SEPTA reliable?

Greetings - I have to visit PHL next month and have found the Airport line and Doylestown line get me 3 blocks from my meeting. It takes 1:45. How reliable are downtown connections? I have a 15 minute layover.

It depends - I've observed the airport line to often have trains cancelled because they were late coming in. But you should be good.

The Regional Rail system is generally reliable as Jackintosh states. Admittedly I only use the airport line a couple of times a year but have never been more than a few minutes late.

Because you're not traveling for a while you should order your tickets online via their website. The info I found says a through ticket from the airport to Doylestown is $8.50 each way. Let the conductor know that you'll need to keep your ticket for the Center City transfer.

The reason for buying in advance is that SEPTA has a sneaky fare-gouge going at the airport and many other stations. They don't have ticket offices or machines, but if you pay onboard they impose a surcharge of a couple of extra bucks. And yet more inconvenient, even though it's 15 years into the 21st century SEPTA still only takes cash for on-board payment

JeffK wrote:The Regional Rail system is generally reliable as Jackintosh states. Admittedly I only use the airport line a couple of times a year but have never been more than a few minutes late.

Because you're not traveling for a while you should order your tickets online via their website. The info I found says a through ticket from the airport to Doylestown is $8.50 each way. Let the conductor know that you'll need to keep your ticket for the Center City transfer.

The reason for buying in advance is that SEPTA has a sneaky fare-gouge going at the airport and many other stations. They don't have ticket offices or machines, but if you pay onboard they impose a surcharge of a couple of extra bucks. And yet more inconvenient, even though it's 15 years into the 21st century SEPTA still only takes cash for on-board payment

he/she can pay a cheaper fare depending on the time he/she is travelling by ordering an Independence Pass as long as the train arrives in Center City after 9:30 AM
(Temple University counts as an Center City station so it has to arrive at Temple University after 9:30)

Actually, an independence pass is valid on all airport line trains and is only not valid on inbound trains until 9:30. You can also purchase an independence pass from conductors with no surcharge.

jackintosh11 wrote:Actually, an independence pass is valid on all airport line trains and is only not valid on inbound trains until 9:30. You can also purchase an independence pass from conductors with no surcharge.

Tadman:

Airport Line trains depart Terminal E/F every half hour at :09 and :39 to be exact and then stop at Terminals
C/D, Terminal B and then Terminal A on their way from PHL to Center City Philadelphia. There should not
be any unseen problem with these trains being reliable...

What is your destination on the Lansdale - Doylestown Line? Trains run half hourly to Lansdale and
Colmar-Link Belt and then hourly the remaining eight miles to Doylestown...

JT suggests purchasing the $12 Independence Pass from the Conductor which is a good move -
You can buy this in advance - see: http://www.shop.septa.org" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; - at the "Discount Fares" section - or on board
which will be a cash fare reciept which then can be exchanged at a Center City ticket office for the pass itself...

Trains leaving the Airport 8:39am and before on weekdays may not offer the Independence Pass
option - Fares from the Airport are Zone 4 weekday fares at all times and the fare to any station
on any line via Center City Philadelphia is $8.50 prepaid and $9.00 on board cash. These "Anywhere"
via CCP tickets can also be bought in advance from SEPTA's sales website...

MACTRAXX

The website does say that they are valid at all times on the airport line, and the conductors usually have the actual pass to sell you. I've bought them many times onboard as they are great for a day of railfanning, and I've maybe once gotten one as a cash fare receipt. Be aware that it costs $5 each way to go to trenton/west trenton

An Independence Pass is significantly cheaper but it's only good for one day. He didn't say what his schedule is; if he's not returning that evening two separate through tickets would be less than two IP's.

It boggles me that SEPTA is immune to all the complaints about not having any sales options at the airport. Some of their literature doesn't even mention the possibility of advance purchases. It just says "pay the eight bucks", so a lot of visitors don't even realize they have cheaper alternatives. I've filed formal complaints with airport management, the city's tourist board, and other people but never got a response beyond "gee, that's too bad".

Sorry Tad, but SEPTA is completely unreliable. There are days when the trains just don't feel like running.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news!

scotty269 wrote:Sorry Tad, but SEPTA is completely unreliable. There are days when the trains just don't feel like running.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news!

I think that's a rather unfair statement. I've rarely had issues getting from the airport to Center City. SEPTA is pretty good, all things considered, and I have only been completely let down by it a couple of times (out of the hundreds of trips I've made).

Your odds are better with regional rail (especially during peak AM rush hour and peak PM rush hour) to get from the Airport to Doylestown than renting a car and driving I-76 or I-95 to reach your destination.

Thanks for the tips, guys! I will see if I can get an independence pass. Do they not sell tickets at the airport at all?

no, but you can buy an independence pass on the train

Tadman wrote:Thanks for the tips, guys! I will see if I can get an independence pass. Do they not sell tickets at the airport at all?

Just to be sure, are you coming back the same day?

Tadman wrote:Do they not sell tickets at the airport at all?

This blog describes the situation far better than I can ...
https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/dear-s ... ression-of