Chestnut Hill West Line

Last updated
Chestnut Hill West Line
Chestnut Hill West Station House (5197419866).jpg
Attractive shelter at the terminal station in Chestnut Hill
Overview
StatusOperating
Termini
Stations10
Website septa.org
Service
Type Commuter rail
System SEPTA Regional Rail
Operator(s) SEPTA
Rolling stock Electric Multiple Units
Daily ridership1,752 (FY 2022) [1]
History
Opened1884
Technical
Track gauge 4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Electrification Overhead line, 12 kV 25 Hz AC
Operating speed50 mph (80 km/h) (Chestnut Hill West to North Philadelphia)
50 mph (80 km/h) (North Philadelphia to Zoo Junction)
Route map

Contents

BSicon KACCa.svg
11.3 mi
18.2 km
Chestnut Hill West
BSicon HST.svg
10.7 mi
17.2 km
Highland
BSicon HST.svg
10.2 mi
16.4 km
St. Martins
BSicon exdCONTgq.svg
BSicon eABZg+r.svg
BSicon HSTACC.svg
9.4 mi
15.1 km
Richard Allen Lane
BSicon HST.svg
9.8 mi
15.8 km
Carpenter
BSicon HST.svg
9.1 mi
14.6 km
Upsal
BSicon HST.svg
7.9 mi
12.7 km
Tulpehocken
BSicon STR+GRZq.svg
Zone
 2 
1
BSicon HST.svg
7.4 mi
11.9 km
Chelten Avenue
BSicon HSTACC.svg
6.8 mi
10.9 km
Queen Lane
BSicon eHST.svg
Westmoreland (closed)
BSicon STR+GRZq.svg
Zone
 1 
C
BSicon INT.svg
4.5 mi
7.2 km
North Philadelphia BSicon LOGO Amtrak2.svg
BSicon ABZg+l.svg
BSicon dCONTfq.svg
BSicon PORTALf.svg
BSicon INTACC.svg
0.9 mi
1.4 km
30th Street
BSicon TRAM.svg MFL NJT logo.svg BSicon LOGO Amtrak2.svg
BSicon tINTACC.svg
0 mi
0 km
Suburban
BSicon tINTACC.svg
0.5 mi
0.8 km
Jefferson
MFL
BSicon PORTALg.svg
BSicon ACC.svg
2.1 mi
3.4 km
Temple University
BSicon CONTf.svg

The Chestnut Hill West Line is a commuter rail line in the SEPTA Regional Rail network. It connects Northwest Philadelphia, including the eponymous neighborhood of Chestnut Hill, as well as West Mount Airy and Germantown, to Center City.

Route description

The Chestnut Hill West Line branches off from Amtrak's Northeast Corridor at North Philadelphia station and runs entirely within the City of Philadelphia. Its terminal is named Chestnut Hill West to distinguish it from the end of the Chestnut Hill East Line (a competing line of the Reading Company until 1976, when SEPTA assumed operations). Some stations are less than half a mile apart, a characteristic more commonly seen in an urban rapid transit system rather than a commuter rail line. The line runs roughly parallel to the Chestnut Hill East, and the two terminals are rather close. The line is fully grade-separated.

History

R8 CHW.gif

The line was originally opened June 11, 1884 by the Philadelphia, Germantown and Chestnut Hill Railroad, and was operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad until 1968.[ citation needed ] Electrified service began on March 30, 1918. [2] The Penn Central operated it until 1976, turning operations over to Conrail until 1983, when SEPTA took over.[ citation needed ]

Between 1984–2010 the route was designated R8 Chestnut Hill West as part of SEPTA's diametrical reorganization of its lines. Chestnut Hill West trains operated through the city center to the Fox Chase Line. [3] Plans had called for the line to be paired with West Chester/Elwyn Line and designated R3, but this depended on a never-built Swampoodle Connection from the Chestnut Hill West Line to the Norristown Line; this would have connected it to the former Reading Company side of the Center City Commuter Connection. [4] As of 2022, most weekday Chestnut Hill West Line trains pass through Center City and terminate at Temple University while most weekend trains continue through Center City to the West Trenton Line. [5] While the line runs generally northbound between 30th Street and Chestnut Hill West, it is considered to run timetable south. This anomaly exists because SEPTA considers ex-Reading lines (including the Fox Chase Line) to run timetable north and ex-Pennsylvania lines to run timetable south.

