Report SEPTA Delays Here:

I hope I'm posting to the correct place. Today (Saturday, August 22nd), I was waiting for the inbound R5 at Rosemont Station for the 12:52 PM train to Temple U station. The train came by about 12 minutes late, and did not stop at the station. I had to wait for the next train which is not a through train. No announcements were made. So, in addition to having to wait at the station for over 35 minutes, I had to change trains to a crowded Chestnut Hill E. train in CC with my bike. I suspect that the "express" R5 train did stop at Bryn Mawr because not many people got on the next (1:24 PM) train. My question is who can I complain to? I feel this is an unfair inconvenience, and at the very least an announcement should have been made. Thanks in advance.

Greg 19050

Thanks a lot board members.

Complain to Septa customer service. Im willing to bet that the train that passed you by was given permission by the train train dispatcher to run express from probably Paoli to Bryn Mawr because they ran into problems and the dispatcher wanted them to try to make up as much time as possible. Trains run every 30 minutes between Paoli and Overbrook and because this train was late and you were already waiting for a late train, they decided that you could wait a few more minutes for the next train. Like I said it was probably done to try and get the train that was late,on time and as you mention the train goes thru to Doylestown and maybe they didnt have teh equipment for a train to run in its place from 30th Street to Doylestown hence running it express to try and get it back on schedule. Go write Septa and get an explanation.

R5 PAOLI-THORNDALE: SERVICE IS SUSPENDED BETWEEN CTR CITY AND THORNDALE DUE TO AMTRAK POWER PROBLEMS. PLEASE LISTEN FOR ANNOUNCEMENTS.

SERVICE SUSPENDED: R1 AIRPORT AND R2 MARCUS HOOK SERVICE SUSPENDED DUE TO AMTRAK SIGNAL PROBLEMS. PLEASE SEEK ALTERNATE MEANS. Due to inclement weather, some trains may experience unexpected delay en route.

I heard this on my scanner after a day of railfanning in Reading Pa and it was actually signal problems on Amtrak at Phil interlocking where the airport line diverges off the NEC. From what I understand, ever since Amtrak put in Phil interlocking, that it has been a very troublesome interlocking with many many failures. Of course with any interlocking with heavy usage, a failure is bound to happen. Im sure with the wind and rain that it didnt help matters

Here is a funny one. An R-5 came at 5:34 today and is was the Doylestown Express. Then an R-5 came in also at 5:41 the normal time for the R-3 West Trenton. The train said R-5 Doylestown Express-Local in the windows. All the people got on the Doylestown train thinking it was the Doylestown again. The train sat for 10 minutes and all the people got back off and this really was the R-3 West Trenton Express, I think they forgot to change the signs when the schedule changed. We actuall did make up some times because we passed the locals. The conducter was very angry and called the train a ghost train. What a weird situation.

Oh. I was on one of those passed trains (580).
I'd sure like to see how that gets explained in the morning report.

AFAIK, there was no change to that part of the schedule. Both the R5 express (6598) and the R3 express (6382) come out of Powelton, and did so before the current TT. The next R5 (580) comes from Thorndale and wouldn't have been due until 5:50, so I can't see how anyone on the platform should have been confused.

Matthew Mitchell wrote:Oh. I was on one of those passed trains (580).
I'd sure like to see how that gets explained in the morning report.

AFAIK, there was no change to that part of the schedule. Both the R5 express (6598) and the R3 express (6382) come out of Powelton, and did so before the current TT. The next R5 (580) comes from Thorndale and wouldn't have been due until 5:50, so I can't see how anyone on the platform should have been confused.

Actually Matt, for the past 6 months to a year, 6598 was switched from a Powelton start to a thru route train from the airport to become 4598, and 6382 came from Powelton yard but because 4598 was constantly coming up from the airport late, they decided to make a switch and have the train from the airport get thru routed to West Trenton making that train now become 4382(formerly 6382) since 6382 would go thru CC a few minutes behind the Doylestown express, so I guess the schedule planners thought the switch of Northern terminals was a no brainer. As far as the screw up , the only thing I can speculate, is maybe when 4382 came up from the airport with the wrong signs that maybe this is the same crew that was on the train as last pick(the new pick started yesterday and today is the 1st weekday of the pick) and didnt realize that the northern terminal was switched or forgot there was a switch as that crew gets off at Suburban and gets recrewed and didnt give it much thought. I dont know.

