MACTRAXX wrote:This line may well be better off if it is re-electrified with overhead catenary bringing back the Silverliner MU's to
this route. Many of the existing catenary poles may be re-useable. It is 9.4 miles from West Chester to Wawa and
12.4 miles to Elwyn which is not a long distance to restore electrification to primarily a single track line.
I think re-electrification is the only reasonable route from a long-term operating cost perspective unless SEPTA chooses to use dual-mode locomotives elsewhere in the system to get better scales of economy, such as for a US 422 corridor line, but none of that seems likely in the near to medium term.
The cat poles date to 1928 which makes them even older than the average remaining PRR cat poles along the NEC and Harrisburg lines, most of which date to the 30s except Philly to Paoli (1915) and Wilmington (1928). To avoid having to replace them anyway a few years later, they might as well replace them, and in some cases might have to anyway already. Besides, at SEPTA speed, it would well be after 2028 before Wawa-West Chester serve resumes, and it’d be a shame to make an infrastructure investment that relied on 100+ year old rusting steel poles.
MACTRAXX wrote:From an 80s SEPTA timetable showing mileage of stations West Chester to Elwyn and Media:
(and Suburban Station)
West Chester 0.0
WC University 0.4
Westtown 3.5
Cheyney 5.2
Glen Mills 7.2
Wawa 9.4
Lenni 10.1
Glen Riddle 10.8
Williamson School 11.6
Elwyn 12.4
Media 13.4
(Suburban Station 27.4)
I think there’s still a tiny station/shed at Locksley, but that might have been more of a WCRR creation than a PRR thing and I don’t know if SEPTA ever used it. I haven’t been out that way in a while though.
Suburban development makes the population profile quite different from when this line last had service. This would be the opportunity to better serve all those neighborhoods that are now there, even though many people who live in the area work at the numerous corporate campuses in the 202 corridor that have popped up between Chadds Ford and Great Valley rather than Center City. Probably the biggest problem at these stations will be the lack of parking (Glen Mills, for example, has zero spots and nowhere to even drop people off or pick up) and while some neighborhoods have walkability to the line, most potential riders would need to drive. There might be a nice opportunity for a park and ride near 202 (not exactly sure where though) and hopefully the Wawa extension really comes together with one just off US 1. PA 926 would be another route where one could be explored at Westtown, though again parking space will be an issue.
MACTRAXX wrote:The West Chester Line never should have been closed - I believe this was the result of funding differences with
Chester County - even though the decision to increase service between Paoli and Downingtown (now Thorndale)
as an alternative turned out to be a good one. It may be an easy line to restore - I question the high price tag...
The problem was the combination of budgets, low ridership and poor track conditions. Chester County I believe got SEPTA to expand service to Parkesburg in exchange for the ending of West Chester service, with the expectation that West Chester area patrons would go to Exton (not a bad drive actually on 202 and PA 100) if they still wanted to take the train. If you look at ridership at stations from Malvern on west this was likely the right decision if they could only afford one option at the time. Of course on the Harrisburg line, SEPTA now goes to Thorndale after once being cut back to Downingtown, Amtrak Keystones provide more service than they once did to Coatesville and Parkesburg, Malvern gets more trains with the move of the terminus of non-Thorndale trains from Paoli Yard to the Frazer shops, and Exton is soon getting reworked to add parking.
CComMack wrote:I think they're really going to have to consider having all WC trains run express from Media to University City, perhaps with no more than 2 intermediate stops (Swarthmore and Primos?), hourly from WC, and hourly locals in between from Elwyn or Media, making all local stops. If they don't plan to do that I don't see how they can justify spending that kind of money for one all-stops local per hour--22 stops between WC and UC will have a tough time competing with West Chester Pike outside the peak. They'll also need one passing siding (Wawa?) to be able to run any kind of schedule. So far: 12 miles of new track from the subbase up, welded rail, PTC, and interlocked switches at the siding--it all adds up.
From memory, there are or at least were a number of passing sidings near some stations west of Wawa. Whether they need them or if even most still exist at all I don’t know - aerial pictures seem to indicate they may not, but they probably were where the cat poles are of the PRR “bowtie” design rather than single pole.
Fully agree on West Chester-originating trains not making all local stops to Center City by default as trip time will be key to developing ridership.
I guess another question is should they squeeze in some passing sidings in the two track section east of Elwyn? It’s pretty busy during rush hour and I don’t believe there are many save at Media.
In any case, good to see this at least getting studied. And hopefully the incremental cost of this can be kept down by getting the Wawa extension done first. If that is done right and it gets good ridership, this could also enhance the business case for full restoration of the branch.