SEPTA Regional Rail: How Philly Saved and Improved its Rail System

Hi there,
The first time I came to Philadelphia, I had absolutely no idea about how good and dense the system was. SEPTA clearly saved the system after the bankruptcy of the PRR and Reading lines in the 70s. They've made some adjustments, and now we have what is probably one of America's finest commuter systems.
Huge thanks to ‪@alanthefisher‬ for showing me around in Philly, be sure to check out his channel
Enjoy, and don't forget to like/leave a comment to help the channel :-)
- TRIP INFORMATION -
Date: SEPTEMBER 2023
Railway company: SEPTA
Route : Suburban station to Norristown Transportation Center
Time : 39 min
Price : $5.75
Thumbnail credit : ExactoCreation on Flickr : flic.kr/ps/2VpcxT
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00:00 : Intro
00:45 : Trip information
01:50 : SEPTA
02:31 : Suburban station
02:57 : Connecting two systems
04:06 : Our ride
04:43 : Boarding with Alan
05:05 : Seat check
05:33 : The Tunnel
05:50 : Are we in the US ?
06:53 : Mid roll ads
07:30 : New system
07:46 : On our way to Reading
08:25 : Scenic ride
08:42 : Walkthrough
09:30 : Slow down by the river
09:46 : Arrival/conclusion
11:04 : Outro

[@alanthefisher]

Glad that you enjoyed the tour of the system, next time we have to catch the Cynwyd Line because its a joke haha

[@matty2128]

When I heard the voice, I immediately thought of black mesa

[@Nouvellecosse]

It's so nice of you to play host and tour guide! LOVE YOU ALAN!!! ☺

[@albertcarello619]

@alanthefisher: The line continues to be regularly used and still seems to have a future. No lines Shou be discontinued at this time.

[@abouzakariyya]

Bonjour à toi Simply Railway ! Merci depuis les Hauts-de-France de nous faire découvrir ces trains inconnus ! Peux-tu nous faire une revue (review) du nouveau Omneo Premium Hauts de France 100% 2nde classe qui remplace les voitures corail entre Paris-Amiens/Cambrai/Maubeuge ? Merci d’avance !

[@BradHouser]

Built during the times when trains went everywhere. Would never get justified as a new line today. The best pizza and cheese steaks in the area are at the Cynwyd station: Mama's Pizza.

[@SupremeLeaderKimJong-un]

Yeah as mentioned, Jefferson/Market East station opened in 1984 with the tunnel. It replaced Reading Terminal which opened in 1893. The chosen location was occupied by an open-air market that had been in continuous operation since 1853. After loud complaints and much negotiation, the railroad agreed to purchase the markets for $1 million and move them to a new structure, the Reading Terminal Market which still exists as a market today! Today, the Reading Terminal was incorporated into the Pennsylvania Convention Center, with its Grand Hall occupying much of the trainshed of the former terminal. The upper seven floors of the historic Reading Terminal Headhouse, designed by the Wilson Brothers, provided space to expand the Marriott's conference capabilities Love the tilework at Jefferson/Market East station, the murals depict the four seasons! For SEPTA artwork, I also like the artwork at 5th Street/Independence Hall on the MFL. The artwork at 5th Street/Independence Hall was done by Tom Judd and has different historical paintings (not actual paintings, but rather paintings he replicated, including painting the frames) referencing Philly's history. Judd’s guiding concept came from Charles Willson Peale, Philadelphia’s gentleman polymath who created the first museum in the early 19th century, a hodge-podge collection of natural science and art. One of his most famous paintings is of himself lifting a curtain to reveal his collected treasures. He was also inspired by Union Pacific station in SLC and how its vast spaces and murals incorporated in its architecture lent awe to his arrival. He wanted to lend a similar air to the tourists and commuters taking the train into Old City.

[@peter_kelly]

To be fair, that Silverliner IV set you rode on has been operating continuously since 1976. It's a testament to how well these EMUs were made and maintained by the Reading Railroad and SEPTA. Not a lot of EMUs out there can claim this.