Ok, I think I found the error in this train and why there was confusion from the train being signed up improperly to passengers getting on. As I previously stated, train 4598 no longer exist as a thru train from the airport to Doylestown with the airport train being thru routed with the West Trenton to become 4382 and the former 4598 now becomes 6598 starting out of Powelton Yard again. Well Septa updated many public timetables but never changed the airport TT and that timetable still shows 4598. I just think possibly the crew misunderstood the run guide and public TT since the crews are suppose to follow the public TT and dont have there own TT. Hope this clearifies everything.


OK after I typed this out, I checked the delay reports for yesterday and found this. Just what I suspected. Oh well, It wont happen again. Remember yesterday was 1st day of the new pick.

Remarks: 544pm- 4382 arrived Suburban Station and was recrewed. The recrew insisted it was 4598 and
would not proceed.
548pm- Unable to establish communication with the train. 384 is in behind.
557pm- TM ---- is en route.
600pm- 4382 departed.
Cause:
Train# Delay Status Details
384 S 12 AT SUBURBAN STATION FOLLOWED BEHIND 4382
THAT HAD MIS-COMMUNICATION PROBLEM.
384 N 12 AT SUBURBAN STATION HELD BEHIND 4382 WHO
HAD A MIS-COMMUNCATION PROBLEM
*
4382 N 12 AT SUBURBAN STATION MIS-COMMUNICATION
WITH RECREW

SERVICE INTERUPTION: Due to Amtrak signal problems, R7 Trenton Line and R8 Chestnut Hill West Line trains are being delayed. Outbund trains are holding at 30th St. Station and inbound trains at North Philadelphia Station. Please listen for announcements.

-update-

SERVICE DISRUPTION: Due to a PECO power failure, the R7 Trenton Line and R8 Chestnut Hill West Line are experiencing delays from 30-60 minutes en route. Please listen for announcements.

BuddSilverliner269 wrote:Actually Matt, for the past 6 months to a year, 6598 was switched from a Powelton start to a thru route train from the airport to become 4598, and 6382 came from Powelton yard but because 4598 was constantly coming up from the airport late, they decided to make a switch and have the train from the airport get thru routed to West Trenton making that train now become 4382(formerly 6382) since 6382 would go thru CC a few minutes behind the Doylestown express, so I guess the schedule planners thought the switch of Northern terminals was a no brainer.

And the previous TT I picked up for reference while posting was from 2007 when I thought it was 2008. I had remembered that Airport-Doylestown run because I used it as a connecting train last winter while I was in a temporary office overlooking University City station, but since I didn't trust my memory (you wouldn't either if you had to live with it 46 years...) I pulled out an old TT, but didn't look at the year. Plus as you said, they did not update R3, so I didn't see the switch on 4382. Sheesh. Make an error trying to avoid one...

Thanks for straightening me out, and thanks for the morning report quote. To their credit, they were right to the point on the cause.

Matthew Mitchell wrote:

BuddSilverliner269 wrote:Actually Matt, for the past 6 months to a year, 6598 was switched from a Powelton start to a thru route train from the airport to become 4598, and 6382 came from Powelton yard but because 4598 was constantly coming up from the airport late, they decided to make a switch and have the train from the airport get thru routed to West Trenton making that train now become 4382(formerly 6382) since 6382 would go thru CC a few minutes behind the Doylestown express, so I guess the schedule planners thought the switch of Northern terminals was a no brainer.

And the previous TT I picked up for reference while posting was from 2007 when I thought it was 2008. I had remembered that Airport-Doylestown run because I used it as a connecting train last winter while I was in a temporary office overlooking University City station, but since I didn't trust my memory (you wouldn't either if you had to live with it 46 years...) I pulled out an old TT, but didn't look at the year. Plus as you said, they did not update R3, so I didn't see the switch on 4382. Sheesh. Make an error trying to avoid one...

Thanks for straightening me out, and thanks for the morning report quote. To their credit, they were right to the point on the cause.

Well Matt, your not the only one. I think we all get there from time to time, but we all including myself do look forward to your insight
In regards of the daily delay reports, I have to give Septas credit because I have to admit that they do , do a pretty good job of reporting teh delays without distorting the truth.I go on to read those reports everyday because its usually a pretty good read.

BuddSilverliner269 wrote:In regards of the daily delay reports, I have to give SEPTA's credit because I have to admit that they do a pretty good job of reporting the delays without distorting the truth. I go on to read those reports everyday because its usually a pretty good read.

They're a learning tool for management and line employees, or at least they should be. Once you learn the jargon, they are exceptionally informative for the rest of us. I recall once walking Jere Downs through a blow-by-blow of a railroad meltdown through a morning report a little birdie had given her.

Thank you very much for the informative report. They got it right yesterday as the problem was resolved regarding the mix up.
It does however, seem that there is some mixup when they change schedules.