Railroad Forums 

  • 15 bus replacement and who drives?

  • 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

 #1464591  by train2
 
I was about to head to Philly for some AEM7 photography, but I also looked at the 15 trolley advisories and I see where it says sink hole work has trolleys replaced with busses. Anyone local know how long of project this is projected to take? Few days or fewweeks. Any help is appreciate as it will help me plan some other travel around the Philly trip.

Second when a bus for trolley replacement takes place, who actually drives the bus? Are trolley operators simply given a bus or is their divisional/craft boundaries that require bus drives to fill in?
 #1464594  by mcgrath618
 
Pretty sure the trolley drivers are also required to have bus licenses, but I'm not 100% sure on that.
Not sure how long the project is to take. My guess is that they're filling in potholes after these storms, but I know there's also some development on the eastern side of the line (I go to school at 17th and Girard so I never head any more east than Broad).
 #1464731  by ekt8750
 
mcgrath618 wrote:Pretty sure the trolley drivers are also required to have bus licenses, but I'm not 100% sure on that.
Not sure how long the project is to take. My guess is that they're filling in potholes after these storms, but I know there's also some development on the eastern side of the line (I go to school at 17th and Girard so I never head any more east than Broad).
You are correct about trolley drivers being required to have CDLs. While the state doesn't require a trolley operator to have a CDL, SEPTA hires transit operators off the street to train them as bus operators first and then you if accept assignment to Elmwood, Victory or Callowhill Rail, you then go through further training on the rail vehicles.

The work is being done on the 60th St pull in trackage so both of the Callowhill trolley lines are currently OOS as a result. Those emergency sinkhole repairs usually take a month or two to complete depending on whether it's a city owned street or PennDOT (pretty sure 60th is a PennDOT road and they're usually quicker about repairing streets).
 #1464761  by R36 Combine Coach
 
I do know SEPTA cars (transit division, not rail division) are regulated by PennDOT as buses and have motor vehicle stickers. Does PA PUC have jurisdiction over the light rail/trolley cars as well?
 #1464768  by MACTRAXX
 
R36 Combine Coach wrote:I do know SEPTA cars (transit division, not rail division) are regulated by PennDOT as buses and have motor vehicle stickers. Does PA PUC have jurisdiction over the light rail/trolley cars as well?
R36: The PennDot inspection stickers that are used on SEPTA's rail fleet read "Electric Mass Transit"
They indeed are inspected similar to motor vehicles. Not sure if PUC has any jurisdiction here...

MACTRAXX