The future of the SEPTA fleet

25Hz, I realize that not everyone arrives 3 minutes before the next train. Some people, depending on their connection timings, can be there quite early. However, you stated "bathrooms & shelter should be a basic amenity available 24 hours a day." My point is, SEPTA need not worry about this when the stations aren't used all throughout a 24 hour period, because service doesn't go that far. You're putting the cart before the horse.

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25Hz wrote:You're forgetting the persons that have no choice but to wait for the train. Unlike many people on here i've been at many transit rail stations overnight or a while before the first train of the day arrives just because thats how my schedule was. On my trip to ontario in 2012, i arrived to trenton at 1 am and i had to get a ride at that time because there is no overnight service on the trenton line. I had the option of walking down to bristol station from where i was staying in part of levittown and catching the first train to trenton to connect to amtrak, but no way to go inside levittown's waiting room. It was jan 4 and 10 degrees out with a steady breeze, so i wasnt going to do that. I'm not a wimp & find no problem waiting a while for trains outside but that was hypothermia weather plus no bathrooms.

Just getting to go inside there i would have been willing to walk the several miles & wait. Do you see what i'm saying now? Plus many of the stations close at 12:00 regardless of overnight service, having them closed near peak heating in summer and overnight low in winter is stupid and it's not a rider friendly policy. We can do better. Transit isn't for people with cars, it;s so people don;t need the car. I think that simple idea has be totally lost both here in the septa forum and in the real septa organization. No active push for any real rider improvements aside from a few rebuilt stations that will ultimately be closed or not have any fully enclosed areas after the rebuild.

You make it sound as though you'd be happier living in a different metropolitan area.

I say open any and every station and bathroom and station waiting room across the system, 24 hours a day.

Within a month, every building will be stripped of copper wires and plumbing, the building will burn down, or become a new house for homeless, drug addicts, and the mentally ill.

Once the stations are destroyed, and 25Hz has to make a tinkle in the bushes again, he will have something new to complain about.

THE CORE BUSINESS PURPOSE OF REGIONAL RAIL is to bring office workers from the suburbs into the city. That's why most commuter agencies primarily handle AM rush, PM rush and a little off-peak service with NO nights and weekends.

Your late late night SEPTA train is an added luxury. It isn't making any money, and the added expense of a late night station agent and extra janitorial services to maintain a public restroom for 16 hours, rather than 6 hours is going to skyrocket.

AND WHAT THE FRIGG DOES ANY OF THUS HAVE TO DO WITH THE TOPIC?

Admin note: 25hz won't be bothering us anymore. He's on a permanent site vacation. Can we return to topic? Thanks, guys.

To be fair and on topic, the "future fleet" really should have bathrooms; its a basic need that I've heard many older people complain about and avoid the train because of, and also pretty much absolves the need to have a bathroom at any station.

SCB2525 wrote:To be fair and on topic, the "future fleet" really should have bathrooms; its a basic need that I've heard many older people complain about and avoid the train because of, and also pretty much absolves the need to have a bathroom at any station.

Many people who drive in, even when taking the train or the bus in would be faster, will tell you something, anything, other than the actual reason they don't take the train or bus. Put in more parking or bathrooms or whipped cream with a cherry on the top, they'll still drive everywhere.

Wifi would be great to have on the train. Amtrak and MBTA do it, and it could be retrofitted to the current fleet.

WiFi is relatively easy to do.

On-board bathrooms require daily servicing. SEPTA never had the facilities or staff to service retention toilets. The Blueliners and unconverted green cars on the Reading side discharged on to the tracks. Yes you read that correctly. Don't know about the PRR side.

Servicing bathrooms requires facilities and staffing.

People who feel that strongly about this should make their voices heard for the record at every SEPTA Board meeting and public hearing related to the capital budget.

I'm sure it wouldn't be impossible to get a honey wagon at Roberts, Powelton, and Frazer yards, and cycle the equipment so that it sees one of these yards once in a 48 hour cycle for toilet servicing.

Other than St. Patrick's Day, New Years Eve, etc......you won't top off the holding tanks in a normal 48 hour equipment cycle.

The tricky part is weekend equipment that starts / ends at outlaying points like Media, Warminster, Norristown, etc.

On an MU, you are pretty hard pressed for space both in the coach, and under the floor for all the plumbing and hardware for a toilet compartment. On a coach, it's not too difficult. But now you have a fleet of passenger cars that are split between plumbing, and no plumbing.

Makes it confusing to Joe six-pack passenger.....The same person who led to the elimination of R-designations on trains, and express trains with names. We sure don't want the riding public to be any more confused.

The next concern is HAVE YOU RIDDEN A SEPTA LOCAL? How do you aim for the bowl when the train is accelerating and stopping hard every minute? This isn't like MBTA, Metra, or MARC where the train is running 70 or 80 miles with big distances between stations.

NorthPennLimited wrote: The next concern is HAVE YOU RIDDEN A SEPTA LOCAL? How do you aim for the bowl when the train is accelerating and stopping hard every minute? This isn't like MBTA, Metra, or MARC where the train is running 70 or 80 miles with big distances between stations.

The same way men riding on NJTransit locals or Metro North locals or LIRR locals or MBTA locals or MARC locals or Metra locals do? GOtransit and AMT? There's always the option of sitting down.

NorthPennLimited wrote:
The next concern is HAVE YOU RIDDEN A SEPTA LOCAL? How do you aim for the bowl when the train is accelerating and stopping hard every minute? This isn't like MBTA, Metra, or MARC where the train is running 70 or 80 miles with big distances between stations.

Ha good concern, but if you've ever rode one of our locals out here - like I did last Sunday - it's the same stuff... We made more stops than an Iowa streetcar with Stevie Wonder at the controls. It was one of the longest rides I've had in a while getting downtown on Sunday night.

I've rode NJ TRANSIT Numerous times and have used the bathrooms..when we was going top speed...i think any smart person would go to the bathroom before their stop is near. If you have trouble holding your balance then you shouldn't use the restroom on the train. lol. I'm sure SEPTA would come up with some excuse. lol.

To get this back on topic, I created a thread on the procurement of 13 + 5 locomotives.