[@albertcarello619]

@peter...Kelly: These GE SILVERLINER IVS look quite similar to the South Shore Line's single level cars built by NIPPON SHARYNO.

[@peter_kelly]

@@albertcarello619 Japan seems like the only other country that has large fleets of passenger rail cars with stainless steel bodies. The corrugated look as seen on the Silverliners, Comets, Amfleets, Streamliners and South Shore EMUs seems to be a uniquely American thing.

[@albertcarello619]

@@peter_kelly I definitely agree!

[@mxsalm]

I love running the 4s so far as a engineer trainee. It's actually you running a real train not those damn silverliner 5s. Anyone can run those.

[@peter_kelly]

@@mxsalm What's wrong with the Silverliner V's? I thought most of the initial problems had been resolved.

[@himbourbanist]

we've got good trains here man. Thanks for bringing up the system's strengths, too often people disparage SEPTA but the truth is that it's a great system that's stricken with historic underfunding. Hopefully that changes in the future.

[@Steven_20031]

nice to see alan in this video

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

Yup, all of the SEPTA Regional Rail lines are electrified, but that's because they got rid of the diesel services. Conrail operated four diesel SEPTA-branded routes under contract throughout the 1970s. There used to be an Allentown via Bethlehem, Quakertown, and Lansdale service and this was gradually cut back. Allentown-Bethlehem service ended in 1979, Bethlehem-Quakertown service ended in early July 1981, and Quakertown-Lansdale service ended later that month. Pottsville line service to Pottsville via Reading and Norristown, ended in late July 1981. West Trenton service previously ran to Newark Penn and this was cut back to West Trenton in early July 1981. The final service, Fox Chase-Newtown service, initially also ended in early July 1981, re-established in October of that year as the Fox Chase Rapid Transit Line, which then ended in 1983, thus today's Fox Chase Line just ends at Fox Chase. The services were phased out due to lack of ridership, a lack of funding outside the five-county area of SEPTA, withdrawal of Conrail as a contract carrier, aging equipment that needed replacement, and a lack of SEPTA-owned diesel maintenance infrastructure. The death knell for any resumption of diesel service was the Center City Commuter Connection tunnel you mentioned, which lacks the necessary ventilation for exhaust-producing locomotives!

[@philnaegely]

I live in Allentown, I wish the Lansdale light would come back up this way

[@CarlGerhardt1]

They could have easily installed 600-volt third rail in the Commuter Tunnel and bought FL-9 type locomotives like they've had in New York since the 1950's.

[@chrispontani6059]

@@CarlGerhardt1why? Spend all that money for a handful of trains per day? It already has catenary. If you really wanted to expand into diesel territory and have a one-seat ride, either get a dual mode engine with a pantograph or put an electric engine on one end and diesel on the other. But then again, SEPTA’s regional rail’s stops are so close that EMU’s really are the only way to efficiently run the system. That’s why the push pulls only see one round trip a day as express trips in the rush.

[@hugolandberg7504]

great a crossover episode with Alan Fisher!

[@balancehd5657]

The crossover with Alan is everything, y'all some of my favorite KZbinrs! ♥️♥️

[@Del-Lebo]

I love SEPTA its a great way to get around the massive philadelphia suburbs and the city itself! I use it weekly to go to Philadelphia from Lansdale. Thank you for featuring it.

[@TheBerks315]

I ride that train a lot. Amtrak is now talking about the train from Reading going to 30th st station

[@braydenrailfanner710]

Another amazing video by simply railway

[@WaiveXGD]

Agreed

[@EpicThe112]

Speaking of the catenary poles outside of the tunnel between Suburban Station and Temple University those were built from 1933 original Viaduct and then 1978-1984 together with the Center City Tunnel. Excellent Crossover with Alan

[@bbpete8349]

Good to see you review SEPTA. I've ridden it and had mostly good things to say. Only one time was one of the conductors a real jerk when asked a simple question. So, that was not held against the line.