Between June 26, 1987 – December 17, 1989 service terminated at Allen Lane with shuttle buses serving St. Martin's, Highland and Chestnut Hill West because of unsafe conditions on the Cresheim Valley bridge. The original iron bridge dated to 1884 and was replaced with a $7.6 million steel structure financed by the Urban Mass Transportation Administration. [6]

SEPTA activated positive train control on the Chestnut Hill West Line on August 22, 2016. [7]

On April 9, 2020, the line was suspended indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, [8] though North Philadelphia station was still being served by other rail services. [9] In addition to reduced ridership from the COVID-19 pandemic, service on the Chestnut Hill West Line was also suspended due to Amtrak construction along the Northeast Corridor that the line uses for part of its route. Service on the Chestnut Hill West Line resumed on March 8, 2021 on a limited schedule, with service running Monday through Friday. [8] [10] Weekend service was restored on December 19, 2021. [11]

Stations

The Pennsylvania Railroad opened St. Martins in 1883 St Martins SEPTA.JPG
The Pennsylvania Railroad opened St. Martins in 1883
Queen Lane station Queen Lane SEPTA.JPG
Queen Lane station

The Chestnut Hill West makes the following station stops after leaving 30th Street Station; stations indicated with gray background are closed. [12] The entirety of the route is located within Philadelphia city limits.

ZoneLocationStation Miles (km)
from
Center City
Date openedConnections / notes
C Mantua Zoological Garden 1.9 (3.1)1874Closed November 24, 1901 [13]
Brewerytown Engleside2.8 (4.5)Closed April 5, 1903 [14]
Strawberry
Mansion
Ridge Avenue3.2 (5.1)Closed April 5, 1903. [14]
22nd Street3.9 (6.3)
1 Glenwood North Philadelphia 4.5 (7.2)
Nicetown–Tioga Westmoreland 5.5 (8.9)Closed October 29, 1994 [15]
Germantown Queen Lane Wheelchair symbol.svg 6.8 (10.9)Aiga bus trans.svg SEPTA City Bus: K
Chelten Avenue 7.4 (11.9)June 11, 1884 [16] Aiga bus trans.svg SEPTA City Bus: 26 , J
2 Tulpehocken 7.9 (12.7)June 11, 1884 [16] Aiga bus trans.svg SEPTA City Bus: 53 , 65
Mount Airy Upsal 8.4 (13.5)Aiga bus trans.svg SEPTA City Bus: H
Carpenter 9.0 (14.5)June 11, 1884 [16]
Richard Allen Lane Wheelchair symbol.svg 9.4 (15.1)
Chestnut Hill St. Martins 10.2 (16.4)
Highland 10.7 (17.2)June 11, 1884 [16]
Chestnut Hill West Wheelchair symbol.svg 11.3 (18.2)June 11, 1884 [16]

Ridership

Yearly ridership on the Chestnut Hill West Line between FY 2013–FY 2019 remained steady around 1.3–1.6 million before collapsing during the COVID-19 pandemic. [note 1]

500,000
1,000,000
1,500,000
2,000,000
FY 2013
FY 2014
FY 2015
FY 2016
FY 2017
FY 2018
FY 2019
FY 2020
FY 2021
FY 2022

Notes

  1. Data for individual lines is not available for FY 2020. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SEPTA</span> Public transportation authority

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) is a regional public transportation authority that operates bus, rapid transit, commuter rail, light rail, and electric trolleybus services for nearly four million people in five counties in and around Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It also manages projects that maintain, replace and expand its infrastructure, facilities and vehicles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia</span> Neighborhood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Chestnut Hill is a neighborhood in the Northwest Philadelphia section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It is known for the high incomes of its residents and high real estate values, as well as its private schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SEPTA Regional Rail</span> Commuter rail service in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US

The SEPTA Regional Rail system is a commuter rail network owned by SEPTA and serving the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The system has 13 branches and more than 150 active stations in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, its suburbs and satellite towns and cities. It is the sixth-busiest commuter railroad in the United States, and the busiest outside of the New York, Chicago, and Boston metropolitan areas. In 2016, the Regional Rail system had an average of 132,000 daily riders and 118,800 daily riders as of 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suburban Station</span> Station on the SEPTA Regional Rail

Suburban Station is an art deco office building and underground commuter rail station in Penn Center in Philadelphia. Its official SEPTA address is 16th Street and JFK Boulevard. The station is owned and operated by SEPTA and is one of the three core Center City stations on the SEPTA Regional Rail and one of the busiest stations in the Regional Rail System.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trenton Line</span> SEPTA Regional Rail system line

