R2 to New Hope?

I was looking over a track map of Bucks County when I noticed something interesting:

The R2 Warminster line contiues northward through central bucks to New Hope. The area it runs through is developing rapidly and could have a potential ridership base in 10-20 years. When this financial mess get squared away, is anyone on borad for bringing the R2 to New Hope via the New Hope&Ivyland tracks?

You've got a bunch of people who wouldn't mind seeing that...

Of course, there's no catenary wire running northwest of Warminster, and I don't think (clarification welcomed) that SEPTA actually has trackage rights on the NH&I.

A couple of years ago, the NH&I actually tried out running a New Hope-Warminster service that connected to SEPTA; apparently, a combination of old passenger stock, slow operating speeds and rather steep fares (?) resulted in the service having a short lifespan.

I believe that the Reading Railroad had service to New Hope until about 1950, and so I guess you are talking about a possible reinstatement of service.

Didn't the New Hope run excursion trains to connect with Septa trains at Warminster. Switching to railfanning septa, next month I am planning to start riding the regional rail lines. I plan to make a trip to Warminster.

NHIRR runs a few trains from New Hope to Warminster each summer for special fantrips. However, there are very few people that actually use this (you could count them on 2 hands). They run them a few times each summer on Saturday and Sunday. There have always been only 2 trips a day.

The current track conditions and curvey nature of the line result in very slow speeds, under 30mph giving a 1.5 hr trip each way. It would make sense to extend the line to Ivyland or slightly further, but there is little land left to build a substantial park-n-ride. I doubt people in Ivyland would be willing to turn whatever land they have left into a parking lot. I would think NHIRR would be interested if the cost of rehabbing the line was paid for by the state, as long as it didn't interfere with their freight ops.

I dont think the rest of the line would generate much ridership. Most people in New Hope are ex-New Jersians or New Yorkers that probablly still work there.

If NHIRR could do their freight ops at night, it would be neat to see them run something like a Riverline car up and down the line, but that would interfere with their steam trips in New Hope which is probablly a good money maker for them.

Hypothetically, if NHIRR wanted to run a passenger service, and it was paid for entirely by them--does anyone know if it would be bound to the same ADA requirements that public transit is?

jfrey40535 wrote:NHIRR runs a few trains from New Hope to Warminster each summer for special fantrips.

They ran two trips a day on Saturdays and Sundays during October this year--part as fall foliage specials, and part for the fans who wanted to connect from SEPTA and/or ride the entire line. Don't know how they did ridership-wise. Had hoped to take my kids, but weather and schedules did not permit it.

Hypothetically, if NHIRR wanted to run a passenger service, and it was paid for entirely by them--does anyone know if it would be bound to the same ADA requirements that public transit is?

Yes.

Ridership was pretty good, but as I mentioned earlier, most boards were from New Hope not Warminster. In fact, my small group were the ONLY ones who took the R2 from anywhere and connected with the New Hope train. The few straglers that did board at Warminster drove there, and of course thought the New Hope train was a "wonderful novelty", which demonstrates most people's opinions of trains. They're pretty to look at but don't see them as a practical necessity.

Ridership was pretty good, but as I mentioned earlier, most boards were from New Hope not Warminster. In fact, my small group were the ONLY ones who took the R2 from anywhere and connected with the New Hope train. The few straglers that did board at Warminster drove there.

I live in Hatboro and have often thought about taking a ride on the NHIRR by boarding at Warminster or Ivyland but didn't know they took on riders at those locations. I didn't want to drive all the way out to New Hope just to take the train back home then back to New Hope to have to drive back home. Even their website doesn't say anything other than boarding at NH (at least the last time I looked.)

They had an ad in the paper in late Sept about it. They only board from Warminster 2x a day on Sat/Sun. Its a nice trip but very slow