[@jfmezei]

In a context of something in Philadelphia, at 0:38 I saw what could only be Alan Fisher @alanthefisher , well before you even mentioned him 🙂 Note that NJ Transit is also mostly electrified. Metro North is also mostly electrified with Croton-Harmon to Poughkeepsie on diesel and one or two branch lines attached to New Haven line. Long Island railroad is technically "trains" but they look more like metros (but operate using train rules) and are also electrified. Montréal had electrified commuter line since the ealry 1900s but it was taken apart iat end of 2020 to be replaced by the REM some years from now. Chicago and Denver also have electric commuter trains (thouth for Chicago, just one line towards South Bend). This line managed high level platforms despite sharing with freight by having "gauntlet" tracks in the stations where freight train switches to a track about 10cm further away from platforms to maintain the cleareance the 1950s freight companies in the USA and Canada insist on. BTW, In the late 1980s, the rights to the "Comet" trains ended up at Bombardier (at which point the agency in Montréal at the time AMT ordered some for our commuter trains and having ridden the SEPTA trains in early 1990s I s recognized the style when they arrived here. So technically they are now Alstom models. (Though the Comet model ended up being used by many manufacturers so or an open standard). It was also the basis for Horizon cars used by Amtrak). Because of FRA and "Made in America" rules, modern trains are hard to get in the USA and usually end up older model made of heavy steel. But Stadler is making inroads with some models downgraded for USA standards. Trivia: the old Reading main train station in downtown Philly is now part of convention centre. Portion of the elevated tracks going north of it have been converted to a linear park (like the High Line in New York). SEPTA also runs commuter trains all the way to Trenton NEW JERSEY (where you connect to NJ TRransit to NewYork) and down to Wilmington Delaware (actually one stop further ar Newark DE). So this is well outside the Philadelphia area.

[@filanfyretracker]

what is really sad is if you follow the Danbury branch off the New Haven line you see the support structures for overhead wires, At some point in the 1960s the lines were torn down and it was dieseled. There is constant fruitless talks from ConnDOT to rewire the branch, which they should especially with talks once and awhile to extend it. One reason for the heavier cars rules under FRA is crash standards, Since outside the NEC the passenger trains share with freight they have to consider an incident between freight cars and passenger cars. I think the RiverLine in Camden NJ is a Stadler diesel light rail vehicle. I think there is talks of extending that line or a branch farther into South Jersey as far as Glassboro which would give rail access from there all the way up to meet PATCO into Philadelphia.

[@christieo2739]

This brought back so many memories for me as someone who lived in the suburbs of Philly for over 10 years. The Regional Rail is awesome for corporate workers commuting to and from center city Philadelphia each day. I never drove to work while working in the city. The train was reliable and very easy to understand. IMO it’s much more straight-forward and user-friendly than the NYC trains.

[@scottydude456]

Greatest crossover episode of all time

[@himbourbanist]

I can't wait for the line to Reading to start up with Amtrak; it's going to basically be a second Keystone corridor

[@sebastienhardinger4149]

Wish it would be as fast as the Keystone

[@himbourbanist]

I doubt it will be. I don't think it will be electrified, at least at the outset. Maybe someday Amtrak will buy the tracks and set up electrification. I think we'll see the Keystone Corridor electrified out to Pittsburgh before we saw that@@sebastienhardinger4149

[@lalakerspro]

The norristown high speed line is actually driven by passengers. Its first come first serve, and passengers can pass duty along if they wish

[@mxsalm]

Lol what are you talking about

[@lalakerspro]

Basically whoever volunteers to drive it gets a free ticket, and of course since they would probably not go the whole route, they would hand off to another passenger. Periodically, you will have SEPTA employees watching to make sure it is driven correctly@@mxsalm

[@BobNewbie]

Thanks for considering my photo for the thumbnail! I've been following your channel for a while now. Cheers!

[@kevinhoward9593]

The line actually Ends at Elm Street. Just saying. 5:59 that's the only 9th Street Branch (Reading Viaduct) The Norristown Line was also the first double track mainline in the US. It opened in 1835.

[@bos2pdx2yvr]

I love seeing two of my favourite channels do a collab video! I really enjoy Alan's work, it's great seeing you guys together. Thanks for another awesome trip report!