The Trenton Line is a route of the SEPTA Regional Rail system. The route serves the northeastern suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with service in Bucks County along the Delaware River to Trenton, New Jersey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Airport Line (SEPTA)</span> SEPTA Regional Rail line, Pennsylvania

The Airport Line is a route of the SEPTA Regional Rail commuter rail system in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which officially runs between Philadelphia International Airport through Center City to Temple University station. In practice, however, only a few trains originate or terminate at Temple University; most are through routed with lines to the north after leaving the Center City Commuter Connection. Half of weekday trains are through routed with the Warminster Line, with the other half of weekday trains through routed with the Fox Chase Line. All weekend and holiday trains are through routed with the Warminster Line and terminate either in Warminster or Glenside.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wilmington/Newark Line</span> SEPTA line between Newark, Delaware and Center City Philadelphia

The Wilmington/Newark Line is a route of the SEPTA Regional Rail commuter rail system in the Philadelphia area. The line serves southeastern Pennsylvania and northern Delaware, with stations in Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania, Wilmington, Delaware, and Newark, Delaware. It is the longest of the 13 SEPTA Regional Rail lines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SEPTA Main Line</span> Pennsylvania USA railway line

The SEPTA Main Line is the section of the SEPTA Regional Rail system from the Zoo Interlocking in West Philadelphia to Lansdale Station in Lansdale, Pennsylvania. The line is 26.25 miles (42.25 km) long, and serves all 13 SEPTA Regional Rail lines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wayne Junction station</span> SEPTA junction station in Nicetown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Wayne Junction station is a SEPTA Regional Rail junction station located at 4481 Wayne Avenue, extending along Windrim Avenue to Germantown Avenue. The station is located in the Nicetown neighborhood of Philadelphia. Wayne Junction serves as a multi-modal transfer point between six of SEPTA's regional rail lines as well as three major transit routes – the Route 75 Trackless Trolley and the Route 23 and 53 bus lines. The station served more than 321,000 riders annually in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chelten Avenue station</span> SEPTA train station in Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Chelten Avenue station is a SEPTA Regional Rail station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Located on West Chelten Avenue in the Germantown neighborhood, it serves the Chestnut Hill West Line. The concrete station structure, part of a Pennsylvania Railroad grade-separation project completed in 1918 in conjunction with electrification of the line, was designed by William Holmes Cookman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chestnut Hill West station</span> SEPTA train station in Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Chestnut Hill West station is a SEPTA Regional Rail station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Located at 9 West Evergreen Avenue in the Chestnut Hill neighborhood, it serves the Chestnut Hill West Line. It was originally built by the Philadelphia, Germantown and Chestnut Hill Railroad between 1883 and 1884, and later acquired by the Pennsylvania Railroad. In 1918, when the line was electrified, the station was rebuilt to accommodate the upgrade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warminster Line</span> SEPTA Regional Rail service

The Warminster Line is a route of the SEPTA Regional Rail commuter rail system. It serves stations between its namesake town, Warminster, and Center City Philadelphia. Half of the route is shared by other lines, including the Lansdale/Doylestown Line, West Trenton Line, Fox Chase Line, Chestnut Hill East Line, and Manayunk/Norristown Line. All trains continue as part of the Airport Line with the exception of several rush hour trains that terminate at 30th Street Station, Thorndale and Newark, Delaware.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Trenton Line</span> SEPTA regional rail line

The West Trenton Line is a SEPTA Regional Rail service connecting Center City Philadelphia to the West Trenton section of Ewing Township, New Jersey. With around 12,000 riders every weekday, it is the third busiest line in the SEPTA Regional Rail network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Media/Wawa Line</span> SEPTA Regional Rail line between Center City Philadelphia and Wawa, Delaware County

The Media/Wawa Line is a SEPTA Regional Rail service that runs from Center City Philadelphia west to Wawa in Delaware County. It uses the West Chester Branch, which connects with the SEPTA Main Line at 30th Street Station. Under the Pennsylvania Railroad, service continued to West Chester, Pennsylvania. On September 19, 1986, however, service was truncated to Elwyn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lansdale/Doylestown Line</span> SEPTA Regional Rail line from Philadelphia to Doylestown

The Lansdale/Doylestown Line is a SEPTA Regional Rail line connecting Center City Philadelphia to Doylestown in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Until 1981, diesel-powered trains continued on the Bethlehem Branch from Lansdale to Quakertown, Bethlehem, and Allentown. Restored service has been proposed, but is not planned by SEPTA. The line is currently used by the East Penn Railroad, serving Quakertown's industrial complexes and distribution centers. With around 17,000 daily riders every weekday in 2019, it is the second busiest line in SEPTA's Regional Rail network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paoli/Thorndale Line</span> SEPTA Regional Rail service from Philadelphia to Thorndale

