by chuchubob
DRPA seeking federal funds to reopen Franklin Square station.
Railroad Forums
Moderator: AlexC
CAMDEN – The Delaware River Port Authority will apply for a federal grant to finance half of the estimated $26.4 million cost to reopen the Franklin Square Station of its PATCO transit line.
Reopening the station on the line between South Jersey and Philadelphia will require physical and technological upgrades. Located at the western side of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge between 6th and 7th streets, it was closed 39 years ago due to declining ridership to and from that station.
dcipjr wrote:They've been talking about reopening this station since, what, 2009? I'll believe it when I see it.This is a lot different than "talking about it." This is PATCO applying for money to actually do it. This is as close to it reopening as it ever has been.
jonnhrr wrote: ↑Wed Nov 27, 2019 2:27 pmThere was a comment up thread about the advantages of SEPTA running the PATCO line. Would that even be possible given that SEPTA is set up as a state of Pennsylvania organization? I know SEPTA dips its toe into New Jersey at West Trenton (and operates in Delaware as far as Newark) but to run a rapid transit line which primarily lies in another state might be an issue. Perhaps if the line was still owned by DRPA but operated and maintained by SEPTA under contract? (I think that is how the Delaware regional rail service is set up).I was thinking the exact opposite. IMo, the Market-Frankford, Broad Street, and Broad Ridge lines should be taken from SEPTA and given to PATCO to run them considering to me that PATCO does run a subway better than SEPTA. Plus it would incentivize an extension of the Broad Street line southward to New Jersey.