[@collectivelyimprovingtrans2460]

Alan Fisher made a video about fixing SEPTA, but other than what he said, it really is GREAT! I enjoy riding it

[@highnoon9333]

I visited Philly almost 5 years ago and I fell in love with that city. I am trying to find a job there so I can relocate and be able to use its fantastic (for the US) rail system! Keep your fingers crossed for me :P

[@xryphon]

And I wanted to get out of here ahahaha :)

[@highnoon9333]

@@xryphon wanna switch places with me? I’m in Columbus 🫠

[@sebastienhardinger4149]

I got fortunate and I work remote for an NYC based job but live in Philly - best of both words with NYC salary and philly prices. Plus getting to nyc for occasional meetings is very easy. good gig if you can get it

[@centredoorplugsthornton4112]

The opening shot was the Market Frankford subway elevated line, a different part of SEPTA. Baritone announcement voice provided by longtime SEPTA employee Alvin Elliot. The announcement system has been called the Alvinator. Commuter rail tunnel was built 1980-84, including Market East Station which replaced Reading Terminal. SEPTA took over direct operations of Conrail commuter lines in 1983. It didn't want to. The commuter rail version of the first 2 verses of the first book of Genesis in the Bible.

[@charlesbaran1106]

Imagine if Boston connected the North and South Station networks, like what was done in Philadelphia.

[@Roma_eterna]

I thought they did?

[@charlesbaran1106]

@@Roma_eterna Unfortunately, no. Over the years, there had been talk of a tunnel or street level connection. To "connect" from Amtrak's Northeast Corridor to the Downeaster service to Maine, a subway ride is necessary.

[@Roma_eterna]

@@charlesbaran1106 that must’ve been what I was thinking of, the subway.

[@filanfyretracker]

@@charlesbaran1106 sounds like how every few years NYC has talks to connect Penn Station to Grand Central.

[@sebastianjoseph2828]

Very cool! I live near Baltimore and grew up near Washington DC. I wish both cities had a regional rail system. DC has something great with metrorail but its MARC and VRE systems are (mostly) non-catenary and don't go through many dense areas (they go through areas that were the densest 100 years ago!). But the stop spacing and the sheer variety of lines seems better in Philly for a local transit network, not just a commuter network. Philadelphia is an easy 1.5 hour trip by train from where I live and it's always a pleasure to visit.

[@onemercilessming1342]

I've driven to a SEPTA station taking SEPTA to downtown Philly and back. It was comfortable, quiet in the quiet car, and safe.

[@scottydude456]

6:04 go owls! 🦉

[@frank_25687]

I've ridden regional rail (Paoli/Thorndale and Trenton) and I have to be honest I've ridden on Silverliner IV's and V's and honestly I think they are both comfortable and spacious and overall nice to be in. Also a note for the difference between the Silverliner IV and V's is that cars numbered 100-499 are Silverliner IVs and cars numbered 700-899 are Silverliner Vs, cars numbered 1000+ are Push Pull trains which are only ran on West Trenton and Trenton. I've ridden the Paoli/Thorndale line out to the suburbs near Paoli/Thorndale in the morning/afternoon on weekends (usually Saturdays), and back to Center City Philadelphia during the evenings on weekends (usually Saturdays as well). Also, during the weekends, there are usually less train rides going to and from Paoli/Thorndale and to/from Center City Philadelphia so there is something to be mindful of that as well. Other regional rail lines and their times during the week and weekend usually vary across those other lines, too.

[@vze428s7]

I operate that unique train towards the end of that video lol. Its the Norristown High Speed Line.

[@JCMik5646]

Thank you for your service

[@TomHoffman-uw7pf]

I rode the Norristown High Speed Line several times, the first one being in the fall of 1969, including the Electroliner. (I forget what SEPTA called them). The snack bar was operational and I had a drink at the bar. I've also got a coaster that's around here somewhere. The NHSL came to a very abrupt end at Norristown before the Transportation Center was built. You got off the car right next to this building and went down the stairs to the street. The Reading station was a block away. A couple times I did a circuit from Center City, using the Market St. el to 69th St. the NHSL to Norristown and the ex-Reading Regional Rail that this video is about back to Center City.

