=Regional Rail Select Schedule Changes - Select Lines Sunday, January 24, 2021|publisher=SEPTA|url=https://www.septa.org/media/rail-preview.html|access-date=January 11, 2021|archive-date=January 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210115052156/https://www.septa.org/media/rail-preview.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Service on the Chestnut Hill West Line resumed on March 8, 2021, on a limited schedule, with service running Monday through Friday.<ref name=covid/><ref>{{cite news|last=Madej|first=Patricia|title=SEPTA Chestnut Hill West Line will return with 'restricted service' in March|work=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]|date=January 28, 2021|url=https://www.inquirer.com/transportation/septa-chestnut-hill-west-regional-rail-return-20210128.html?cid=Daily+News+Twitter+Account|access-date=January 28, 2021|archive-date=January 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128223219/https://www.inquirer.com/transportation/septa-chestnut-hill-west-regional-rail-return-20210128.html?utm_medium=social&cid=Daily+News+Twitter+Account&utm_campaign=Daily+News+Twitter+Account&utm_source=t.co|url-status=live}}</ref> Service on the Cynwyd Line resumed with limited operations on September 7, 2021.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.septa.org/schedules/upcoming-rail.html|title=Regional Rail Select Schedule Changes|publisher=SEPTA|access-date=August 19, 2021|archive-date=August 19, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210819213427/https://www.septa.org/schedules/upcoming-rail.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Weekend service on the Chestnut Hill West Line was restored on December 19, 2021.<ref>{{cite web|title=Regional Rail Select Schedule Changes - New Timetables Effective Sunday, December 19, 2021|publisher=SEPTA|url=http://septa.org/schedules/upcoming-rail.html|access-date=December 12, 2021|archive-date=December 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211212154235/http://septa.org/schedules/upcoming-rail.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== 2045 Philadelphia transit plan ===
[[File:Unit 710261 at Leyton Midland Road May2019b.jpg|thumb|204x204px|A [[London Overground]] EMU similar to the ones being looked at for use on the Silver Line and frequent Regional Rail.]]
In February 2021, the city government of Philadelphia announced the Philadelphia Transit Plan, which outlines the city's proposals for its public transportation system through 2045. For Regional Rail, the plan included increased service frequency, a fare system overhaul, and the creation of many [[Rapid transit|metro]]-like Regional Rail lines within the Philadelphia city limits and close suburbs. Regional Rail would be split into the Silver Line, frequent Regional Rail (metro-style lines), and Regional Express Service (lines similar to the current Regional Rail, which would make fewer stops closer to Philadelphia). This plan would require upgraded tracks and stations, new vehicles, and infrastructure replacement and upgrades. Similar to other major infrastructure upgrades to existing commuter networks such as [[GO Transit Regional Express Rail]] in [[Toronto]] or the [[Caltrain Modernization Program]] in [[San Francisco]]. The plan also proposed extensions of Regional Rail services to [[Phoenixville, Pennsylvania|Phoenixville]], [[Quakertown, Pennsylvania|Quakertown]], and [[West Chester, Pennsylvania|West Chester]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Philadelphia Transit Plan {{!}} Office of Transportation, Infrastructure and Sustainability|url=https://www.phila.gov/documents/philadelphia-transit-plan/|access-date=2021-02-24|website=City of Philadelphia|language=en-US|archive-date=2021-02-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210223192013/https://www.phila.gov/documents/philadelphia-transit-plan/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Office of Transportation, Infrastructure, and Sustainability |date=2021-02-22 |title=Philadelphia Transit Plan |url=https://www.phila.gov/media/20210222110702/OTIS-Philadelphia-Transit-Plan.pdf |access-date=2022-06-27 |website=Philadelphia Transit Plan |pages=122–131 }}</ref>

The 2045 Transit Plan breaks this into 3 phases.

