I just picked up a new schedule for the R2 Wilmington/Newark line, and I looked at the weekend schedule. Its arrival to Wilmington is 8:32am, 10:32am, 12:32pm, etc., but its departure from Wilmington is 8:10am, 10:10am, 12:10pm. So unless SEPTA discovered a wormhole at Wilmington, how is it supposed to depart from Wilmington BEFORE it arrives at Wilmington?
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SEPTA's New Schedules For August 5 (Or Did SEPTA Discover Time Travel)
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The trains deadhead from Marcus Hook to Wilmington. Likewise, trains arriving Wilmington deadhead to Marcus Hook at select times.
"It's not even a railroad anymore, it's a circus act."
Everyone:
There are interesting changes to weekend line pairings in the new August 5 schedule:
Thorndale/Paoli - West Trenton
Wilmington/Marcus Hook - Lansdale/Doylestown
Elwyn - Elm Street Norristown
Every half hour Airport trains originate and terminate at Temple University weekends.
The Warminster-Airport through hourly service continues...
MACTRAXX
There are interesting changes to weekend line pairings in the new August 5 schedule:
Thorndale/Paoli - West Trenton
Wilmington/Marcus Hook - Lansdale/Doylestown
Elwyn - Elm Street Norristown
Every half hour Airport trains originate and terminate at Temple University weekends.
The Warminster-Airport through hourly service continues...
MACTRAXX
EXPRESS TRAIN TO NEW YORK PENN STATION-NO JAMAICA ON THIS TRAIN-PLEASE STAND CLEAR OF THE CLOSING TRAIN DOORS
I find the "Afternoon" inbound express and local run pair on the Paoli Thorndale Line to be very fascinating. Has this been tried before?
Update: New schedule caused some issues at the Bryn Mawr interlocking tonight as there were 4 trains in the general vicinity at the same time. The Great Valley Flyer has to weave from Track 3 to Track 4 around the Bryn Mawr local changing directions on 3 and the Paoli local starting to make stops on 4 with the new express sitting on 1.
Update: New schedule caused some issues at the Bryn Mawr interlocking tonight as there were 4 trains in the general vicinity at the same time. The Great Valley Flyer has to weave from Track 3 to Track 4 around the Bryn Mawr local changing directions on 3 and the Paoli local starting to make stops on 4 with the new express sitting on 1.
RCT:
The two eastbound (much better term than inbound) trains that you are referring to are train #580 (leaves Thorndale 4:46 PM)
running local to Haverford skipping Ardmore, Wynnewood, Narberth and Merion then stopping at Overbrook.
The new eastbound local from Bryn Mawr is Train #5256 leaving 5:37 PM running through to Elm Street-Norristown.
This train turns from westbound Bryn Mawr local #2555 arriving BMR at 5:14 PM.
These two trains look to have been split to offer more reverse peak service - noting the time of day #580 is a high ridership
train that may have had capacity issues - by adding the second train this offers more seats for close-in riders. I took note
that #580 retains the Overbrook stop - which is one of the highest intermediate ridership stations on the Paoli Line.
An interesting new AM Peak train is westbound #3505 which operates through from West Trenton (all stops WTR-JKT then TU)
7:06 JS; 7:11 SS and 7:15 from 30th Street. On the Paoli Line this train is a "skip-stop" making Overbrook, Merion, Bryn Mawr,
Radnor, Strafford and Paoli (due 7:57 AM) which looks to be a way of getting equipment west to PAO serving some select
intermediate stations for another busy eastbound run from Paoli in prime rush-hour commuting time.
MACTRAXX
The two eastbound (much better term than inbound) trains that you are referring to are train #580 (leaves Thorndale 4:46 PM)
running local to Haverford skipping Ardmore, Wynnewood, Narberth and Merion then stopping at Overbrook.
The new eastbound local from Bryn Mawr is Train #5256 leaving 5:37 PM running through to Elm Street-Norristown.
This train turns from westbound Bryn Mawr local #2555 arriving BMR at 5:14 PM.
These two trains look to have been split to offer more reverse peak service - noting the time of day #580 is a high ridership
train that may have had capacity issues - by adding the second train this offers more seats for close-in riders. I took note
that #580 retains the Overbrook stop - which is one of the highest intermediate ridership stations on the Paoli Line.
An interesting new AM Peak train is westbound #3505 which operates through from West Trenton (all stops WTR-JKT then TU)
7:06 JS; 7:11 SS and 7:15 from 30th Street. On the Paoli Line this train is a "skip-stop" making Overbrook, Merion, Bryn Mawr,
Radnor, Strafford and Paoli (due 7:57 AM) which looks to be a way of getting equipment west to PAO serving some select
intermediate stations for another busy eastbound run from Paoli in prime rush-hour commuting time.
