Amid Ridership Surge, SEPTA Trains Are Packed

English: personal photo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

SEPTA is shuffling equipment and workers to try to deal with chronic crowding problems on Regional Rail trains, as ridership rises and old cars and locomotives break down more frequently.

Even the 120 new Silverliner V cars that have arrived since 2010 to replace 73 old cars have not solved the overcrowding issue.

About 15 percent of SEPTA’s rail cars are out of service on any given day, while passenger counts are up 4 percent from last year and 50 percent from 15 years ago.

“The trains are so full that it’s even hard to find room to stand,” said Katrina Claghorn, a dietitian who commutes daily from Wayne to 30th Street Station. “It started getting bad over the summer, and now the trains are packed when they pull into 30th Street Station on the Paoli line.”

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/business/transportation/20141009_Amid_ridership_surge__SEPTA_shuffles_workers__trains_to_ease_crowding.html#WCQjedUsbj5PMw5Y.99

SEPTA Ridership Hits 22-Year High

Image via Wikipedia

For the fiscal year that ended June 30, SEPTA‘s buses, subways, trolleys, and trains had about 334 million passengers, up 4 percent from the previous year and the most since 345 million in fiscal 1989.

SEPTA officials credited service improvements, higher gasoline prices, Center City population growth, and a growing use of transit by young adults.

To read the entire article from Philly.com, click here:

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20110728_SEPTA_ridership_hits_22-year_high.html?ref=twitter.com

SEPTA Replacing Aging Passenger Rail Cars

Image via Wikipedia

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) is spending $274 million to replace 120 passenger cars in their commuter rail system.

73 of these new cars will replace ones built in the 1960’s!!!  The first three new cars went on their maiden voyage this morning.

The new Silverliner V rail cars are being partially built in South Korea and finished in Philly.  The new cars have better air-conditioning and heating systems, wider doors, wider aisles, larger windows and wheelchair areas.  All 120 cars should be in service by mid 2011.