[@scottyerkes1867]

Great ride on one of our commuter lines. Thanks for choosing Phildelphia as an example of how the city has unified transit.. Cheers Thibault💚💚👌👌👍👍

[@richardcheese1010]

Not gonna lie i thought i was clicking on an alan fisher video when i saw the philly thumbnail

[@yutyrannus68]

2 of my favorite transit KZbinrs doing a Collab, cool

[@byronpost809]

I used to take the R5 line from Overbrook to Ardmore (and vice versa) back in the early 90s. I never had a problem with it. It was a relatively good ride.

[@stopsign997]

Great to see you in my hometown!

[@luislaplume8261]

Which one?

[@stopsign997]

@@luislaplume8261 septa territory

[@RamTheGre721]

If you ever find yourself in Madrid you should try the C-9 commuter line. It is a meter-gauge railway that goes up in the mountains of the Sierra de Guadarrama with trains from the 70s! It is a short ride, so it is perfect if you are in Madrid a short time!

[@DavidTSnyder]

Never in a million years did I think @simplyrailway would get off a train a couple miles away from my house.

[@Westlander857]

Only fully electrified commuter rail network in the country baybeeeee

[@blacklisted351]

Isn't denver's as well?

[@Westlander857]

@@blacklisted351 Ah, you got me there, you’re right. *Only fully electrified commuter rail network in the country until very recently

[@Ih8kone]

BULLSHIT!!! Take a look at CalTrain and RTD's commuter rail!

[@jediraptor07]

My old hometown! (Sort of: I grew up along the former R5 route). And all I can say is... you caught SEPTA on a good day. Delays and other issues are frustratingly common across the SEPTA Regional Rail network.

[@jimpern]

When I lived in the Philadelphia suburbs in the mid-80s, I used to ride the very same cars on what was then the Media/Elwyn line (now the Media/Wawa line). That was a former PRR line and the stations were closer together so high speeds were not possible. But I once rode Amtrak between NYC and Philly on Thanksgiving Day on a train made of Silverliners loaned to Amtrak by SEPTA, and on the Northeast Corridor the train was cruising at 90, so I at least knew what the cars were capable of.

[@philnaegely]

Market East is now call Jefferson station fyi

[@moishglukovsky]

Would have loved to show you around my city! I enjoy your channel very much.

[@rezaalan3991]

Great trip

[@thecaledoniansleeper2648]

I live around the Philly area and take the Septa Regional Rail for faraway journeys. And I felt flattered by your compliments towards our regional rail system. I feel like that it was an honor.

[@conorreynolds9739]

At some point, I’d love to see you take a trip on the Michigan services, Wolverine or Blue Water go 110 mph and are using the new, somewhat controversial Venture cars.

[@luislaplume8261]

The seats on the Silverliner 4 are new.

[@sebastienhardinger4149]

Thank you for coming to visit! It's not perfect, but as SEPTA's slogan used to be: "We're Getting There" Philadelphia is the poorest major city in the US, and exists in a purple state where funding for transit is challenging, so it does a lot with limited budget

[@matthewwurtzel322]

Wow, the interior of those cars are in better shape than NJ Transit's Arrows. And while the Arrows feature a bathroom, they are so old and dirty, you really won't want to use them.

[@louiszhang3050]

SEPTA regional rail is such an underrated system. It's really as good as some of the other great transit systems such as Washington Metro or the T in the US. SEPTA is making big improvements, so the future is bright!

[@dexterlambert5740]

In regards to 11:18, I believe a number of factors would have to be in place for SEPTA to acquire Stadler FLIRTS, including who's currently in charge of the transit agency, how much funding exists in their current budget, do they have enough funding to operate, and how SEPTA prioritizes its spending? In all it was a very enjoyable video to watch. Thanks to both you and Alan for a job well done.