==== Phase 1: "The Silver Line" ====
Phase 1 entails the creation of the "Silver Line". The name comes from the [[Silverliner]] family of EMUs which are used in Regional Rail service, and was chosen to denote the metro-like similarities between the Silver Line and the Blue ([[Market–Frankford Line|Market–Frankford]]) and Orange ([[Broad Street Line|Broad Street]]) lines. The Silver Line would run from [[Fern Rock Transportation Center]] in [[North Philadelphia]] to [[Penn Medicine Station]] in [[University City, Philadelphia|University City]]. It would have the same frequency as a bus line, with 15-minute headway for 15 hours a day every week. Fares along the Silver Line would be similar to SEPTA's other transportation modes, including bus, trolley, and subway.<ref name=":0" />

==== Phase 2: Upgrade priority lines ====
Phase 2 would include the addition of more metro-like regional rail routes. These would be called Frequent Regional Rail lines and would be similar to the Silver Line, having lower fares, free transfers, and increased frequencies. Currently, there are four phase 2 routes proposed, including conversion of the [[Manayunk/Norristown Line|Manayunk/Norristown]], [[Chestnut Hill East Line|Chestnut Hill East]], and [[Airport Line (SEPTA)|Airport]] lines to Frequent Regional Rail, and a portion of the [[SEPTA Main Line]] from Fern Rock Transportation Center to [[Jenkintown–Wyncote station]] in [[Jenkintown, Pennsylvania|Jenkintown]] would have Frequent Regional Rail alongside Regional Express Services.<ref name=":0" />

==== Phase 3: Full implementation ====
Phase 3 would include the implementation of the final Frequent Regional Rail lines, additional infrastructure, vehicle, and station upgrades. As part of phase 3, the [[Chestnut Hill West Line|Chestnut Hill West]], [[Fox Chase Line|Fox Chase]], and [[Warminster Line|Warminster]] lines would be completely replaced with Frequent Regional Rail, while the [[Lansdale/Doylestown Line|Lansdale/Doylestown]], [[Media/Wawa Line|Media/Wawa]], [[Paoli/Thorndale Line|Paoli/Thorndale]], and [[West Trenton Line (SEPTA)|West Trenton]] lines would have Frequent Regional Rail run alongside Regional Express Services to [[Lansdale station|Lansdale]], [[Elwyn station|Elwyn]], [[Villanova station (SEPTA Regional Rail)|Villanova]], and [[Somerton station|Somerton]] respectively.<ref name=":0" />

The city of Philadelphia and SEPTA expect this plan to take decades and billions of dollars to complete.<ref name=":0" />

==See also==
*[[Commuter rail in North America]]
*[[List of Pennsylvania railroads]]
*[[List of suburban and commuter rail systems]]
*[[Commuter rail in North America#List of North American commuter rail operators|List of North American commuter rail operators]]
*[[List of United States commuter rail systems by ridership]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|30em}}

==References==
* {{Cite book | title=Ed Bacon: Planning, Politics, and the Building of Modern Philadelphia | last1=Heller | first1=Gregory L. | last2=Garvin | first2=Alexander | publisher=[[University of Pennsylvania Press]] | date=2013 | isbn=978-0-8122-0784-2 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XKWlhn6B6hsC }}
* {{cite book | last=Treese | first=Lorett | title=Railroads of Pennsylvania | publisher=[[Stackpole Books]] | location=Mechanicsburg, PA | edition=2nd | year=2012 | isbn=978-0-81-170011-5 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=alIwdzyaZC4C }}
* {{cite book | last1=Vuchic | first1=Vukan | author-link1=Vukan Vuchic | last2=Kikuchi | first2=Shinya | year=1984 | title=General Operations Plan for the SEPTA Regional High Speed System | location=Philadelphia | publisher=SEPTA }}
* {{cite journal | title=Planning an Integrated Regional Rail Network: Philadelphia Case | journal=Transportation Research Record | issue=1036 | last1=Vuchic | first1=Vukan | author-link1=Vukan Vuchic | last2=Kikuchi | first2=Shinya | date=1985 }}
* {{Williams-Philadelphia }}

==Further reading==
*{{Pawson-Delaware Valley}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
{{Attached KML|display=title,inline}}
* {{official website|http://www.septa.org/service/rail/}}
* [http://world.nycsubway.org/us/phila/regionalrail.html NYCsubway.org – SEPTA Regional Rail Lines]
* [http://www.pa-tec.org/ Pennsylvania Transit Expansion Coalition (PA-TEC)]
* [http://www.dvarp.org Delaware Valley Association of Rail Passengers (DVARP)]
* [https://www.septastats.com/ SEPTA Stats – Real-time Stats on Regional Rail]

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[[Category:SEPTA Regional Rail| ]]
[[Category:Railway companies established in 1983]]
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