• Railroad Fare Collection

  • Discussion relating to Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (Philadelphia Metro Area). Official web site can be found here: www.septa.com. Also including discussion related to the PATCO Speedline rapid transit operated by Delaware River Port Authority. Official web site can be found here: http://www.ridepatco.org/.
Discussion relating to Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (Philadelphia Metro Area). Official web site can be found here: www.septa.com. Also including discussion related to the PATCO Speedline rapid transit operated by Delaware River Port Authority. Official web site can be found here: http://www.ridepatco.org/.

Moderator: AlexC

  by TomNelligan
 
In the past, Amtrak has advertised that its tickets to or from 30th Street will be honored by SEPTA for a connnection to or from Suburban Station or Market East. Did that change this week, and if not, what happens when turnstiles go in? I've made the transfer a few times and never been asked to show my Amtrak ticket on the SEPTA train. I'll be making my annual trolley riding trip to Philly next month and I'm curious whether things will be different.
  by ExCon90
 
I'm tempted to say if you find out please post so we in Philadelphia can get up to date on it. As far as I know things didn't change on Monday, and the practice continues as before: coming in from 30th St., if the train is going beyond Temple you won't be asked to show a ticket, and in the reverse direction you won't be asked for a ticket unless the train is terminating at 30th St. The question was raised some time ago whether SEPTA would accept printouts of Amtrak e-tickets, but I haven't seen a response. As far as I know, there's no clue as yet how the situation will be handled once the turnstiles go in. A cynic might wonder whether the minds at SEPTA thought about that aspect when they planned the turnstiles.
  by Jersey_Mike
 
ExCon90 wrote:I'm tempted to say if you find out please post so we in Philadelphia can get up to date on it. As far as I know things didn't change on Monday, and the practice continues as before: coming in from 30th St., if the train is going beyond Temple you won't be asked to show a ticket, and in the reverse direction you won't be asked for a ticket unless the train is terminating at 30th St. The question was raised some time ago whether SEPTA would accept printouts of Amtrak e-tickets, but I haven't seen a response. As far as I know, there's no clue as yet how the situation will be handled once the turnstiles go in. A cynic might wonder whether the minds at SEPTA thought about that aspect when they planned the turnstiles.
Like I said they probably expect people to fork over $5 for the "privilege" of going downtown.
  by MACTRAXX
 
Everyone: The current 7/1 SEPTA RRD Tariff mentions Amtrak tickets on Page 20:

CROSS HONORING OF AMTRAK TICKETS:
Amtrak tickets are not accepted on SEPTA trains except between 30th Street,Suburban
and Market East Stations. Passengers displaying a valid Amtrak ticket will be carried
between those three Center City stations at no additional charge. This privilege is extended
only when there exists a signed written agreement between SEPTA and Amtrak regarding
this cross-honoring. Amtrak tickets cannot otherwise be accepted for transportation on
SEPTA Regional Rail service.

This should answer any question about honoring Amtrak tickets between SEPTA RRD's
Center City Philadelphia stations at this time..

MACTRAXX
  by JeffK
 
PhilaMike wrote:Just let them tap out on board.
IIRC there's a similar system in Amsterdam, with a validator on each vehicle.
NHSL riders are used to tapping out anyway, it's been pay on exit as long as I can remember for outbound trips.
That practice actually dates back to the Phila & Western days. Because the cars sit open at 69th Street, fares were always paid at the "external" station where boardings/exitings can be controlled. PAYE / PAYL continued into the Red Arrow days. After SEPTA took over they spent years futzing with a hybrid "gateway" transfer system before allowing standard transfers between the Suburban and City divisions. The stumbling block is that there's no way for someone boarding on a city line (e.g. the El) to pay for their zones in advance. SEPTA's half-solution is to retain the P&W's PAYE / PAYL policies for zone charges but require that base fares always be paid on boarding. The result is the oddball split fare payment that you're referring to - yet another source of confusion for riders who aren't long-term citizens of SEPTAland.
What I really don't understand is why the NHSL gets hit with a surcharge, when all but one other Victory buses had all their farezones reduced to just a token. If they consider it a premium service for the suburbs, shouldn't the Media and Sharon Hill trolleys be paying more too?
SEPTA is like the Red Queen in Alice in Wonderland. "Premium service" means whatever SEPTA wants it to mean - so long as it means more money out of the riders' pockets.
  by MACTRAXX
 
MACTRAXX wrote:
MACTRAXX wrote:JLE: Allow me to comment here:

SEPTA still has yet to clarify how long RRD tickets bought before the fare increase will be valid for...Traditionally they have
allowed two months or 60 days following a fare increase or adjustment but I noticed they were selling the old tickets right
up to late Sunday night 6/30 at http://www.shop.septa.org" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; in the "Discount Fares" section with notations that they are valid for
180 days/6 months from date of sale...What impressed me is that SEPTA posted all the new tickets and prices and I noticed
this change before 1am on 7/1...
Everyone: I found this information in SEPTA's new Fare Tariff effective 7/1/2013:

Page 18 - Section 2 - Paragraph C:
All Tickets are valid for 180 days from the date of issue or 60 days beyond implementation of any change that affects
ticket color,design or price. Upon implementation of New Payment Technology tickets will no longer be valid. 60 days
notice will be given for date of implementation. Tickets will be refundable for 60 days beyond the implementation date
of New Payment Technology or 180 days from the purchase date whichever is earliest...

The tariff clarifies that tickets bought before the 7/1 fare increase will be valid for 60 days which would mean until
August 31,2013...SEPTA should have made public this information instead of just this mention in the tariff...

MACTRAXX
Everyone: SEPTA has decided to keep accepting the old tariff tickets sold before the 7/1 fare increase until Tuesday
12/31/2013 because of complaints from riders thinking that they would be honored for their entire advertised 180
day/6 month limit...For example RRD tickets sold through http://www.shop.septa.org" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; were noted to be valid for that length
of time right up to the night of June 30th...
  by Launcher
 
Let us pretend for a minute that NPT is finally coming one day in the next decade. Now will SEPTA's fare and zone structure be simplified? Merging zones on the railroad and eliminating bus zones was a good step. But picture these 2 scenarios that septa drivers currently can't handle. Will the computerized fare system do any better?

1. A person leaving phila buys a single ride on PATCO eastbound on Monday am. He then buys a round trip with transfer to get home and back the next morning. The transfer is valid for 24 hours. On Tuesday am the septa driver, not grasping the concept of +24 hours, claims the transfer became invalid at midnight on Monday.
True story.

2. I'm leaving PATCO in NJ and I buy a $9.10 patco round trip with transfer for the MFL to 69th. Upon boarding the el he buys a transfer to the 100 NHSL plus 50 cents for the zone fare. On the return trip from Norristown I encounter a driver who expects full fare but instead presents a PATCO transfer for the MFL, plus $1.50 for the 2nd transfer and zone charges. By the way, the high speed line is anything but high speed right now. Not sure if signal problems or trackwork but I'm on an express going < 15 mph. I paid $12.10 for the round trip from NJ to Norristown. And still got flack from the driver. The transfer which is valid on MFL should by extension be accepted on all lines that intersect with MFL at 69th. Why punish a second transfer? It's hard enough having a three seat ride.
  by zebrasepta
 
Launcher wrote:Let us pretend for a minute that NPT is finally coming one day in the next decade. Now will SEPTA's fare and zone structure be simplified? Merging zones on the railroad and eliminating bus zones was a good step. But picture these 2 scenarios that septa drivers currently can't handle. Will the computerized fare system do any better?

1. A person leaving phila buys a single ride on PATCO eastbound on Monday am. He then buys a round trip with transfer to get home and back the next morning. The transfer is valid for 24 hours. On Tuesday am the septa driver, not grasping the concept of +24 hours, claims the transfer became invalid at midnight on Monday.
True story.

2. I'm leaving PATCO in NJ and I buy a $9.10 patco round trip with transfer for the MFL to 69th. Upon boarding the el he buys a transfer to the 100 NHSL plus 50 cents for the zone fare. On the return trip from Norristown I encounter a driver who expects full fare but instead presents a PATCO transfer for the MFL, plus $1.50 for the 2nd transfer and zone charges. By the way, the high speed line is anything but high speed right now. Not sure if signal problems or trackwork but I'm on an express going < 15 mph. I paid $12.10 for the round trip from NJ to Norristown. And still got flack from the driver. The transfer which is valid on MFL should by extension be accepted on all lines that intersect with MFL at 69th. Why punish a second transfer? It's hard enough having a three seat ride.
this might have something to do with the NHSL being so slow today (9/12/2013)
Norristown High Speed Line:
Norristown High Speed Line: Trains will be experiencing delays in both directions due to power problems.
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