SEPTA expands regional rail service; new schedules on September 8 – NBC10 Philadelphia

SEPTA is expanding its regional rail network and updating schedules next month.

On Monday, August 26, the transport company announced that it would be expanding the regional train timetable to include 99 weekend trains and 24 weekday trains. A new timetable for all lines will come into effect on Sunday, September 8.

You can find the new schedule here

A SEPTA spokesperson said the expansions will restore 80 percent of SEPTA’s pre-COVID service on weekdays (up from 77 percent) and 84 percent on weekends (up from 63 percent). SEPTA’s regional rail ridership is currently at 67 percent of pre-pandemic levels, according to the spokesperson.

“While we continue to grow ridership, SEPTA still faces a $240 million annual budget deficit, and the need for a permanent solution becomes more urgent by the day,” said Leslie S. Richards, CEO and General Manager of SEPTA. “Despite this funding crisis, we cannot put critical investments in our system on hold. We must continue our efforts to make our service more reliable for our riders who rely on us to get to their destinations.”

The spokesperson said SEPTA will hire additional teams to address staffing shortages and ensure more reliable service. The spokesperson also said SEPTA currently has 189 engineers and is on track to reach its planned headcount of 213 by spring of next year.

Upcoming service changes, according to SEPTA, will include:

• Full restoration of 30-minute weekend service to Philadelphia International Airport
• Full restoration of weekend hourly service on most lines
• Additional services outside peak hours (late night and midday) and during reverse peak hours on most routes
• Additional carriages on selected trains to avoid overcrowding, especially during the week when passenger numbers are highest
• Connecting the Airport Line to the Manayunk/Norristown Line for direct travel between the airport and Norristown on weekends
• Plan adjustments to improve punctuality
• Due to the condition of the project on the Warminster Line, a shuttle bus replacement is required from September 7 to November 3. On weekends between Warminster and Glenside stations. On weekdays (noon only) between Warminster and Roslyn stations

SEPTA’s new fall schedules for subway lines and buses

SEPTA also released new fall schedules for its bus and subway services, including trolleys, the Market-Frankford Line, the Broad Street Line and the Norristown High Speed ​​​​Line, which began service on Sunday, August 25 and continued on Monday, August 26. Several bus routes will also be modified between September 8 and 9 to align with the new regional train schedules.

New SEPTA Safety Plan

SEPTA also recently announced a new safety plan to protect students on their way to school.

SEPTA reintroduces parking fees

SEPTA also announced that it will reinstate parking fees at stations starting September 23 after four years of free parking. Daily parking fees in SEPTA-owned lots will increase from $1 to $2 and in three parking garages at the Frankford Transportation Center, Norristown and Lansdale from $2 to $4.

Parking in SEPTA lots remains free on weekends and major holidays.