View source for Wilmington/Newark Line

{{Short description|SEPTA Regional Rail service}}
{{Infobox rail line
| box_width                       = 
| name                            = Wilmington/Newark Line
| color                           = {{rcr|SEPTA|Wilmington/Newark}}
| logo                            = 
| logo_width                      = 
| logo_alt                        = 
| image                           = SEPTA R2 Gliding Along.jpg
| image_width                     = 
| image_alt                       = 
| caption                         = A 2-car [[Silverliner#Silverliner IV|Silverliner IV]] train seen at [[Prospect Park (SEPTA station)|Prospect Park station]]
| type                            = [[Commuter rail]]
| system                          = [[SEPTA Regional Rail]]
| status                          = 
| locale                          = 
| start                           = [[Newark (SEPTA station)|Newark]]
| end                             = [[Temple University (SEPTA station)|Temple University]]
| stations                        = 22
| routes                          = 
| daily_ridership                 = 4,301 (FY 2024)<ref name="ridership" />
| open                            = 
| close                           = 
| owner                           = 
| operator                        = [[SEPTA Regional Rail]]
| character                       = 
| depot                           = 
| stock                           = [[Electric Multiple Unit]]s, [[push-pull train]]s
| linelength                      = 
| tracklength                     = 
| tracks                          = 
| gauge                           = {{Track gauge|ussg|allk=on}}
| old_gauge                       = 
| minradius                       = 
| racksystem                      = 
| routenumber                     = 
| electrification                 = [[Overhead line]], [[Amtrak's 25&nbsp;Hz traction power system|12&nbsp;kV&nbsp;25&nbsp;Hz&nbsp;AC]]
| speed                           = 
| elevation                       = 
| website                         = [http://www.septa.org/ septa.org]
| map                             = {{switcher
|{{maplink-road|from=Wilmington/Newark Line.map}}
|Show interactive map
|[[File:Wilmington Newark Line 2015.png|frameless]]<hr>
|Show static map
|[[File:Wilmington Newark Line.png|frameless]]<hr>
|Show static map w/former stops
|{{WilmingtonNewark-infobox}}
|Show route diagram map
}}
}}

The '''Wilmington/Newark Line''' is a route of the [[SEPTA Regional Rail]] [[commuter rail]] system in the [[Philadelphia]] area. The line serves southeastern [[Pennsylvania]] and northern [[Delaware]], with stations in [[Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania]], [[Wilmington, Delaware]], and [[Newark, Delaware]]. It is the longest of the 13 SEPTA Regional Rail lines.

== Route ==
The Wilmington/Newark Line runs on [[Amtrak]]'s [[Northeast Corridor]], making local stops along the way.

Only weekday peak trains run to Newark. All trains on weekends terminate at Wilmington. Service in [[Delaware]] is funded in part by the [[Delaware Department of Transportation]] (DelDOT).

{{As of|2024}}, most weekday Wilmington/Newark trains operate through the Center City tunnel to and from [[Lansdale/Doylestown Line]] points. All weekend Wilmington trains run through to and from [[Elm Street station|Elm Street]] in [[Norristown, Pennsylvania|Norristown]] on the [[Manayunk/Norristown Line]].<ref name="timetable" />

== History ==
[[File:SEPTA Silverliner V 735 at Wilmington Station.jpeg|thumb|left|[[Silverliner#Silverliner V|Silverliner V]] SEPTA Regional Rail train at [[Wilmington station (Delaware)|Wilmington station]]]]
The line north of [[Wilmington, Delaware|Wilmington]] was originally built by the [[Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad]]. The original alignment was opened January 17, 1838, and on November 18, 1872, a realignment opened north of [[Chester, Pennsylvania|Chester]] (part of the old route is now used for the [[Airport Line (SEPTA)|Airport Line]]). South of Wilmington the line was built by the [[Wilmington and Susquehanna Railroad]] and opened July 31, 1837. The [[Pennsylvania Railroad]] obtained control in the early 1880s. Electrified service was opened between Philadelphia and Wilmington on September 30, 1928. Electrified operation was extended to Newark and beyond to [[Washington, D.C.]], on February 10, 1935. In 1968, the Pennsylvania Railroad merged into [[Penn Central]]. In 1976 [[Conrail]] took over, and SEPTA took over on January 1, 1983. When SEPTA took over service, commuter rail service in Delaware was eliminated, with the Claymont and Edgemoor stations closed.<ref name="claymoor" />

Under SEPTA, commuter service from Philadelphia originally terminated in Marcus Hook. On January 16, 1989, service was extended south into Delaware to end at Wilmington. A stop was added in Claymont in 1991.<ref name=deldot /> In the mid-1990s, a transportation study took place for extending SEPTA service from Wilmington to Newark. The proposal called for stations at Newport (near the former [[Newport Railroad Station]]), Metroform (now Churchmans Crossing), Newark, and West Newark (at Otts Chapel Road). A review by DelDOT challenged the locations of the stations in Newport, Newark, and West Newark.<ref>{{cite news |title=DelDOT Questions Planned Rail Stops |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/30701017/deldot_newport_november_26_1994/ |access-date=April 17, 2019 |work=The News Journal |date=November 26, 1994 |location=Wilimington, Delaware |page=3|via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref> SEPTA service was extended south from Wilmington to Newark September 2,  1997. The Churchmans Crossing station between Wilmington and Newark opened in 2000.<ref name=deldot>{{cite web|title=Delaware State Rail Plan|publisher=Delaware Department of Transportation|date=2011|url=https://deldot.gov/Publications/reports/srp/pdfs/srp_final.pdf|access-date=March 24, 2018}}</ref>[[File:R2 Newark.gif|left|200px]]
On July 25, 2010, SEPTA renamed the service from the R2 Newark to the Wilmington/Newark Line as part of system-wide service change that drops the R-number naming and makes the Center City stations the terminus for all lines. This also ended the combined R2 Newark/R2 Warminster service.

SEPTA activated [[positive train control]] on the Wilmington/Newark Line on May 1, 2017.<ref>{{cite web|title=Positive Train Control Update|publisher=SEPTA|date=May 1, 2017|url=http://www.septa.org/service/rail/ptc/2017-04-update.html|access-date=May 17, 2017}}</ref>

On April 9, 2020, service on the line was suspended due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Pennsylvania|COVID-19 pandemic]],<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}}</ref> though [[Penn Medicine Station]] was still being served by other rail services.<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}}</ref> Service between [[30th Street Station]] and Wilmington resumed May 10, 2020 on a modified schedule as part of the Southwest Connection Improvement Program.<ref>{{cite web|title=Southwest Connection Improvement Program|publisher=SEPTA|url=http://septa.org/southwestconnection/|access-date=May 1, 2020}}</ref> Service 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}}</ref> Previously, Amtrak announced the completion of the Delaware Third Rail Project in December 2020. The project installed the third track between Wilmington and Newark that would increase the capacity.<ref>{{cite news|title=Amtrak Completes Delaware Third Track Project|url=https://media.amtrak.com/2020/12/amtrak-completes-delaware-third-track-project/|publisher=Amtrak Media|date=2020-12-07}}</ref>

== Station list ==
The Wilmington/Newark Line trains make the following station stops, after leaving the [[Center City Commuter Connection]]:

{|class="wikitable"
|- style="vertical-align:bottom;"|
!State
!Zone<ref name="timetable">{{cite web|url=https://schedules.septa.org/current/WIL.pdf|title=Wilmington/Newark Line Timetable|date=May 19, 2024|publisher=Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority|access-date=June 17, 2024|location=[[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]]}}</ref>
!Location
!Station
![[Railway milepost|Miles (km)]]<br />from<br />{{nowrap|[[Center City Commuter Connection|Center City]]}}
!Date opened
! class="nowrap"|Connections / notes
|-
|rowspan=19|[[Pennsylvania|PA]]
|rowspan=1|CC
|[[University City, Philadelphia|University City,<br/>Philadelphia]]
|{{stl|SEPTA|Penn Medicine}} {{NJT acc}}
|{{convert|1.8|mi|km|abbr=values}}
|
|{{ric|SEPTA}} [[SEPTA Regional Rail]]: {{ric|SEPTA|Airport}} {{ric|SEPTA|Manayunk/Norristown}} {{ric|SEPTA|Media/Wawa}} {{ric|SEPTA|Warminster}} {{ric|SEPTA|West Trenton}}<br />{{bus icon}} [[SEPTA City Bus]]: {{SEPTA bus link|40|LUCY}}
|-
|rowspan=8|2
|[[Darby, Pennsylvania|Darby]]
|[[Darby station|Darby]]
|{{convert|6.1|mi|km|abbr=values}}
|
|
|-
|rowspan=3|[[Sharon Hill, Pennsylvania|Sharon Hill]]
|{{stl|SEPTA|Curtis Park}}
|{{convert|6.8|mi|km|abbr=values}}
|March 7, 1949<ref name="curtispark/academy">{{cite news|title=New Curtis Park Station|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/53195010/?terms=%22Curtis+Park+station%22|access-date=April 1, 2018|work=Delaware County Daily Times|date=March 5, 1949|page=2|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}} {{open access}}</ref>
|{{rint|bus}} [[SEPTA Suburban Bus]]: {{SEPTA bus link|115}}
|-bgcolor=dfdfdf
|Academy
|
|
|Closed March 7, 1949<ref name="curtispark/academy" />
|-
|{{stl|SEPTA|Sharon Hill|Wilmington/Newark}}
|{{convert|7.2|mi|km|abbr=values}}
|
|{{rint|bus}} SEPTA Suburban Bus: {{SEPTA bus link|115}}
|-
|[[Folcroft, Pennsylvania|Folcroft]]
|{{stl|SEPTA|Folcroft}}
|{{convert|7.7|mi|km|abbr=values}}
|
|{{rint|bus}} SEPTA Suburban Bus: {{SEPTA bus link|115}}
|-
|[[Glenolden, Pennsylvania|Glenolden]]
|{{stl|SEPTA|Glenolden}}
|{{convert|8.3|mi|km|abbr=values}}
|
|
|-
|[[Norwood, Pennsylvania|Norwood]]
|{{stl|SEPTA|Norwood}}
|{{convert|9.0|mi|km|abbr=values}}
|
|
|-
|[[Prospect Park, Pennsylvania|Prospect Park]]
|{{stl|SEPTA|Prospect Park}}
|{{convert|9.5|mi|km|abbr=values}}
|
| Known as Moore until April 1, 1932<ref name=moore>{{cite web|last1=Baer|first1=Christopher T.|title=A General Chronology of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company Its Predecessors and Successors and Its Historical Context: 1932|url=http://www.prrths.com/newprr_files/Hagley/PRR1932%204_15_15.pdf|publisher=Pennsylvania Railroad Technical Historical Society|access-date=December 7, 2015}}</ref>
|-
|rowspan=10|3
|rowspan=2|[[Ridley Park, Pennsylvania|Ridley Park]]
|{{stl|SEPTA|Ridley Park}}
|{{convert|10.4|mi|km|abbr=values}}
|1871<ref>{{cite news|title=Latest News By Mail|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/18831338/ridley_park_station_november_23_1880/|access-date=April 1, 2018|work=Lancaster Daily Intelligencer|date=November 23, 1880|page=2|via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref>
|
|-
|{{stl|SEPTA|Crum Lynne}}
|{{convert|11.2|mi|km|abbr=values}}
|
|{{rint|bus}} SEPTA Suburban Bus: {{SEPTA bus link|114}}
|-
|rowspan=3|[[Eddystone, Pennsylvania|Eddystone]]
|-bgcolor=dfdfdf
|Baldwin
|
|
|Closed October 4, 1981<ref>{{cite news|last1=Tulsky|first1=Fredric N.|title=Rail Cuts Approved by SEPTA|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/14528531/baldwindarlington_gone_september_24/|access-date=October 30, 2017|work=The Philadelphia Inquirer|date=September 24, 1981|page=23|via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref>
|-
|{{stl|SEPTA|Eddystone}}
|{{convert|12.3|mi|km|abbr=values}}
|
|{{bus icon}} SEPTA City Bus: {{SEPTA bus link|37}}
|-
|rowspan=3|[[Chester, Pennsylvania|Chester]]
|[[Chester Transit Center|Chester T.C.]] {{NJT acc}}
|{{convert|13.4|mi|km|abbr=values}}
|
|{{bus icon}} SEPTA City Bus: {{SEPTA bus link|37}}<br />{{rint|bus}} SEPTA Suburban Bus: {{SEPTA bus link|109|113|114|117|118|119}}
|-bgcolor=dfdfdf
|{{stl|SEPTA|Lamokin Street}}
|
|
|Closed July 1, 2003<ref name=dvarp>{{cite magazine |url=http://dvarp.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/dvrp0307.pdf |title=On the Railroad Lines |magazine=The Delaware Valley Rail Passenger |date=July 2003 |publisher=Delaware Valley Association of Rail Passengers |access-date=October 30, 2017 |volume=21 |issue=6–7 }}{{Dead link|date=January 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
|-
|{{stl|SEPTA|Highland Avenue}}
|{{convert|15.5|mi|km|abbr=values}}
|
|{{rint|bus}} SEPTA Suburban Bus: {{SEPTA bus link|113}}
|-bgcolor=dfdfdf
|[[Trainer, Pennsylvania|Trainer]]
|Trainer
|
|
| Closed March&nbsp;26, 1978<ref name="baer78">{{cite web |last=Baer |first=Christopher T. |url=http://www.prrths.com/newprr_files/Hagley/PRR1978.pdf|title=A General Chronology of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, Its Predecessors and Successors and Its Historical Context: 1978 |publisher=[[Pennsylvania Railroad Technical & Historical Society]] |date=April 2015 |accessdate=January 14, 2025 |quote=Mar. 26, 1978 – SEPTA discontinues station stops at Trainer and Naaman on Wilmington Line. |page=8}}</ref>
|-
|[[Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania|Marcus Hook]]
|{{stl|SEPTA|Marcus Hook}}
|{{convert|17.1|mi|km|abbr=values}}
|
|{{rint|bus}} SEPTA Suburban Bus: {{SEPTA bus link|119}}
|-
|rowspan=6|[[Delaware|DE]]
|rowspan=6|4
|rowspan=2|[[Claymont, Delaware|Claymont]]
|bgcolor=dfdfdf|Naaman
|bgcolor=dfdfdf|
|bgcolor=dfdfdf|
|bgcolor=dfdfdf|Closed March 26, 1978<ref name="baer78" /><ref name="namaans">{{cite news|title=Public Notice: Station Abandonment|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/14691743/naaman_to_be_canned_january_6_1978/|access-date=October 30, 2017|work=The Philadelphia Inquirer|date=January 6, 1978|page=17|via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref>
|-
|{{stl|SEPTA|Claymont}} {{NJT acc}}
|{{convert|19.6|mi|km|abbr=values}}
|1991<ref name="claymoor" /><ref name=delrailplan>{{cite web|title=Delaware State Rail Plan|url=http://www.deldot.gov/information/pubs_forms/srp/srp_final.pdf|publisher=[[Delaware Department of Transportation]]|access-date=October 30, 2017|page=4-6, 4-8|date=2011}}</ref>
|{{bus icon}} [[DART First State]]: 13, 61<br>{{rint|bus}} SEPTA Suburban Bus: {{SEPTA bus link|113}}
|-bgcolor=dfdfdf
|[[Edgemoor, Delaware|Edgemoor]]
|Edge Moor
|
|
|Closed January 1, 1983<ref name="claymoor">{{cite news|title=Rail Unions Set Strike Deadline|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/14783512/septa_deadline_february_10_1983/|access-date=October 30, 2017|work=The Morning News|date=February 10, 1983|location=[[Wilmington, Delaware]]|page=23|via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref>
|-
|[[Wilmington, Delaware|Wilmington]]
|{{stl|Amtrak|Wilmington}} {{NJT acc}}
|{{convert|26.8|mi|km|abbr=values}}
|1989
|{{rint|us|amtrak}} [[Amtrak]]: ''[[Acela]]'', ''[[Cardinal (train)|Cardinal]]'', ''[[Carolinian (train)|Carolinian]]'', ''[[Crescent (train)|Crescent]]'', ''[[Northeast Regional]]'', ''[[Silver Meteor]]'', ''[[Vermonter (train)|Vermonter]]''<br />{{rint|us|greyhound}} [[Greyhound Lines]]<br />{{bus icon}} DART First State: 2, 5, 6, 10, 11, 13, 14, 18, 20, 28, 33, 35, 37, 40, 52, 301, 305 (seasonal)
|-
|rowspan=2|[[Newark, Delaware|Newark]]
|{{stl|SEPTA|Churchmans Crossing}} {{NJT acc}}
|{{convert|32.5|mi|km|abbr=values}}
|2000
|{{bus icon}} DART First State: 54, 62
|-
|{{stl|SEPTA|Newark}} {{NJT acc}}
|{{convert|38.7|mi|km|abbr=values}}
|1997
|{{rint|us|amtrak}} Amtrak: ''Northeast Regional''<br />{{bus icon}} DART First State: 10, 33, 46, [[DART Connect]]<br />{{bus icon}} [[Cecil Transit]]: 4
|}

== Ridership ==
Between FY 2013-FY 2019 annual ridership on the Wilmington/Newark Line ranged between 2.5 and 2.8 million before collapsing during the [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|COVID-19 pandemic]].{{refn|group=note|Data for individual lines is not available for FY 2020.<ref name="ridership">{{cite web | url=https://public.tableau.com/shared/4DG4P262H | title=Route Operating Statistics | last=SEPTA Data Group | accessdate=March 1, 2024}}</ref>}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=SEPTA Route Statistics |url=https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/septa.data.group/viz/shared/2PGM374D9 |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=[[SEPTA]]}}</ref>

{{ #invoke:Chart | bar chart
| group 1 = 2700254:2709934:2758922:2860285:2720655:2795649:2498350:0:504077:1040070:1272597
| units suffix =
| group names = Annual ridership
| width=800
| x legends = FY 2013:FY 2014:FY 2015:FY 2016:FY 2017:FY 2018:FY 2019:FY 2020:FY 2021:FY 2022:FY 2023
| colors = #{{rcr|SEPTA|Wilmington/Newark}}
}}

== See also ==
*[[Bell Tower (PRR)]]
*[[Lamokin Tower]]

== Notes ==
{{reflist|group=note}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://schedules.septa.org/current/WIL.pdf SEPTA – Wilmington/Newark Line schedule]
*[http://www.prrths.com/Hagley/PRR%20INTRO%20Jul%2004.wd.pdf The Pennsylvania Railroad Technical and Historical Society]

{{Northeast Corridor navbox}}
{{SEPTA |state=autocollapse}}
{{DART First State}}
{{Delaware Valley transit}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilmington Newark Line}}
[[Category:SEPTA Regional Rail lines]]
[[Category:Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington Railroad lines]]
[[Category:Wilmington/Newark Line| ]]