MACTRAXX
EXPRESS TRAIN TO NEW YORK PENN STATION-NO JAMAICA ON THIS TRAIN-PLEASE STAND CLEAR OF THE CLOSING TRAIN DOORS
MACTRAXX wrote: ↑Tue Aug 06, 2019 8:50 am RCT:The reverse commute trains are definitely needed. I hope it works out.
The two eastbound (much better term than inbound) trains that you are referring to are train #580 (leaves Thorndale 4:46 PM)
running local to Haverford skipping Ardmore, Wynnewood, Narberth and Merion then stopping at Overbrook.
The new eastbound local from Bryn Mawr is Train #5256 leaving 5:37 PM running through to Elm Street-Norristown.
This train turns from westbound Bryn Mawr local #2555 arriving BMR at 5:14 PM.
These two trains look to have been split to offer more reverse peak service - noting the time of day #580 is a high ridership
train that may have had capacity issues - by adding the second train this offers more seats for close-in riders. I took note
that #580 retains the Overbrook stop - which is one of the highest intermediate ridership stations on the Paoli Line.
An interesting new AM Peak train is westbound #3505 which operates through from West Trenton (all stops WTR-JKT then TU)
7:06 JS; 7:11 SS and 7:15 from 30th Street. On the Paoli Line this train is a "skip-stop" making Overbrook, Merion, Bryn Mawr,
Radnor, Strafford and Paoli (due 7:57 AM) which looks to be a way of getting equipment west to PAO serving some select
intermediate stations for another busy eastbound run from Paoli in prime rush-hour commuting time.
MACTRAXX
Does anyone know whether a track and signal diagram of the new ARSENAL and CIVIC interlockings is accessible on the net?
There are no changes at this time.
So far one additional unwired crossover between 5 & 6 tracks.
One facing point switch installed (but rail not laid) for a siding between 3PW and 5WC tracks.
Try again next year.
So far one additional unwired crossover between 5 & 6 tracks.
One facing point switch installed (but rail not laid) for a siding between 3PW and 5WC tracks.
Try again next year.
"It's not even a railroad anymore, it's a circus act."
Thanks--glad I didn't go out in the heat to see for myself. Would be nice to find a track and signal diagram showing what's planned.
CNJGeep wrote: ↑Tue Aug 06, 2019 5:00 pm There are no changes at this time.And here I was thinking it would all be finished by the 5th. I can't help reflecting that I commuted daily on the Wilmington line the whole time Amtrak was phasing in PHIL and phasing out BRILL. They operated a full schedule for the duration of the project; every day or so I would notice a new frog where there was straight rail yesterday and a new crossover was gradually taking shape. Evidently they confined all disruptive work to the midnight hours and were good to go with the full schedule every morning. And of course 100 years ago the New York Central built the present Grand Central on the footprint of the previous one--under traffic.
So far one additional unwired crossover between 5 & 6 tracks.
One facing point switch installed (but rail not laid) for a siding between 3PW and 5WC tracks.
Try again next year.
If memory serves correctly, Newtown Jct, Jenkintown, and Dale Interlockings were rebuilt at night and with a weekend shutdown in service for the signal cutover, but weekday services were not impacted.
Same for the bridge replacement at Gwynedd Valley. They tore down the old bridge and installed the new bridge and tracks in 1 weekend
Same for the bridge replacement at Gwynedd Valley. They tore down the old bridge and installed the new bridge and tracks in 1 weekend
CNJGeep wrote: ↑Thu Aug 01, 2019 8:31 am The trains deadhead from Marcus Hook to Wilmington. Likewise, trains arriving Wilmington deadhead to Marcus Hook at select times.Was there a particular reason why Wilmington is denied more frequent revenue service in the reverse direction? Is this DART's move or SEPTA's or a joint effort or part of the shared usage agreement with Amtrak?
Delaware pays for every train that carries a passenger in the state of Delaware. They are either unwilling or unable to pay for the additional service
"It's not even a railroad anymore, it's a circus act."
True--and if SEPTA put those deadhead moves in the timetable as revenue trips without charging DelDOT it could lead to some delicate negotiations down the road. (I haven't sat down with a timetable, but were some of the Wilmington turns under the previous schedules too tight to be consistently achieved in practice? I know the weekend schedules left no wiggle room; there are some serious choke points between HOLLY and WINE which leave little chance to recover any lost time.)