[@mxsalm]

Those things are ugly. And we like trains in Philly not light rail vehicles and subway type cars like the slvs. Septa never wanted a railroad but they were forced to take it and now they're desperately tryna turn it into a subway system

[@dexterlambert5740]

@@mxsalm I don't understand what you meant by "ugly" and who's "we"? I'm not familiar with whatever issues you and other Philadelphia residents may have with Septa since I never lived there and I was merely responding to what @SimplyRailways said in his video. However, I knew what it was like to have access to various transit options when I lived in Brooklyn, but since emigrating to Florida back in the mid-1980s, it hasn't been the same. Furthermore, that was good information you gave out on Septa never wanting a railroad but were forced to make the best of a situation the transit agency didn't ask for.

[@mxsalm]

@@dexterlambert5740 it wasn't meant to be offensive. If so, my apologies. It's just my personal preference I have a weird thing for older trains or that older look. I don't like anything that looks futuristic or like a bullet train lol. Those stadlers wouldn't work in our system bcuz we have high and low level platforms.

[@dexterlambert5740]

@@mxsalm I understand how you feel and to be honest I missed the passing of the Budd company and the contributions it made to US passenger rail history. But, thank you for explaining your opposition to Stadler Rail's rolling stock, if only the Buy America Act was passed at a time when the Budd company, Pullman-Standard, American Car Foundry and other domestic manufacturers were still around. Time will tell what choices Septa decides from here on.

[@mxsalm]

@@dexterlambert5740 man o man do I wish budd was still in business 😩

[@amfm889]

2:57 Nice use of video from Vanishing Underground (who seems to have vanished himself).

[@mkphilly]

My home town! Nice vid!

[@Grahzzyvtvlog]

Simply in the 🇺🇸

[@aviateedits]

i really do hope that septa gets more modern rolling stock soon, the only trains they're currently ordering are more ugly metal boxes from CRRC which is... not going very well.

[@IndustrialParrot2816]

I think they are going to buy Kawasaki M8 cars

[@mxsalm]

​@@IndustrialParrot2816what makes you think that?

[@IndustrialParrot2816]

@@mxsalm because the Kawasaki M8 cars are already very popular and already meet most of the SEPTA specs are are overall very similar to the Silverliner 5 and have already been selected to become the Silverliner 6

[@mxsalm]

@@IndustrialParrot2816 where's your findings on this? They're currently having meetings and about the slvi but there's no manufacturer that is on board yet. They didn't even have bIDs yet lol

[@mxsalm]

@@IndustrialParrot2816 I love Kawasaki tho I hope they do go with something like that. But septa likes to go cheap and buy junk

[@patrickmaynard7553]

I loved riding this train while visiting to cover the Penn Relays for a newspaper. (I stayed in Norristown. The Norristown High Speed Line shown at the end was a nice ride too.) But I've never understood why the Norristown Transportation Center is so bad from a transit-oriented development standpoint. This area should be loaded with apartments and a walk-in grocery store at the very least. Instead, it's surrounded by parking.

[@oijgg3p]

Are you planing to try new Belgrade - Novi Sad line? (In couple of years, it will be connected to Budapest)

[@desertfox486]

Hated that the fabulous Reading Terminal was a casualty of the connecting tunnel. What a great station.

[@centredoorplugsthornton4112]

It's still around as part of the Pennsylvania convention center.

[@desertfox486]

@@centredoorplugsthornton4112 Yes, but a station without trains is like a mouth without a tongue.

[@qjtvaddict]

@@desertfox486use suburban station not so serious

[@christophernoble6810]

It looked as though the ole had not been touched since 1933 too! The North East Corridor is the only route which comes anywhere near to European standards.

[@IndustrialParrot2816]

The Stadler Flirt would not work because ots a low floor train which cannot be used because of the ultra high platforms used in the Northeast

[@AC34D]

Simply Railways with Allen Fisher…what are the odds?

[@Porschedude8]

I remember Septa system when I lived briefly in Philadelphia. The system was quick, quiet and efficient. I am pleased with the improvements! Thank you Thibault! 👍👍

[@michaelrmurphy2734]

I was just thinking that. At 8:57 that they don't have bathrooms.

[@nachiketnanadikar5852]

My home for two years :) Used to take the Trenton line quite often back then. Great to see SEPTA being featured in your videos.

[@joemeyers3127]

So glad you covered and appreciated SEPTA. I grew up in Philly and loved how it covered most of the city and the suburban area. You should take a jaunt on the Chestnut Hill route sometime and see that charming part of Philly.

[@spuds6423]

First of all from an emissions perspective, especially when most of your trackage is either underground, in a metropolitan area, then electric is the way to go. However, the source can come from anywhere from a coal plant, a nuclear one and/or clean burning methane/natural gas power plant. Energy from Wind turbines and solar are not easily dispatchable and need not apply. Otherwise, cool vid !

[@samtrak1204]

Is your Night Trains book in english yet?

[@hirampriggott1689]

NJ Transit Arrows trains are identical, but I like the seats better than the SEPTA seats.

[@johnarnehansen9574]

Yhey should have built more Natural Gas- and Thermal Power stations along with enough wind turbines!

[@Aether-222]

SEPTA is in the process of trying to replace those railcars, sadly they are woefully underfunded for what they should be and still havent recovered from the hits they took during the pandemic.

[@Abnerbandanovotempoinscrito1mi]

Boa viagem simplys legal trem

[@TheHungryTransitFan]

Great Collab! Love the Schuylkill views on the Norristown Line

[@alexmonteiro166]

Bonne vidéo simply!!!

[@michaelrmurphy2734]

You are being too modern! Here in Canada, VIA Rail runs Budd equipment built in the 1950s! I love seeing it!

[@mxsalm]

I hate most modern trains. I love these slivs

[@titouanbouve3153]

Le seul truc que je reproche a ce réseau c'est l'heure de départ des derniers trains qui se font souvent avant minuit.

[@Toxic-hz8sl]

My only complaint is that the frequency is pretty bad. The trains from Philly to media only run once every 2 hours on weekends and 1 hour on weekdays.

[@SimplyRailway]

Still better than most cities in North America 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@darrylkenes7424]

Perhapse requiring the Pa Turnpike Authority give $300 million to SEPTA helped a little?

[@kirkrotger9208]

Based on the map that Amtrak put out and looking at the existing tracks, the Reading service won't be using the Norristown line, but the parallel freight line across the river.

[@mxsalm]

Thank you for this information bcuz a lot of us that work for regional rail was under the impression that they were gonna these the Norristown line tracks in which we couldn't figure out how that was gonna be possible when they can barely handle their own trains lol.

[@history_leisure]

You can take SEPTA buses to Pottstown from Norristown-this is not a commuter-centric service

[@hinanokia6607]

💞🤝💞

[@RAILEXCELLENCE2011]

First one 😊

[@Luzgar]

Is this thing powered by a jet engine ?

[@DDELE7]

Why couldn’t the T in Boston unified their Commuter Rail the way Septa did?!!! 😓

[@Ih8kone]

There is a proposal to do so. It is called the North-South Rail Link. I have written a petition for it. Look it up.

[@StefanWithTrains3222]

ALLAAAAN

[@de-fault_de-fault]

8:50 here's where the doors should be, since the Silverliner IV and Arrow II (now retired...only Arrow IIIs are still in service) bodies are the same. The door plug is very noticeable from outside the train, and is similar to what NJ Transit did with the Arrow I's in the '80s after depowering them to use in loco-hauled trains. Those came to be known as Comet Ib's and after their second retirement in the 2000s eventually resurfaced with new interiors for Amtrak California.

[@centredoorplugsthornton4112]

Only 14 of the 30 Comet lB cars went to California. One was picked up by SEPTA for work and wire train service. The other 15 cars presumably scrapped.

[@de-fault_de-fault]

@@centredoorplugsthornton4112 having ridden them regularly in their comet 1b days, I was amazed any of them cleaned up as well as they apparently did.

[@albertcarello619]

I'm disappointed there's no bathrooms on these trains. Unlike the South Shore Line electric s which have them on all it's trains.

[@mxsalm]

Not required for the short trips we take. Also with the communities we go through, trust me you wouldn't want to use the bathroom

[@albertcarello619]

@@mxsalm In other words you wouldn't be safe doing so how dreadful!

[@albertcarello619]

@@mxsalm The very similar looking SOUTH SHORE LINE INTERURBANS of INDIANA all have restrooms. They resemble the mainline SEPTA REGIONAL RAIL cars built by NIPPON SHARYNO have them. The SOUTH SHORE LINE CARS closely resemble the GE IVs.

[@mxsalm]

@@albertcarello619 and that's exactly why people say "don't make an as out of yourself by assuming". Who said anything about being safe or not? I was talking about certain lines having dirty people that would only make the bathrooms disgusting. Bathrooms on any trains that aren't going long distance and dealing with a higher end passenger is pointless. Furthermore septa cleaners barely wanna clean the inside of the cars, they damn sure not cleaning bathrooms. Don't give a damn about Indiana 🤷🏾‍♂️

[@Ih8kone]

THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO EXCUSE FOR SEPTA REGIONAL RAIL TRAINS NOT TO HAVE RESTROOMS ON BOARD!!!

[@NortheastCorridorFilms]

i expected the seats to be terrible tbh

[@flyphone1072]

6:32 the reason the whole system is electrified is they simply got rid of the non electric lines. Not really the amazing clean move everyone claims it is.

[@PinkLaffs]

That is exactly corect. Well over 150 miles of passenger rail was lost in 1981. No other transit system is restricted by electrification like SEPTIC is.

[@thetrain2429]

Please translate the book to english.🙏

[@Palestinegaming]

Please indonesian railway😄

[@stevenroshni1228]

SEPTA is sort of an extension of the New York City regional rail network, which probobly helped keep it relevant while other cities gutted their regional services. NJ Transit from NYC goes to Trenton where SEPTA begins there's combo tickets and the NJ Transit timetable includes the connection. Viewed this way, the NYC network goes from Delaware to Connecticut, or more neutrally described as the fully connected core of the Northeast Megalopolis. For frequent enough service throughout the day service to south to Washington DC an intercity rail company Amtrak.

[@conradjudellarenas4120]

Ride the BART system next

[@bj38000]

Remember that the cleanliness of electricly driven trains relies on the way the electricity is produced. If it is made with coal, then it is not clean !

[@laurieedwards9783]

Have you travelled on Rovos Rail in South Africa?

[@Michaelengelmann]

Well as someone from northeast PA, that was cool. I take septa from Bristol to center city a lot. Sucks that septa sucks. Our best/one of our best transportation companies but it’s still way behind with other countries like the whole of the EU. My dad would talk abt in the 80s how much better it used to be & back in the 40s - 60s it was great. I do believe the GM conspiracy on train/public transport.

[@kma9627]

I wondered why SEPTA wasn't calling my R5 the R5 anymore! Did you guys check out any of the trolleys in Philly while you were there?

[@adithyaramachandran7427]

Why didnt SEPTA get the Stadlers similar to the ones on Caltrain ?

[@alexfarquharson4818]

they got new cars from Hyundai-Rotem not too long ago

[@terielrand8344]

Many north American cities had wonderful commuter rail up until the 1950's. Did you watch "Who framed Roger Rabbit"?

[@IndustrialParrot2816]

Typically they were Interurbans which are like heavy Streetcars

[@metro119]

What I find weird is that even in new trains the design basically hasn’t moved on since the 1950s.

[@CarlGerhardt1]

Unfortunately, SEPTA is going to be in dire straits soon, as their ridership is barely back to over 50% of their pre-COVID ridership, much of the reason being the disastrous administration of Mayor "Crybaby' Jim Kenney. (Thank God he's out of office now, finally).

[@Ih8kone]

Because of the STUPIDITY that is SEPTA's management, the Chestnut Hill West Line could be on the chopping block.

[@CaptRR]

Too bad city hall station is one of the worst subway stations I have ever been too. Seriously looks like it hasn't been given any love In a 100 years.

[@Ih8kone]

There are plans to overhaul it completely.