The Shortest Possible Ride on SEPTA Regional Rail

[@redarrow5591]

Two things: The airport line operates over the Conrail Shared Assets Chester Secondary between CP 60TH SOUTH and CP 90TH STREET. Traffic on that route is mostly locals to various warehouses and refineries in Eddington and Chester City. You are right that most of the work is done at night but occasionally they will do a daylight run between Airport trips And secondly the longest distance between stations is actually between Wilmington and Churchman's Crossing/Fairplay Stations at a hair under 9 miles. Two fun facts about the Wilmington/Newark line: 1) all SEPTA trains that operate past Marcus Hook is ran under contract for the State of Delaware/DART First State. Part of that agreement is that DART paid for four of the Silverliner-Vs when they was new as part of a solid -V local to Newark, and the operational use of one of SEPTAs Bomber sets as a Express train. 2) Under Amtrak's rules, tenant railroads must qualify their crews to the next full service interlocking; this rule applies predominately to SEPTA and Njt. Njt is actually qualified from Harold tower in Queens all the way to SOUTH PENN just below 30th Street. SEPTA meanwhile has to qualify to HAM in TRENTON, PARK tower in Parkesburg on the Harrisburg Line, but on the PW Line DAVIS tower is to the EAST of Newark station. The next full interlocking is BACON tower, 15 miles down the line in Elkton, MD, and that is where SEPTA must qualify to. While it is rare to have a crew spin there, it has been done before.

[@ClassyWhale]

Thanks for the fun facts! According to Wikipedia Wilmington to Churchmans Crossing is only 5.7 miles though...but you can never tell with Wikipedia I guess. Would love a good source on that.

[@redarrow5591]

@@ClassyWhale Wilmington is at MP 26.8 Churchmans Crossing is at MP 34.3 Newark is at MP 38.9

[@redarrow5591]

@Bob Chessick The Speed Tests!!! Reportedly they did clock in at 115 and passed the brake tests to allow 100 MAS

[@ENYoriginal]

@Bob Chessick lemme guess, MARC service to Newark DE is gonna be the same bare bones rush hour schedule....

[@smc4958]

Eddystone, Trainer and Marcus Hook

[@MarkWaller2]

The Algorithm decided to show me this today; it brought back happy memories of a visit to Philadelphia about 10 years ago, so thanks for posting. A couple of follow-up thoughts: - Initially, for some reason, I thought you were doing a journey between the two stations closest in "crow-flight" distance, but on different lines. A quick look at the map suggests this might be the two Chestnut Hill stations. Maybe that would be an interesting one to do some time? - The "multiple stations with a shared platform" situation also exists in Chicago, in the tunnel sections of the 'L' Red and Blue lines. The intermediate platform sections are just like the actual stations, so it felt quite weird for the train to move from one stop to the next without apparently leaving the "station"!

[@fjp912]

North Broad (former Reading) and North Philadelphia (former PRR) are also very close. In fact, they were both accessible from opposite ends of the same Broad Street Subway station, before the tunnels were closed off and the stairways removed.

[@johnchambers8528]

Just a short note about Amtrak going to the airport station in Philadelphia. When Amtrak started service to Atlantic City for a short time they ran a train from the Airport station to Atlantic City. If I remember it was an effort to give airline passengers a convent way to get to Atlantic City. As business decreased for travel to Atlantic City this was one of the first services Amtrak canceled. Till they finally gave up totally on Atlantic City and now only NJ Transit trains serve Atlantic City from 30th street station.

[@robm328]

I have been enjoying your videos about SEPTA.. I ride the train every Wednesday in from Doylestown to Suburban Station and back home. Except for the crazy schedule on return and hour and twenty minute ride it is a lovely ride. The other thing I particularly like is the Senior “fare” which is free!

[@whitneybutler3694]

Very interesting. I have seen this many times and never actually thought about it before. I remember when they opened the airport line. Before the airport expansion our dad would take us on the Broad Street subway from Erie Avenue to the terminus at Snyder Avenue. From there we rode the route M bus to the airport and we went inside the lone domestic terminal to watch airplanes landing and taking off.

[@daveassanowicz186]

Now arriving on track 4 section B...

[@phlydude]

The yard outside Wilmington is the Wilmington shops. The Bear shops are off US40 just north of SR72 (on Scotland Dr) and have access to the NEC via a feeder line that runs from Newark, DE to Delaware City (with a branch south to Middletown, DE and aligned with US 301 into MD) that is owned by Norfolk Southern (I think).

[@AngelPerez-lw8xr]

The shortest ride on the MFL is between 11th and 13th st 2 blocks and same for BSL city hall to walnut locust. The airport terminals in general is all within the airport but this is cool to know. I think the second shortest distance all lie within the Fox chase line. Cheltenham to Reyes and Reyes to Fox chase are only like a few blocks apart.

[@jadenalcazar4966]

It’s the Cynwyd Line

[@SeligsTrainsandTravels]

i've seen videos and i can confirm this is one

[@brybrygaming1159]

I live right next to the Elwin station

[@MelvinVonMTodd]

Lucky!! That’s my favorite line!

[@brybrygaming1159]

I normally take the full Elwin to Temple

[@tomrice6128]

Doesn't SEPTA stop at all the terminals at PHL? When I worked there, we considered it all just one stop on the rail line.

[@butth3ad]

loving the septa content

[@andrewskigordon4941]

Run septa like rapid transit

[@MelvinVonMTodd]

Yes. I agree, especially being from Wilmington. Another journey would be riding from Wilmington to Churchman’s Crossing and Newark.

[@evangouldtransit]

5:06 the longest possible journey of 7 miles.? what about like, Trenton to 30th Street.? Newark ( Delaware ) to 30th Street.?

[@ClassyWhale]

Longest between two stations

[@evangouldtransit]

@@ClassyWhale ohhhhh i understand.!! thank you for clearing that up.!!! SEPTA's regional rail is very unique.!

[@alk61695]

They really should just make one main station for the airport. So people may have to walk a little more, that shouldn't be an issue.

[@Snorkitty]

Chicago Dearborn subway style!

[@Leonard_Wilson]

Slightly off topic, roughly what percentage of the regional rail trains are Silverliner V’s?

[@alexcimitile]

37.5%, with current numbers

[@randomtransitadventures]

“other *long pause* transit- systems”

[@gchsbus]

Just out of curiosity. Did you watch the gap when exiting?

[@ClassyWhale]

I watched the urban outfitters

[@carlhoward3365]

LMAO!!! A) This is cheating!! LOL! The airport stations don't count. I thought it would be Sharon Hill Station and Curtis Park Station. Or University City and 30th street. B) Yes, freight service does run on those tracks during the day. Not very frequently though.

[@AngelPerez-lw8xr]

Or possibly Jefferson to suburban station. Which is 11th/12th st to 15th/16th st.

[@YXLMAR]

You guys got it wrong that's not the shortest regional rail line it's the Cynwnd line .. they use one car and make 3 stops

[@ClassyWhale]

It's the shortest possible ride between two stops

[@YXLMAR]

@@ClassyWhale ohhhh ok

[@ClassyWhale]

@@YXLMAR Jared and I actually rode the Cynwyd line this spring, and our video about that drops later this month!

[@YXLMAR]

Cool can't wait for it

[@jdillon8360]

Hilarious!