SEPTA and the New Normal

I don’t know if anyone else is noticing, but SEPTA seems to be really struggling on days where there are closer pre-Covid numbers. SEPTA’s inability to adequately staff trains and have enough cars on Tuesdays, Wednesday and Thursdays makes them perpetually late. I was waiting for a train this afternoon and saw repeated trains pull into Suburban and only have one door boarding on a 3 to 5 car consist. I have also seen the same pattern out on low level stops, which trying to unload a 3 or 4 car train through one door slows down operations. It is an annoyance on Monday or Friday, but on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday it makes trains 10 to 15 minutes late consistently.

I have been happy with the service post-Covid until a few months ago. Since the beginning of the fall it appears to be deteriorating by the week.

LOL And New Yorkers think the LIRR is so inept. They ain't seen nothin' compared this SEPTA stuff. Between the service described by the poster above and the key card being such a scandal. Unreal.

At least once a week 9591 gets cancelled to issues with the push pull sets. Today’s adventures in SEPTA not having a clue involve the 9591 set dying before making it to Temple, SEPTA announcing a new train is coming from 30th Street on track 5 that subsequently gets cancelled itself forcing everyone back to track 4 for a 4 car local train, and the local train 7537 being very late.

The dispatchers and employees in Suburban don’t have a clue nor have any concept of customer service. You have conductors and station staff yelling trains will make different stops confusing people.