The Paoli/Thorndale Line, commonly known as the Main Line, is a SEPTA Regional Rail service running from Center City Philadelphia through Montgomery County and Delaware County to Thorndale in Chester County. It operates along the far eastern leg of Amtrak's Philadelphia to Harrisburg Main Line, which in turn was once the Main Line of the Pennsylvania Railroad and is now part of the Keystone Corridor, a federally-designated high-speed rail corridor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manayunk/Norristown Line</span> SEPTA Regional Rail line

The Manayunk/Norristown Line is a commuter rail service in Southeastern Pennsylvania between Center City Philadelphia and Norristown, and one of the 13 lines in SEPTA's Regional Rail network. It has the fourth highest ridership and the highest operating ratio (58%) on the SEPTA Regional Rail network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fox Chase Line</span> SEPTA Regional Rail service

The Fox Chase Line is a SEPTA Regional Rail service connecting Center City Philadelphia with Fox Chase. It uses the Fox Chase Branch, which branches off from the SEPTA Main Line at Newtown Junction north of the Wayne Junction station. It runs entirely within the city of Philadelphia. The line is fully grade-separated, except for one grade crossing on Oxford Avenue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chestnut Hill East Line</span> SEPTA regional rail service

The Chestnut Hill East Line is a route of the SEPTA Regional Rail system. The route serves the northwestern section of Philadelphia with service to Germantown, Mount Airy, and Chestnut Hill. It is one of two lines that serve Chestnut Hill, the other one being the Chestnut Hill West Line. The line is fully grade-separated.

The Chestnut Hill East Branch is a railway line in Pennsylvania. It runs 5.5 miles (8.9 km) from a junction with the SEPTA Main Line in Nicetown–Tioga, a neighborhood in Philadelphia, to Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia. The oldest part of it was built in 1832 by the Philadelphia, Germantown and Norristown Railroad. It was part of the Reading Company system from 1870 until 1976. Today it is owned by SEPTA and hosts the Chestnut Hill East Line commuter rail service. The line runs roughly parallel to the Chestnut Hill West Branch, formerly of the Pennsylvania Railroad.

References

  1. 1 2 SEPTA Data Group. "Route Operating Statistics" . Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  2. Williams, Gerry (1998). Trains, Trolleys & Transit: A Guide to Philadelphia Area Rail Transit. Piscataway, New Jersey: Railpace Company. p. 95. ISBN   978-0-9621541-7-1.
  3. Lustig, David (November 2010). "SEPTA makeover". Trains Magazine. Kalmbach Publishing: 26.
  4. Vuchic, Vukan; Kikuchi, Shinya (1984). General Operations Plan for the SEPTA Regional High Speed System. Philadelphia: SEPTA. pp. 2–8.
  5. "Chestnut Hill West Line schedule" (PDF). SEPTA. December 16, 2018. Retrieved December 24, 2018.
  6. Hollman, Laurie (December 17, 1989). "A Bridge Is Rebuilt With Clout". The Philadelphia Inquirer . Retrieved August 13, 2016.
  7. "Positive Train Control Update". SEPTA. May 1, 2017. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
  8. 1 2 "Service Information". SEPTA . Retrieved April 14, 2020.
  9. "SEPTA Regional Rail & Rail Transit Lifeline Service" (PDF). SEPTA. 2020. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
  10. Madej, Patricia (January 28, 2021). "SEPTA Chestnut Hill West Line will return with 'restricted service' in March". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  11. "Regional Rail Select Schedule Changes – New Timetables Effective Sunday, December 19, 2021". SEPTA. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
  12. "Trenton Line Timetable" (PDF). Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority. September 10, 2017. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
  13. Baer, Christopher T. (April 2015). "A General Chronology of the Successors of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company and Their Historical Context: 1901" (PDF). Pennsylvania Railroad Technical Historical Society. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
  14. 1 2 "Discontinuing All Stops of Trains at Paschal, South Street, Engelside and Ridge Avenue". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. April 3, 1903. p. 2. Retrieved October 17, 2017 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  15. Rider, Phantom (October 26, 1994). "Eulogy for an R8 Station". The Philadelphia Daily News. p. 8. Retrieved November 4, 2017 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 "Steam Roads: Opening of Pennsylvania's New Branch Line". The Philadelphia Inquirer. June 11, 1884. p. 2. Retrieved November 10, 2017 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg