2480 lines
71 KiB
Plaintext
2480 lines
71 KiB
Plaintext
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The Delaware Valley Rail Passenger
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Electronic Edition
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July 1993
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Vol. XI, No. 7
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Published by the Delaware Valley Association of Railroad Passengers in the
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interest of continued, improved, and expanded rail service for the present
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and potential railroad and rail transit passengers of southeastern
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Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, and nearby areas.
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The Electronic Edition is published as a service to the network community.
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You can support our continued efforts in bringing this newsletter to you by
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joining DVARP. Introductory membership for the remainder of 1993 is $7.00.
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Current DVARP newsletter access points:
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by mail: The RAILROAD List (brought to you by Geert K. Marien)
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to have newsletter sent to you, send the message:
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GET DVARP 9307 RAILNEWS to LISTSERV@CUNYVM (BITNET)
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or LISTSERV@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU
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for an index, send the message: INDEX RAILNEWS
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by FTP: (courtesy of Dr. Bob Wier, East Tennesee State Univ.)
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FTP to hipp.etsu.edu, directory pub/railroad/dvarp
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by modem: (Railnet BBS)
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216-786-0476, serial settings 2400-8-N-1
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Thanks to all our supporters!
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For more information about DVARP and good rail service, please contact us:
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P.O. Box 7505,
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Philadelphia, PA 19101
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215-222-3373
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President: Chuck Bode contents: page 2
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Editor: Matthew Mitchell
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for other officers and committee chairs, see page 19
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Chestnut Hill West trains were faster in 1893 than in 1993!
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See John Pawson's special report on page 6
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Inside The Delaware Valley Rail Passenger.
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1 Ride with us on the new Norristown car!
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2 SEPTA threatens 6-7% fare hike if Harrisburg , Washington fail to
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send more money.
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3 RailWorks Roundup: Construction progress OK, Ridership-NOT!
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5 On the Railroad Lines: minor RRD service restorations, keep away
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from 13th St.
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6 Chestnut Hill line was faster in 1893 than in 1993!
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9 Privatization stories from SEPTA, New Jersey
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11 The shuttle to "El"
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12 SEPTA, private operators present Newtown plans: is a Willow Grove
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routing rational?
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14 DVARP members report on RailWorks diesel detour service.
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17 ICE and X2000 offer competing high-speed visions, NJT reports
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ridership gain.
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18 Dates of Interest: DVARP annual picnic slated for August 21.
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Newsletter index now available.
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19 Up and Down the Corridor, DVARP Directory: get your newsletter by
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computer!
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entire contents copyright (C) 1993 DVARP,
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except photos (C) 1993 credited photographers
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Opinions expressed in The Delaware Valley Rail Passenger are notnecessarily
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those of DVARP or its members. We welcome your comments: call 215-222-3373
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DVARP Membership Coupon
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Yes, I want to support improved passenger train service in our region!
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Here are my DVARP membership dues for 1993!
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Name
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Address
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City, State, Zip
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Please choose a membership category below, enclose check and mail to:
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DVARP, PO Box 7505, Philadelphia, PA 19101
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( ) Regular: $15.00 ( ) Family: $20.00 ( ) Supporting: $25.00
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( ) Sustaining: $50.00 ( ) Patron: $75.00 ( ) Benefactor: $100.00
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( ) Introductory rate-new members only: $7.00
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On Board the N-5 by Matthew Mitchell
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The first of SEPTA's oft-delayed and controversial Norristown High-Speed
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Line cars has been in regular revenue service for several months now, and
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the remaining 25 cars of the order are starting to arrive on the property.
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Will passengers find the new rolling stock worth the wait? Let's take a
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ride from 69th Street to Bryn Mawr to find out.
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Operator's control panel of the N-5 car. file photos
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Before the rush-hour "tripper" leaves the terminal, we look at the
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operator's control panel, which looks more complex than that of either the
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vintage 1924-33 equipment which raced up and down the P&W for over half a
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century or the ex-Chicago and Market-Frankford trains which now provide
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most of the Norristown service.
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But in fact, operation of the N-5s is not complicated. A single master
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controller operates both power and brakes, and must be held down by the
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operator to prevent actuation of the "deadman" emergency brake. Over a
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score of switches control lights, doors, and other accessories. Controls
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for these functions were scattered throughout the cab of the old equipment,
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and their operation could be idiosyncratic.
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The biggest change in operation compared to the old cars is the presence of
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a cab signal system. Once the fixed component of the signal equipment is
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fully in place, a series of lights on the perimeter of the speedometer (top
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center of instrument panel) will indicate the maximum authorized speed.
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Should that be exceeded, the brakes will be automatically be applied.
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SEPTA Threatens Fare Increase
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SEPTA Treasurer Feather Houstoun revealed to the media last week that the
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transit agency will seek a fare increase of 6 to 7 percent if state
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appropriations to SEPTA remain at proposed levels. She and General Manager
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Lou Gambaccini repeated the warning at the June meeting of the SEPTA Board.
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The form of that fare increase has yet to be disclosed. Houston reports
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that SEPTA does not intend to raise the $1.50 transit base fare, so the
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burden will fall on regular transit riders and on commuter rail riders.
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The last two fare increases each hit the railroad twice as hard as it hit
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the transit divisions.
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While DVARP hopes that the needed subsidy dollars will materialize, we will
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prepare for fare hearings in the fall.-MDM
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DVARP Harrisburg Kit Headed Your Way
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DVARP will be sending its Pennsylvania members a kit to help you lobby for
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needed funding for transit when the summer recess is over for the House and
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Senate [near Thanksgiving, some summer!] in Harrisburg. It may be part of a
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newsletter or a separate mailing. Watch for it. In the mean time those who
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know your Representative and Senator's phone number should be calling them
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often enough to make them think you're an inlaw.-TB
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Fumo Bill Sunk For Summer
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The Pennsylvania legislative stalemate caused by the death of Sen. Frank
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Lynch (D-Phila.) resulted in the demise of legislation which would have
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sharply changed the makeup of the SEPTA Board and its powers. The Senate
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is expected to stay in recess until November, so a special election can be
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held to fill Lynch's seat and control of the chamber will not pass to the
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Republicans.
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In the aftermath of the legislative session, the intent of the bill pushed
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by Sen. Vince Fumo (D-Phila.) became clearer. It's no secret any more that
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the powerful Fumo wants Lou Gambaccini ousted as head of SEPTA. His bill
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would grant sole power for hiring and firing the General Manager to a
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"qualified majority" made up of four of the five Harrisburg appointees to
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the SEPTA Board (one each by the Democratic and Republican leaders of each
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house of the Legislature and one Governor's appointee).
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Fumo also wants the Harrisburg politicians to have control over no-bid
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contracts for professional services. The first months of Tom Hayward's
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era as Chairman have been marked by fierce behind-the-scenes struggles over
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fat fees for financial and legal services. If SEPTA floats a multi-billion
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dollar bond issue to pay for capital improvements, the underwriting
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commissions will be a huge plum to be handed to the political allies of
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those who control the Board.-MDM
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RailWorks(R) Roundup
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RailWorks(R) is a registered trademark of SEPTA.
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Construction on Schedule
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SEPTA PR flyers continue to report that contstruction crews replacing eight
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bridges, finishing two stations, and renewing railroad infrastructure are
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right on schedule for reopening the railroad on September 5.
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An important milestone will be reached early next month. All of the North
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Philadelphia streets closed for bridge reconstruction are slated to open
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August 5. If that target is made, then the odds are good that our trains
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to Center City will be back on time.
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Ridership Loss Worries
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News accounts are repeating what we said here a year ago: that SEPTA is in
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big trouble because RailWorks ridership losses were worse than SEPTA's
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predictions.
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While the worry has not yet turned to panic at SEPTA headquarters, dramatic
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actions are called for. Once the railroad reopens, a stepped-up
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advertising campaign will be launched to try to win back those who turned
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to their cars or stopped going to Center City because of the rail shutdown.
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To date, the RailWorks PR machine has spent much of its time and money
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placating residents in the North Philadelphia construction area. A half-
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dozen RailWorks information centers have been opened in neighborhood
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community centers, while SEPTA has given money to programs such as
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Concerned Black Men (a youth mentoring program). Will this make a real
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difference in the progress of the construction and boost SEPTA ridership in
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North Philadelphia, or is this just a new form of patronage?
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DVARP passenger counts conducted at Fern Rock indicate those commuters who
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completely abandoned the RailWorks alternatives did so again. Unlike last
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year, the afternoon outbound station rush hour count is below 4000,
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hopefully due to diesel service patronage.
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Technical note-DVARP is conducting its counts using a new system based on
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an Intel 8051-family microcontroller and an Epson real time clock IC, and
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built by multital-ented volunteer Tom Borawski.
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"West Doyminster" Vanpool
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by Tom Borawski
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(The story you are about to hear is true; the names were changed to obscure
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the guilty)
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DVARP interviewed the operator of a van pool which runs between Center City
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and West Doyminster. As an "end of the line" van pool, it is superior to
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SEPTA in time competitiveness, having a ten minute advantage over the
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railroad in gross terms and the added advantage of door-to-door service.
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The limited-or lack- of express service to West Doyminster is keenly felt.
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(picture of vanpool flyer)
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The economics of the van pool work out to be even with the railroad when
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the van has more than ten riders. Currently the West Doyminster Van Pool
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is using a luxury van which with parking and gas costs $1450 per month to
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operate. Substituting a nonluxury van will bring the van pool's costs down
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to $1300 per month.
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There is one other factor to van pool operation which gives hope that
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despite the economic and chronological disadvantages the railroad has, lost
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riders will be regained: administering van pools is a pain. Someone has to
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organize the riders. Someone has to deal with maintenance. Someone has to
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pay the bills. Hopefully after Railworks, that someone will have reliable
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and time-competitive train service so that the headaches of the van pool
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can go away and the streets of West Doyminster are one van less crowded.
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Direct Service Difficulties
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SEPTA has had a very hard time trying to keep its RailWorks alternative
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direct diesel train service running reliably. While the morning trains
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have racked up a fair record, the first two months of homeward service have
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been plagued by equipment problems which have on several occasions led to
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|
|||
|
|
cancellation of trains. DVARP members Larry DeYoung and Matthew Mitchell
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
report their experiences, beginning on page 14.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Temple Station Cost:: The Review Was Untrue
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
by Tom Borawski
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
In previous DVRP articles (March, May) we reported that the cost of the
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Temple University Station was $37 million. As mentioned in March, we got
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
that information from the Winter '93 Temple University Review which printed
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
the following: "Also under construction is the new SEPTA Rail Station at
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
10th and Berks. The Federal Government is contributing $36.7 million for
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
this project, while Temple is providing $300,000." Those figures were
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
repeated in the Spring Review, along with a photo of the artwork to be put
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
up in the station. As reported last month, those figures are wrong.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Fred Mlynarski, SEPTA's AGM for Engineering and Construction writes:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The cost for the new Temple University Station is NOT $37 million as
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
reported by DVARP. Thirty-seven million was the engineer's estimate for
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
the entire RailWorks GC-2T contract which includes not only the new station
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
work, but also replacement of 6 bridges, 2.5 miles of new track, extensive
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
retaining wall repairs and numerous other non-station construction items.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The station elements of this contract were estimated to cost $4.1 million,
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
with station features of the bridge replacements at Berks and Norris
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Streets adding another $3.0 million, for a total station cost estimate of
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
$7.1 million.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The above figures are all pre-contract award estimates. The actual final
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
cost of the new station is significantly lower as the winning low bid for
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
RailWorks contract GC-2T was $26.7 million. The low bid price for the
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
station work and station features associated with Berks and Norris Street
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
bridges was $6.0 million. This cost, $6.0 million, is the figure DVARP
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
should use as the cost of the new Temple University Station.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
DVARP contacted Ruth Schultz, editor of the Review, who acknowledged that
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
$37 million was not the cost of the station. We did not receive word if
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Temple is going to print a correction. DVARP thanks AGM Fred Mlynarski for
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
setting the record straight.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Newsstand Reply
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Richard DiLullo, SEPTA's Marketing manager replies to the May DVRP story
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
about Remington's News Service's loss of the Suburban Station newsstand
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
concession. He writes, "...the article titled 'Railworks is Killing Me!'
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
gives the impression that the Remington Newsstand lost their lease because
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
of RailWorks. Remington asked SEPTA to rebid their location. [in hopes
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
that the reduced number of passing commuters would result in a cheaper
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
lease rate] Bradd Allen Bookstores subsequently submitted the highest bid
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
and was awarded the location."
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
TIP Process Ripped
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
NARP News reports on testimony given by Robert Molfsky, who represents the
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Amalgamated Transit Union, before the U.S. House Public Works and
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Transportation Subcommittee. He criticized the Delaware Valley Planning
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Commission for giving the public an inadequate opportunity for involvement
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
in planning decisions.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Molofsky said: "[DVRPC] gave the public just one week to comment on its
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
first Transportation Improvement Program and no opportunity to comment on
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
its [clean air] conformity analysis." He also cited the lack of SEPTA
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
representation on the DVRPC board, "How (will) a voice for flexibility...be
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
heard if the leading transit authority in the area is not on the MPO?"-TB
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
How About "Star SEPTA?"
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
According to the Norristown Times Herald, emergency cellular telephone
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
service is operating on the entire length of the Blue Route in Montgomery &
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Delaware counties. Motorists dial *12 for road assistance. The paper does
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
not mention who is funding the free service.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
A companion service-say dial *SEPTA-for transit alternatives and scheduling
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
sounds like a worthy project for ISTEA funds. The DVRPC TIP contains many
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
park and ride projects along the Blue Route. Drivers will need the
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
information tools to finish the job.-TB
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
News compiled by Matthew Mitchell and correspondents: Howard Bender, Chuck
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Bode,
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Tom Borawski, Don Nigro, John Pawson.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
On the Railroad Lines.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Number please?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
RRD is renumbering its Silverliner IV cars to the 400 series in conjunction
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
with a program to remove PCB's from transformers, according to Peter Hanlon
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
of SEPTA.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
R1: Extra Elkins Stop
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The first train in the morning, number 5501 now stops at Elkins Park,
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
southbound, at 5:47 am.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
*SEPTA says the Jenkintown pedestrian subway is scheduled to be repainted.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The graffiti in it has gotten much worse recently.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
R2 211 Abandonment?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
SEPTA has scheduled a public hearing this month on its proposal to abandon
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
the Route 211 bus, which extends the R2 service from Warminster to Ivyland.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Ridership is not up to expectations, in good part because the service
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
reliability has been abysmal. Bus trips have often been missed, or failed
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
to make the advertised train connections. See page 18 for hearing time and
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
place.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
R3 Extra West Trenton Train
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
SEPTA has extended inbound train 9391, which now originates at West Trenton
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
at 6:43 am and makes all stops to Fern Rock.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
*SEPTA has been unable to meet its reliability goals with the afternoon
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
direct diesel service from 30th Street to West Trenton. See RailWorks
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Roundup for more.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
R5 Overbrook Station Grant
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The Inquirer reports that the "Ice Tea Act" is the funding source for
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
$800,000 of a million-dollar project to restore the historic Overbrook
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
station, with the remainder coming from state and local sources. The paper
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
reports that the Overbrook station restoration was among 44 Pennsylvania
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
projects (9 from our region) in the initial batch of ISTEA awards.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
R6 Norristown Sidings Out
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
SEPTA has removed some unused freight sidings in the vicinity of Elm Street
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Station. Rails are already rusty on sections of the line.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
R8 Rails to Trash?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The Inquirer reports that a seven mile link of a proposed Pittsburgh to
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Washington (PA) Rails-to-Trails project is "littered with furniture, tires,
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
refrigerators, animal carcasses and other refuse."
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The paper notes that the corridor is "lined by 17 illegal dumps that
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
contain about 1000 tons of trash." No information regarding use of the
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
trail by motorcycle enthusiasts was given.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
STD MontCo Shares 125a Credit
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
When we reported onthe new 125a bus to Collegeville, we failed to mention
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
the support of Montgomery County, which is covering half of any deficits in
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
the route's trial operation.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
MFSE 13th St.: Use Caution!
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Though the Rendell Administration is trying to coax homeless persons out of
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
the concourse outside the eastbound subway station at 13th Street, the
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
encampment continues, and in fact has expanded all the way to 12th St.,
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
creating a health and safety hazard for passengers entering or exiting
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
there at all hours.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Therefore, our warning to passengers is still on. If you are traveling to
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
or from 13th St., or Juniper Subway-Surface station, enter or exit only
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
through the westbound subway entrance (on the north side of Market) and
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
cross under through Juniper Station to access the eastbound platform.-MDM
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
SSL Nightowls Skip Juniper
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
SEPTA is now closing Juniper Subway-Surface station from 12:30 to 5:00 am.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
SEPTA wants to be able to lock up the 13th Street subway station during
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
those hours, but was unable to previously, since passenger had to be able
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
to access Juniper.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
CTD More Bus & Trolley Changes
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Only a month after the delayed implementation of the spring City Transit
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Division schedules, summer schedules took effect last month. Why? Because
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
school's out and workers are taking vacations (SEPTA workers too!) and we
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
don't need as much peak service as in the rest of the year. The seasonal
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
reductions are usually ended at the annual September schedule change.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Make sure you have up-to-date schedules for your routes: stop at your
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
nearest SEPTA customer service center or phone 580-7777.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Chestnut Hill West Trains Were Faster a Century Ago
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
by John Pawson
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Yes, it was possible to take a steam train with wooden open-platform
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
coaches from old Broad Street Station to Chestnut Hill in less time than it
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
can be done on SEPTA RRD electric trains over a similar but slightly
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
shorter route today.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Timetable 5/21/1893 9/20/1923 9/27/36 7/28/47 4/28/63
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
10/30/83 11/10/84 5/2/93
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Operator,
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
notable facts
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Typical time to: PRR
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
branch built 1884 PRR
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
electrified 1918 PRR PRR PRR
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
(for PSIC)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Silverliner
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
service SEPTA SEPTA
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
through-
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
tunnel service SEPTA
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
RailWorks
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
expanded service
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
30th Street area 3' 4' 3' 3' 3' 3' 4' 4'
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
North Phila. 10' 12-13' 11' 11' 11' 11' 15' 16'
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Chestnut Hill 30' 32-33' 30' 30' 28-30' 28-30'
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
32' 33-35'
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Total outbound trains 33 35 37 37 36 28 25 34
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
between 5:00 and 6:00 pm 5 5 6 6 5 4 4 3
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Let's compare one typical outbound departure of the May 21, 1893 timetable
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
with a corresponding R8 train today. Then with 11 intermediate stops, the
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
3:55 from Broad Street took 30 minutes. Now, the 3:53 (which also makes 11
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
stops) requires 33 minutes. Other trains exhibit similar lengthening of
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
schedules except in cases where stops have been abandoned over the years.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The trends of running time and service levels can be seen in the chart
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
which was taken from timetables of various years.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The pressures which altered the running times are not always obvious, but
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
history provides clues. A surprising level of service was operated in 1893
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
over a branch line only nine years old. An inbound morning peak express (a
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
run which perhaps never has been equalled) having only three intermediate
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
stops ran from the Hill to Broad Street in just 23 minutes. Of course,
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
these trains consisted of steam locomotives hauling light wooden cars which
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
were of poor impact resistance and combustible.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Following the 1880-1910 industrialization, much of the railroad became
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
congested by more freight traffic. The tortuous duck-unders at Zoo
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Junction were introduced to keep the passenger trains moving, at the price
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
of slightly longer running time. The line's 1918 electrification offered
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
better acceleration with steel MU cars, but the wearing effects of the
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
World War I traffic may still be evident in the 1923 timetable. Later it
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
was only possible to restore, but not surpass the 30-minute schedule of
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
1893.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Introduction of quick-accelerating Silverliners in 1962 allowed the fastest
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
service (28 minutes) that passengers have ever enjoyed. However, travel
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
time was significantly extended when the Center City tunnel went into use
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
and Reading and Pennsy systems were combined by SEPTA in late 1984. At
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
that time, the public was told that Amtrak delays might affect service on
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
the Reading side of the system, and vice-versa. Evidently, SEPTA "padded"
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
schedules as it through-routed the trains in an attempt to compensate for
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
the delays which might occur on the first leg of each through run.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Travellers report that even today's slack schedules too often are not met
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
because of interference from Amtrak's Northeast Corridor trains. Over the
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
last two decades, the intercity passenger trains run by Amtrak have
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
increased both in numbers of trains and in speed. A faster train requires
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
a longer clear space (what could be called a "shield") ahead of itself.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Where once the same entity dispatched and operated both intercity and
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
commuter trains, now the track ownership, dispatching, and operation of
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
intercity trains are vested in Amtrak, while the commuter trains are
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
SEPTA's to run-a clear case of responsibility without effective authority.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Amtrak control is costly
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
There are conflicts between SEPTA and Amtrak trains at various places on
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
the Regional Rail system, but mostly they occur in the four-mile section
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
between Zoo Junction and Frankford Junction. Amtrak, SEPTA, and now New
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Jersey Transit use four or more main tracks, while Conrail uses a mostly-
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
separate route on the south side of the right of way.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The schematic drawing (overleaf) shows how R8 Chestnut Hill West trains
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
move through this complex of tracks. At Amtrak's discretion, inbound R8
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
trains merge with the flow of southbound Amtrak Northeast Corridor and
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
SEPTA R7 trains at North Philadelphia or on the Schuylkill River bridge,
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
then go their separate ways at Zoo Junction. In the 7:00 to 9:00 am
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
inbound traffic peak, only five Amtrak trains conflict with the SEPTA
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
trains.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
(diagram here)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
However, between 4:30 and 6:30 pm, the outbound SEPTA trains must contend
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
with both north- and southbound Amtrak trains at North Philadelphia; and
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
there are about 18 Amtrak trains during those two hours. If each Amtrak
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
train carries a five-minute "shield," then RRD trains can occupy that
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
critical location only about 25% of the time. Just scheduling them is
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
difficult; but when Amtrak or SEPTA runs late, the SEPTA trains are bound
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
to wait.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Are there answers?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Solutions for these problems can be classified as "soft" (little or no
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
construction) or "hard" (much construction needed). There are at least
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
seven.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
1. Turn R7 and R8 trains over to Amtrak to run as contractor. Ignoring the
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
fact that Amtrak operation would be costlier (Amtrak has higher labor costs
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
than SEPTA), Amtrak has its own economic priorities. The Northeast
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Corridor operations net it more revenue than any SEPTA commuter trains
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
which it could run. Moreover, NEC services (especially the Metroliners)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
have a significant political constituency. Finally, Congress wants to
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
reduce Amtrak's deficits, so Amtrak must enhance and expedite its NEC
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
services to make more revenue.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
2. Let SEPTA and area politicians "jawbone" Amtrak to win more favorable
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
dispatching. This only runs into the same political and economic problems.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
3. Turn over the Northeast Corridor within the five-county SEPTA area from
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Amtrak to SEPTA. either in whole or in critical part. This change would
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
put SEPTA securely in control, just as Metro North's ownership and
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
dispatching of the NEC between New Rochelle and New Haven speed its own
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
trains, reportedly sometimes at the expense of Amtrak's. This solution,
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
too, would seem to be unsuitable to Amtrak and its political constituency.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
4. Build flyovers at points where Amtrak and SEPTA trains have conflicting
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
paths, just as once they were built to separate the paths of passenger and
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
freight trains. Metro North is building a flyover at New Rochelle, NY
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
where Amtrak conflicts with its commuter trains; and the new Los Angeles
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Metrolink has built one to separate its trains from freight traffic.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Totally new structures might cost $30 million or more each and could take a
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
decade from concept to completion.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
5. Change the R8 routing. Link the Chestnut Hill West line to the SEPTA R6
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Norristown Line near 16th Street Junction, to avoid use of Amtrak property.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
This "Swampoodle Connector" was once in SEPTA's Capital Plan, but has since
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
disappeared. In any case, problems of conflicts between Amtrak trains and
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
R7 Trenton or NJ Transit trains would remain.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
6. Reassign the four passenger tracks of the NEC as two parallel two-track
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
railroads, at least in the critical Zoo-Frankford Junction area. This is
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
a common British practice. Physically, all tracks are signalled for
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
operation in both directions, making this at least a technically attractive
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
idea. SEPTA would run the northernmost two tracks as its own railroad;
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Amtrak the next two. Obviously some track reconfigurations would be needed
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
at each end of the juxtaposed area.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
7. A judicious and cost-effective combination of two or more of the above
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
solutions. One example is shown below.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
(another diagram here)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Solve this problem!
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The Rider Report Card (see June DVRP) and other passenger observations
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
make it clear that about half of SEPTA's commuters-those whose trains must
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
use some Amtrak-controlled rails-are subject to Amtrak-related delays and
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
that some of those passengers are not satisfied with the situation.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
An article in Trains (July 93) titled "Metra-Best Commuter Train" shows
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
trackage control is a key factor in commuter service excellence. Despite
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
their well-known fast running and tight schedules, Metra's trains were 97%
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
on-time last year, compared to SEPTA's loosely-scheduled trains which may
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
or may not have reached only 93%.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Metra or its contractors own or dispatch almost all of the tracks over
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
which the commuter trains run, while Metra provides contractors with
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
financial incentives to give its trains priority. Evidently, Amtrak and
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
freight trains rarely interfere with its operations. And when the Canadian
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Pacific's takeover of Soo Line (which dispatches the two ex-Milwaukee Road
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
lines) caused control to be shifted to Minneapolis and in some cases
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Canada, Metra took the initiative to gain control of the commuter tracks.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
As Metra's "On the (Bi)Level" newsletter put it: "Most visible difference
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
will be more yellow pick-up trucks and fewer maroon ones. Most significant
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
difference will be a work force that performs with commuter trains in
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
mind."
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Why does Amtrak own or control operations on such a big chunk of the
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
region's commuter rail system, even the Paoli and Atlantic City lines, on
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
which commuters are more numerous than Amtrak passengers? The answer is
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
financial and political-Amtrak's capital and operating subsidies are
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
largely paid by the Federal government, while a far greater proportion of
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
commuter trains' cost must be borne by local taxpayers. So there's great
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
incentive to shift ownership (and with it control of operations) to Amtrak
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
and the financial burden to Capitol Hill. Let Amtrak bear the "ownership
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
cost" and never mind the other side of the coin-that Amtrak control is a
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
big factor in slow and unreliable commuter service!
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
That trains here on one line ran faster a century ago than they do today
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
embarrasses our sense of progress. Public transportation, unfortunately,
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
does not attract automobile-oriented commuters with excuses, especially
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
those that sound penny-wise but pound-foolish. Telling them that commuter
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
trains must operate as a by-product of Amtrak funding does not make them
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
tolerant of slowness and lateness.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
If the region really wants-that is, believes that it deserves-a first-class
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
rail commuter system such as Chicagoland enjoys, then these matters can no
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
longer be ignored or concealed. They must be confronted and resolved. If
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
not, the present mediocre service will continue, at least until one day the
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
taxpayers decide that having no system suits them better than having a
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
second-class system dependent on Amtrak.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Private Bus Contractors on SEPTA and NJT
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
by Tom Borawski
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
In March the SEPTA Board awarded a contract to Krapf's Coaches to provide
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Route 131 service between West Chester and Wilmington for two years. The
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
bid was awarded after an outside firm evaluated the costs of having SEPTA
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
provide the service or having an outsider do it. Gordon Linton pointed out
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
that other bus routes were put out to bid and it was found that SEPTA could
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
provide the service at the lowest cost. Harry Lombardo, President of TWU
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Local 234 told the board that his union would file a grievance against
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
SEPTA as the work legally belonged to his union.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
One year ago New Jersey Transit was embroiled in a scandal which is a
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
textbook case on how not to manage a privatized route. The Farrelly
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
family, owners of the Middlesex Metro and Monmouth bus companies, allegedly
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
skimmed more than $1 million from NJT. Such allegations as putting their
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
maid on the bus company payroll and charging home improvements, furniture,
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
appliances and car repairs to the bus companies were part of the
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
investigation according to the Home News. The Star Ledger quotes New
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Jersey State Commission of Investigation (SCI) Chairman James Zazzali as
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
saying, "Their greed was exceeded only by their arrogance."
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Last August, NJT had to take over the routes and the Farrelly companies
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
were stripped of their subsidies. The Star Ledger reports that the NJT
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Board dismissed Chief Auditor Michael J. Fucilli for the failure to detect
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
the abuses.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Buried in the headlines was the statement that SCI investigated three other
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
bus companies last year and found no wrongdoing. Perhaps NJT's experience
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
shows both the right and wrong way of contracting out these services.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
On Board the N-5
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
continued from page 1
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
As the operator comes on board and takes his seat, we'll move back into the
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
car and take our seat, immediately noticing how huge the interior of the
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
car is, especially when compared to the old Brill Bullets. The aisle is
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
very wide, and ceiling much much higher. This large size is one of the
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
factors contributing to the serious weight problems of the new cars; they
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
are six tons heavier than the contract specifications called for, and SEPTA
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
will pay for this over the life of the cars in added power and track
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
maintenance costs. The two-tone brown seats are also wide, and thickly
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
cushioned. We've got plenty of elbow room. "Riiowwwt!" is the call from
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
the platform, and an insistent beeping sound, much louder than that of the
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Kawasaki trolleys, alerts us to the closing door way up at the front of the
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
car.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
N-5 offers passengers comfortable seats and a great view of passing
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
scenery.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Moving out from the platform, over the switches and out onto the line, the
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
big picture windows give us an excellent view of the yard complex at 69th
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Street, including all the construction of the addition to 72nd Street Shop,
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
where these cars will be serviced. Big changes are afoot here, as solid-
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
state electronics replace old mechanical equipment and AC traction motors
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
replace maintenance-intensive DC motors. Shop artisans will no longer have
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
to fabricate their own spare parts from scratch.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Only a gentle push at our backs lets us know the train has started up the
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
upgrade to Parkview. Acceleration is smooth, but insistent, and soft
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
singing of thyristor choppers and blower motors replaces the siren sound of
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
the Bullets' gearboxes.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
We are quickly up to cruising speed and noticing the solid, smooth ride of
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
the N-5 on the continuous welded rail. The ultra-light Bullets tended to
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
bounce around, especially where track had not been surfaced recently, while
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
the Chicago trains "hunt" (that is to say lurch from side-to-side at high
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
speeds) even on the new track. The N-5 cars' primary suspension is a set
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
of V-shaped rubber blocks between the axles and the truck frames, which
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
keeps the unsprung mass of the trucks low for a less-jarring ride.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The transition to the older track is noticeable, but the ride is still
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
pleasant, making it hard to choose between reading the newspaper and
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
viewing the always-scenic P&W right of way. The braking action of the new
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
car is also strong and smooth, and since the operator is still getting used
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
to the performance of the new car, he errs on the side of caution and
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
brakes a bit too strongly. We creep the last few yards to the platform at
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Penfield and the front door opens with a solid-sounding thump. Passengers
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
get off, and that annoying beeping sounds again before the door closes.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
That's the law now; the Feds don't trust an operator to watch out for blind
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
people and warn them himself.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Though long-time riders will miss the fresh air from windows that opened,
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
the air conditioning keeps us comfortable. "Wynnewood" is announced over
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
the PA system, quite clearly and at a reasonable volume, and the woman in
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
front of us presses the yellow tape switch for her stop. There isn't one
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
next to our seat, but we're going to the end of the run, so it won't be a
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
problem.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The roar of Chicago cars on an inbound express train which passes us near
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Ardmore Avenue flexes the windows a little. The high rates of acceleration
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
and braking at each stop have us almost two minutes ahead of schedule by
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
the time we leave Haverford. Now that nearly all the passengers have
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
gotten off, the interior seems especially huge. We get up and walk to the
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
front of the car, watching out the big front window as the N-5 gobbles up
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
track almost effortlessly. The operator tells us he likes the new car,
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
too, though it's quite different from the Chicago trains he learned the
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
route on. Much more comfortable and easy to drive. He adds that lots of
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
passengers have made favorable comments, and asked when all the trains will
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
be like this one. He wishes he had the answer for that question, but every
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
time someone tells him 'real soon now,' real soon never comes. But it
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
seems that the last bugs are being worked out now that assembly has been
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
shifted to ABB's own plant in New York state and the test miles keep
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
getting racked up on car 451.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Close-up view of the trucks shows rubber chevron suspension.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
We hear that the numbers of the new cars will be changed into a 140 series.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Will this end the hex on the N-5 cars? Will SEPTA schedulers take
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
advantage of the better performance by tightening up scheduled running
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
times? And will the passenger-pleasing N-5 cars be enough to reverse the
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Norristown High-Speed Line's declining share of suburban ridership? Or
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
will the deteriorating and sometimes intimidating conditions on the Market-
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Frankford El keep passengers away from the revitalized Norristown Line?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The Shuttle to "El" by William A. Ritzler
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
After meeting some relatives at their home in Frankford, we walked to the
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Margaret-Orthodox station of SEPTA's Blue Line on our way to see the X-2000
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
at 30th Street. Upon arriving at the station, we found an inconspicous,
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
graffiti covered sign telling us that service was suspended. We settled in
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
to wait for the shuttle bus providing alternate service.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
After about 10 minutes, a bus arrived with no seats available. The four of
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
us boarded along with many other passengers. The bus proceeded slowly,
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
picking up passengers at many corners. Speed was also reduced due to
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
detours required by the El reconstruction. After the Erie-Torresdale
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
station, the bus experienced crush loading. Frustration climaxed with a
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
loud verbal exchange between passengers and the driver.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
After a very long forty minutes, we arrived at Berks station. We
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
disembarked and climbed the stairs just in time to view a departing
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
elevated train. The platform attendant responded to the passengers'
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
complaints by pointing out the next arriving train.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
An elderly woman was forced to return downtown because she could not use
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
the stairs. Although she obviously needed a cane to walk, none of the SEPTA
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
employees downtown had thought to tell her that there is no escalator at
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Berks. SEPTA personnel on the scene were unsympathetic.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The train departed after a ten minute layover. We arrived at 30th Street
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
one hour and fifteen minutes after beginning our journey. [normal scheduled
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
time is about 22 minutes.] The return trip provided similar experiences.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Is this really the best SEPTA can do? Would Lou Gambaccini be inclined to
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
use such a service?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
DVARP needs passengers like you to report news from your line:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
call 215-222-3373 with news tips
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
SEPTA Receives Newtown Rail Proposals
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
by John Pawson
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Both bidders who on April 12 presented SEPTA with private-sector plans to
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
serve the Newtown Line described those plans at a May 13 meeting of the
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Newtown Township Transportation Advisory Committee. They are: National
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Interurban Coalition, composed of Rail Easton and other companies, who were
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
represented at the Newtown meeting by Rodney Fisk; and Northeast
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Transportation and Development Corporation, a joint venture of Newtown
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Short Line and other firms, who were represented by Robert Regensberger.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Each bidder proposed to operate through peak-direction service between
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Newtown and center-city Philadelphia. The two groups voiced their belief
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
that only a through service would be marketable. We received the impression
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
that some SEPTA staffers are apprehensive about private operation over the
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
in-service R8 line because they fear problems from unionized SEPTA workers
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
if that is done.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
NIC proposes to receive two two-car train-sets from the Duewag type 628
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
production line set up for German Federal Railway, but modified for US
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
service. Later, four more sets of the twin double-truck cars would arrive,
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
along with back-up RDCs from VIA Rail Canada.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
By Spring 1994, NIC would operate the initial two-train service between
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Newtown and Suburban Station, using the RailWorks routing now operated by
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
RRD. Fisk said that the low-pollution engines of the Duewag trains are
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
already certified by the U.S. Bureau of Mines [for tunnel use]. Running
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
closed-door over the in-service R8 trackage, the end-to-end travel time is
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
expected to be 55 minutes, Off-peak service would operate as a shuttle
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
north of Fox Chase.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Operation of excursions between Suburban Station and the factory outlets in
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Reading is a key part of NIC's economic plan. Later, additional trains
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
would operate on the Quakertown line, ultimately to Allentown, assuming
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
support from LANTA, the public transit agency in that area.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
With a $32.8 million investment, NIC expects to begin service on all of
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
those routes. The $1.2 million committed to the Newtown Line by Bucks
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
County would be leveraged to $36 million using Federal and state
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
components. The mileage-driven Federal capital subsidy would be sufficient
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
to retire the privately funded part of the capital requirements. The
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
$300,000 annual payment by SEPTA in lieu of its current Fox Chase-Newtown
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
bus losses would become a contingent reserve, probably not needed to cover
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
operating costs.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
NTDC proposes a different operating method for Newtown service. SEPTA push-
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
pull cars and electric locomotives would be used in conjunction with
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
otherwise-obtained diesel locomotives. Operations would follow the current
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
R8 service between Fox Chase and 30th Street Station: and like the NIC
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
proposal, there would be no stops in currently-served areas outside Center
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
City. The electric locomotive would be attached at some point on the Fox
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Chase line. Three or four peak round trips would be run, the latter number
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
if Conrail keeps intact the double-track of the R8 line between Newt-own
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
and Cheltenham Junctions. Also like the NIC proposal, fares and tickets
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
would resemble SEPTA's.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Moderator Eli Cooper noted that mandates to reduce automobile commuting
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
will induce more center city employees to ride SEPTA trains. In order to
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
make the most of limited commuter parking, he urged recognition by SEPTA of
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
an "all lines running" policy. Regensberger suggested that SEPTA needs
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
outside pressure, given the history of slow progress toward privatization
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
of a service which has lapsed for over ten years.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Newtown Service Via Willow Grove?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
In December, SEPTA planners examined a scheme for diverting the Newtown
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Line service away from the well-known landed estate near Bryn Athyn. This
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
concept would create a Newtown service which on a map would resemble a
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
letter "z" turned on its end. As its cross-link, the concept would use two
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
miles of the east-west Conrail Morrisville Line between the parallel north-
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
south R2 Warminster and R8 Newtown lines.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Thus under this concept, the Newtown service would duplicate the R2 service
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
between Center City and a point 1 mile north of Willow Grove, then turn
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
east along the Morrisville Line, then northeast to include the outer end of
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
the Newtown Line: stations County Line through Newtown. Trackage north of
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Fox Chase in the Pennypack Creek valley presumably would be abandoned in
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
order to end opposition from the Bryn Athyn billionaires.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
It's a fascinating, if desperate, connect-the-dots exercise. For one
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
thing, it politically props up the increasingly dubious Cross-County Metro
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
plan by using two miles of that route's intended right of way. It ignores
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
the slowness of the Warminster Line and its reliability problem which
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
results from its mostly-single-track construction through built-up areas.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Land around the two railroad intersection points is mostly developed, so
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
ramps would be needed to bring the lower-level SEPTA lines up to the
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Conrail grade. In alignment terms, the connection north of Willow Grove is
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
described as a "jughandle".
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The worst realization in this appeasement scheme comes when one estimates
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
the resulting Suburban Station-Newtown travel time. If the jughandle and
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
ramps can survive NIMBYism and are built, the running time would be at
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
least 70 minutes. Without the jughandle, a passenger transfer would be
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
needed; and travel time increases to at least 75 minutes. Compare that to
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
the 55 minutes of the private proposal to run via Fox Chase.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
There is a legend in Westchester County, NY that the Rockefeller family
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
forced the New York Central Railroad in 1931 to relocate its Putnam
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Division rail commuter line away from the family estate at Pocantico Hills.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Are we about to see a reenactment here in this supposedly egalitarian age?-
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
JRP
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
About last month.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
We had production problems with last month's DVRP which caused it to be
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
mailed about a week later than usual.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Occasional slip-ups & delays are almost inevitable when you rely on
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
volunteer labor. (We do sometimes have to pay attention to our real jobs!)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
While the editor has a new printer which should solve some of the problems,
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
you can do two things to get your newsletter sooner:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
1) Volunteer to help label, staple and mail the newsletter. A few hours of
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
your time makes quite a difference!
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
2) If you have a computer with a modem or network connection, you can
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
download the text even before the newsletter is back from the printer. See
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
page 19.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Commemorative Passes Coming Soon
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
SEPTA's John McGee informs us that the August and September passes will be
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
collectors editions commemorating historic Philadelphia trolleys (August)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
and the 25th anniversary of the City Transit Division (September). The CTD
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
commemorative pass used actual paint chips from vehicles to get the colors
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"just right."
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Channel 10 to air TransitChek Ads
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
WCAU TV-10 will air a series of public service announcements promoting the
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission's TransitChek Program.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
TransitCheck lets employers give tax-deductible benefits to employees who
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
ride public transit, just like they subsidize those who park their cars at
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
work. For more information call the DVRPC at 1-800-355-5000.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Kiosk Update
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
SEPTA reports that the new information kiosks will be updated. Thus their
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
present emptiness is temporary. Hey SEPTA, don'tt forget the kiosk at
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Olney: the bus schedules in it are a full year out of date!
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
SEPTA Faces Discrimination Charges
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
A pair of accusations of racial prejudice have put a dark cloud over
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
SEPTA's labor-management relations at a time when SEPTA can ill afford
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
negative publicity. Three subway-elevated cashiers who were fired by SEPTA
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
for embezzling fare money are charging that they were singled out for the
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
fraud probe because of their race, and then framed by the investigating
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
officers.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Meanwhile, the Inquirer reports that seven white SEPTA Police officers have
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
filed a suit against the authority alleging that the officers were
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
disciplined more severely because of their race.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Important Meeting in Canada
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Transport 2000, the nationwide public transport passengers' association of
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Canada, announces its National Passenger Trains Conference, to be held in
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Ottawa August 19 and 20. The timing is fortuitous, as Federal elections
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
are to be held in the fall and the conference will draw attention to
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
transportation issues and recent cuts in support for public transport by
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
all levels of government.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
For information and registration, write to National Passenger Trains
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Conference, P.O. Box 46066, 2339 Ogilvie Road, Gloucester, ON K1J 9M7, or
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
call 613-747-0262.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Stories from Diesel Riders:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
SEPTA Needs Customer Service Skills
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
by Larry DeYoung
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
On Monday, May 3 (RailWorks shutdown day 1) I rode the SEPTA diesel train
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
from the R5 Doylestown line to 30th Street. The train consisted of four
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
push-pull cars and both of SEPTA's RL1000s. After Fern Rock, we proceeded
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
onto Conrail via Newtown Jct., and did not use the Blue Line track, as had
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
been predicted. It was a straight-ahead move through Zoo, and into 30th
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Street upper level, track 2, about two minutes behind the advertised 8:06.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The ride over Conrail was generally smooth, but excruciatingly, seemingly
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
unnecessarily, slow.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Since the return trip on the Doylestown line is scheduled to leave 30th
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Street before the end of my workday at 4:40, I decided to try the 5:20
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
diesel R3 West Trenton train to Fern Rock, where the timetables seem to
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
allow for a cross-platform transfer to the R5 at 5:55. The R3, ostensibly
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
due to the clearances of the leased NJ Transit U34CH (#4154), leaves from
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
the lower level of 30th Street (see below). The morning route was reversed
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
for the evening trip, and arrival at Fern Rock allowed enough time to catch
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
my R5 train (in fact, they held the R5 for a slightly late Broad Street
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Subway train). All in all, not bad, except that the R5 MU train only had
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
two cars (as it would all week), and the passengers were packed in like
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
sardines. The ridership was extremely low on the diesel trains and onboard
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
information was nil, but the trip was comfortable in the Bombardier
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
coaches.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Tuesday bought a similar experience in the morning, and no change of trains
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
at Fern Rock made for pleasant commuting. The return on R3 that evening was
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
a bit aggravating, however, as we got stabbed [delayed when the tracks
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
ahead were blocked, ed.] by a Conrail coal train pulling up onto the High
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Line from Zoo to run around his train. As a consequence, we got to Fern
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Rock at 5:55, and SEPTA sent the R5 out from Fern Rock just as I stepped
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
out of the R3. I guess no one ever thought passengers might do what I am
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
doing! I caught the next R5. The message: bring reading material, you may
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
need it.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Wednesday outbound looked quite a bit like Monday, but at 30th Street they
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
had the passengers queue up upstairs before going down to platform level,
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
an ominous sign for following days, as it turned out. The train was backed
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
down well into the station, filling the platform level with diesel exhaust.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
By the way, the new RL-1000's are much quieter than the old U34CH.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
On Thursday, the morning R5 took the Blue Line track [located between the
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
main line and Roberts Yard-ed.] for the first time; in fact, most of
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Newtown Junction was missing! SEPTA is rebuilding the crossovers, it seems.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Otherwise, the inbound trip was smooth as before, and with the same light
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
passenger load.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
A longer line waited at 30th Street Thursday night; passengers were
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
beginning to get the word about the direct diesel service. However, they
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
were not to be happy riders, as, due to what was muttered as "radio
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
problems," the train did not arrive in the station until 5:50. There was
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
absolutely no communication with passengers on the train, and passenger and
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
crew attitudes could best be described as "sullen." This is not helping to
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
win passengers for the future, and presumably, these are the people already
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
committed to mass transit! Needless to say, my cross-platform transfer at
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Fern Rock was out of the question, and the next one was in jeopardy. There
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
was much grousing among the passengers, and SEPTA's feeble attempt to
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
explain things did not help. When one passenger asked about the service
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
guarantee claim cards, he was told abruptly that he could get them at Fern
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Rock or at Suburban Station, the two places people taking this service
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
should never have to visit! We ran via Newtown Jct. and made Fern Rock in
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
time to catch the 6:23 R5.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Friday morning brought another straight shot into the upper level of 30th
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Street, again via the Blue Line track. Conrail dispatchers had to do a bit
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
of work as we overtook a freight at West Falls which was too long for the
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
passing siding and was pieced out across three tracks in order to let us
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
through.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
On Monday morning, May 10, I got to Ambler station as the bells were
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
ringing to bring down the Butler Pike crossing gates for the 7:17 departure
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
of the diesel train, which I could have sworn I had heard at 7:02 from the
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
house. I had; the 7:17 was Silverliner IVs. The diesel would be waiting for
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
us at Fern Rock, we were told. We arrived Fern Rock about ten minutes late,
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
on track "0" to the confusion of outbound passengers there, and the diesel
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
train was across the platform on track 2 with four "Bomb cars" and one RL-
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
1000: Amazing! An attempt to provide convenience when there was an
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
equipment problem.... I wonder how that one underpowered RL-1000 did; I did
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
not take the diesel train as I had business near Suburban Station. The
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Broad Street line worked well, and the cars seemed somewhat less crowded
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
than last year.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Again Monday evening I took the Broad Street Line due to my business near
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Suburban Station (and the discouraging 2-for-4 record of the R3 at 30th
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Street). The connection was better than the timetable due to a delay to the
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
outbound R5 train, which was hot and overcrowded. The conductor tried to
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
tell us something over the PA about diesel service and equipment
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
restrictions, but the PA was garbling the message. The engineer issued a
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
command (some tact-in-speaking lessons would be in order, too!) about
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
disembarking at Jenkintown, but commuters are creatures of habit and
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
several insisted in getting off in the middle of the tom-up platform and
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
the trying to squeeze by the fence.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
On Tuesday the 11th the R5 ran straight through with push-pull equipment
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
again, but the diesel power was the U34CH. Arrival at 30th Street was about
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
five minutes late and on the upper level, track 2. What equipment
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
restriction? Several R3 passengers told me that Friday's homeward bound
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
5:20 had again been again a half-hour late, and that Monday's (May 10) had
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
been annulled and they were left on their own with instructions to go to
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Market East and then backtrack to the Broad Street line!
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Questions: Why does the R5 diesel train outbound from 30th St. leave before
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
most peoples' work days are over? Why so slow on the non-speed-restricted
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Conrail track? Why let the passengers get overcrowded on RRD trains to and
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
from Fern Rock?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Conclusions? A grade of C-. Passing, but barely. Good elements are
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
canceled out by the bad, which seems somehow to be normal for SEPTA (see
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
the recent commentary in Trains about Amtrak's apparent lack of standards:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Amtrak is not alone.)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
SEPTA Needs Customer Service Help
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
SEPTA people appear not to realize that attention seemingly minor details
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
and reliable execution, as a routine, matter in a service business.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Sometimes, it isn't clear if they realize they are in a service business!
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
It seems that SEPTA's mission is building infrastructure and running
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
equipment, not providing comfortable, reliable, economical transportation
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
for the public.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I wonder how long the alternative diesel service, with what seems to be an
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
unnecessarily slow pace and very little publicity, will last at present
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
ridership levels.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Four suggestions: 1) In unfamiliar circumstances, passengers feel
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
particularly helpless when something goes wrong. The crews and supervisors
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
need to be trained to give more and better information, and the destination
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
signs on the trains, which are used haphazardly, must be accurate! These
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
information failures are a management problem.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
2) Why not run longer MU trains on the R5 at evening rush hour and let
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
people have a little elbow room after jamming onto the subway?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
3) Why not offer free parking at the affected stations during RailWorks, to
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
encourage people to continue using the rail service?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
4) Use pricing techniques to induce people to ride during off-peak times
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
when, it seems, almost noone is riding the system. Examples: Metra offers
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
a $5.00 all-day pass for weekend riders, even where the one-way fare is
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
$5.00 or more; the Phillies are hot-offer special RailWorks/Broad Street
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Line incentives to go to ball games; publicize the free weekend parking at
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
stations in the suburbs.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
If I can think of these things while sitting at a terminal during my lunch
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
hour, there must be some better ones out there, too!
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
SEPTA, every press report says you have handled your relationship with the
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
neighborhoods in which the RailWorks construction is taking place
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
exceptionally well. Try applying some of that effort and creativity to your
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
passengers as well! I am a firm supporter and user of mass transit for
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
environmental reasons, as well as for peace of mind. The latter is being
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
eroded to the point where I could consider driving for the duration of this
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
shutdown. It must never be forgotten that most of us suburban commuters do
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
have options. The train has to have some basic appeal over our cars, or we
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
will use the cars. It is that simple.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Stories from Diesel Riders:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Detour is Civilized and Scenic
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
by Matthew Mitchell
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Business last month found me traveling to 30th Street or out of town on
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
several occasions, so I've welcomed the DVARP diesel alternative to the
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
hassle of catching the subway. Since the morning diesel trains are run as
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
expresses, they skip my home stop at Glenside so I have to transfer to the
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
diesels at Fern Rock. The connection takes no longer than to the subway,
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
and spares me all those steps to climb and crowds to bustle through.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I expected the worst on my first trip, so I caught the R3 to allow extra
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
time. It arrived at Fern Rock only a minute down, and most of the
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
passengers got off to catch the subway. Only about 10-15 percent of SEPTA
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
rail commuters go to 30th Street, and without running the diesel to
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Suburban, you won't catch the big crowds. But that's fine because I like
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
peace and quiet.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I got a lot of that on the ride down the Trenton Line and through Fairmount
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Park. Not much work got done, as I gazed out the window at some pretty
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
scenes which one wouldn't normally associate with North Philadelphia.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Swinging around the RailWorks construction staging yard on the old "Low
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Grade Line," a tall stalk of bright yellow wildflowers catches my eye, and
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I a make a note to myself to look that up when I get home. (Hollyhock.)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
We make a steady 30 mph down the hill to the Twin Bridges, where a sculler
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
on the river is turning back for his boathouse. Does he not like trains?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Is he too intent on rowing for a wave or even to look up? A mixed freight
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
is on the siding, and I watch it to see where the cars are from and what
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
they might be carrying: chemicals, scrap metal, lumber. Two brand-new
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
locomotives at the head end are waiting for us to pass.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Hard by the tracks in the park is a community garden, tilled by city people
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
who look like they were country-born. They certainly know what to do with
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
their crops, and must spend plenty of time there, given the old sofas and
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
seats out of cars in front of most of the plots. They probably were near
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
the railroad where they grew up too.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
How suprised are the drivers on the Schuylkill when a SEPTA train passes
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
over the highway? Though we aren't matching them for speed, I wouldn't
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
trade places with them; I'll be in a much better frame of mind to start
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
work than they will be.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Hitting the switches, we can speed up for a short stretch into the station.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The other passengers gather up their coffee cups and newspapers (at least
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
they should be) and line up at the door. When it opens, I find I made a
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
smart move by sitting in the first car; it's closest to the escalator.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Right on time, or at least close enough. With plenty of time to wait for
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
my meeting, it's a good thing the new eateries in the station are open,
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
because I have to check each one out before choosing one.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The Friday after that, I make my plans so that I finish my day in West
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Philly to use the homeward diesel. I can bring a shopping bag of market
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
produce on board without worrying about getting it bruised on the subway;
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
little things add to the inconvenience of the rail shutdown. The ride home
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
is tranquil; I sit on the right to stay out of the sun's glare, and a half
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
hour later, scores of frazzled people come on at Fern Rock. The produce is
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
safe, though.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
By the time I have to make a tight morning Amtrak connection, I have the
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
hang of this diesel service.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
That night isn't so pleasant. The crowd at the top of the stairs at 30th
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Street swells with people for a Harrisburg trip, but nobody says anything
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
about the SEPTA train. I take little dashes over for a coffee and to see
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
some radio station's promotion. The person at the information desk has no
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
information: our train isn't even on the big board.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Finally a man in a hardhat comes up and speaks to the woman restraining us
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
from the stairs. The escalator reverses and we swarm down to the train.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
A plane to catch Monday at 10:30. I'll need to make the 9:00 R1. Leave at
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
8 for a subway connection or go early for the diesel? The choice is easy,
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
though I would rather have had my R1 direct from Glenside to the Airport.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
At the Fern Rock platform, another MU comes in with R3 signs. When I ask
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
where the diesel is, the engineers says that he's it-30th Street is
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
annulled today. @%*%#! Of all the days to have to climb all those stairs!
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Glad I gave myself that extra time.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
German ICE
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Arrives for Amtrak Tour
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
While the Swedish X2000 train barnstorms the USA, whetting the public's
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
appetite for high-speed rail service, a competitor from Germany is on the
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
docks in Baltimore.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The InterCity Express (ICE) train, built by the Siemens Corp. for the
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
German Federal Railways, typifies another approach to high-speed ground
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
transportation. While the X2000 was designed to increase train speeds on
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
existing rights of way in Sweden, the ICE reaches its top speeds on a
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
brand-new dedicated high-speed track, such as on the Japanese shinkansen.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The ICE does not have X2000's tilting feature.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The ICE train is larger and faster than the X2000; while both exhibit
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
contemporary European styling, passengers' reactions to their differences
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
in interior details will be as important to Amtrak in setting the
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
specifications for its own high-speed trains as the results of on-track
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
tests.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The multinational companies which dominate the passenger rail equipment
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
market are eyeing the impending Amtrak purchase of 26 trains as an
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
opportunity to crack a vast market, so competition will be keen and each
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
maker will seek partnerships with US firms so that it can say its trains
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
will create jobs for American workers. That stimulus card may be the trump
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
for rail advocates in their fight for government support.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The ICE train is tentatively scheduled to make test runs from Philadelphia
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
to Harrisburg and Washington to New York, then make its exhibition tour
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
before going into regular Metroliner service in the fall. Trains and dates
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
for that service have not been firmed up yet.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
X2000 reprise
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Meanwhile, Amtrak has announced that the Swedish X2000 train will stay on
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
in America for additional testing in everyday Metroliner service. Reaction
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
from the general public on its nationwide tour has been full of excitement.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Once people see a real high-speed train, they want one for their state, and
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
plans which have been languishing on drawing boards are being turned into
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
reality.-MDM
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
NJT "Schedule-by-Fax"
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
A service not listed on New Jersey Transit timetables allows those with fax
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
machines to get train schedules directly. The number, 1-800-626-RIDE, is a
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
computer voicemail system. Those interested in a schedule of any NJT train
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
line use the second sub-menu where they have the option of having the
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
schedule faxed or mailed to them. The bus schedule voicemail system asks
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
the rider for origination and destination points with the appropriate
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
schedule mailed, not faxed.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Other services include mailing the NJT Summer Services Travel Guide and the
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
state-wide transit guide.-TB
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
NJT Ridership Up
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The May Monthly Business Report from Executive Director Shirley A. Delibero
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
shows an increase in both bus and rail ridership. The report
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
states,"During the first nine months of FY93, 1.4 percent more people
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
boarded our trains and 0.9 percent more took advantage of our bus service."
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Line by line increases were as follows:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Morris & Essex...... +1.2%
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Hoboken............. +0.3%
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
NEC................. +0.7%
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
N. Jersey Coast..... +3.7%
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Raritan Valley...... +3.6%
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Atlantic City....... -1.6%
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The Atlantic City line figure should improve with the recent extension of
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
service to Philadelphia 30th Street Station.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The report states that NJT is planning for a Summer service advertising
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
campaign that "is the agency's hottest yet."-TB, DN
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Will Fares Go Up?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
At press time, the New Jersey Legislature is about to pass the budget. At
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
this time, enough funding for NJ Transit is included to prevent a fare
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
increase. With the election coming soon, a fare increase is as unwelcome
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
as a tax increase to Garden State commuters.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Another Phillies Express
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The last two NJT baseball trains of the season will be Sunday, August 25
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
and Sunday, September 26. Tickets are going fast: call 609-343-7163 for
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
reservations.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
DVARP Picnic: Aug. 21
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Ralph Page has again offered to host our annual picnic at his home in
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Willow Grove. The address is 3140 Woodland Ave, phone 659-4953. Only a
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
limited amount of business is transacted at the August meeting, talking
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
about train trips past and future and remembering the people who have
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
helped our organization is the more important agenda item.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
If you come, please bring a dish to share, You can get there on the R2
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
train (remember RailWorks is in effect) or the 22 or 98 bus.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Call DVARP for more information.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Shore-Train Excursion: July 18
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
NJ Transit service from Philadelphia to Atlantic City is back! Come
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
celebrate with an ad hoc group of people from DVARP, Shore-Train Riders
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Club, and Concerned Citizens of the Delaware Valley (both DVARP
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
predecessors and allies-see August 92 DVRP for a history lesson)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
We will be meeting at 30th Street on the NJ Transit train at 9:45 am to
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
share the ride. Return from A.C. is on your own schedule. Call Bob
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Machler, 215-222-3373, message box 6, for more information.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
And the Delaware Fair!
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Some tickets still remain for this year's special train to the Delaware
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
State Fair. The July 24 trip is sponsored by Delmarva Rail Passenger
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Association, who will use it to promote the idea of rail service to Dover
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
and points south. This year, passengers can catch the train at
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Philadelphia as well as Claymont and Wilmington. Call 302-995-6419 for
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
information and reservations, or purchase tickets at Wilmington Station.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
DVARP Offers '92 Newsletter Index
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Thanks to the hard work of DVARP volunteer John Hay, DVARP is proud to
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
offer you a complete index to Volume X of The Delaware Valley Rail
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Passenger.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Virtually every person, station or train mentioned in the newsletter last
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
year has been indexed, so you can access information quickly. To got your
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
copy, send $2.00 for postage and handling to DVARP.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Volunteers Always Welcome
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Got some spare time this summer? Want to put a little of it to good use.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Call Betsey Clark, our volunteer coordinator: 215-222-3373, message box 4.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
We have oppor-tunities for people with all kinds of skills!
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Dates of Interest
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
SEPTA on Site (RRD): Thursday mornings: 7:30 to 9:00 am, at Suburban
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Station or Market East Station.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Philadelphia Trolley Coalition: Sat., July 10, 2:00 at Chestnut Hill Loop,
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Germantown Av./Bethlehem Pike.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
DVARP South Jersey Committee: Sat., July 17, 11:00 to 12:30 at 104 Edison
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Ave., Collingswood, NJ.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
DVARP General Meeting: Sat., July 17, 1:00 to 4:00 pm at Temple Univ.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Center City, 1616 Walnut St.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
CCDV/Shore-Train Riders Excursion to Atlantic City: Sun., July 18. meet
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
at 30th Street at 9:45 am: Bob Machler, DVARP voice mailbox #6.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
SEPTA Citizen Advisory Committee: Tues., July 20, 5:45 pm at SEPTA Board
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Room, 714 Market St.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
SEPTA on Site (Suburban Transit): Wed., July 21, 7:30 to 9:30 am and 3:30
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
to 5:30 pm at 69th St., 7:30 to 9:30 am at Norristown
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
SEPTA Board Meeting: Thu., July 22, 3:00 at SEPTA Board Room, 714 Market
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
St., Third Floor, Phila.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
watch newspaper legal notices for possible changes.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
DRPA Rail Excursion to Delaware State Fair: Sat., July 24. Special Amtrak
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
train makes round trip from Philadelphia to Harrington and Seaford.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Schedule and reservations (required): Doug Andrews, 302-995-6419. Tickets
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
also available at Delaware Transportation Store, Wilmington Amtrak Station.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
SEPTA Public Hearing on Proposed Route 211 Abandonment: Thu., July 29,
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
1:00 at Spring Mill Country Club, 80 Jacksonville Rd., Warminster.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Deadline for August newsletter material: Fri., July 30 to Matthew Mitchell
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
or in DVARP mailbox.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Delmarva Rail Passenger Association: Thu., Aug. 5, 7:00 pm at Senate
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Chambers, Legislative Hall, Dover. info: Doug Andrews, 302-995-6419.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
DVARP Commuter Rail Committee: Sat., Aug. 14, 12:00 at Chestnut Gourmet,
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
1121 Chestnut St, Phila.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Listings based on information provided to DVARP. Contact sponsor to
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
confirm time & place.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Call 215-222-3373, message box 3, to add your event to this calendar.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Up and Down the Corridor
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
News of other Northeastern commuter rail and rail transit services
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Drawbridge Replacement Under Traffic
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The Pequonnock River Bridge in Bridgeport, CT is being replaced under
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
traffic according to Passenger Transport. More than 100 trains a day will
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
operate through the construction zone. The project also includes
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
replacement of 2500 feet of deteriorated steel viaduct in Bridgeport.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Clean Air Act: A Womens Issue ?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The Newark Star-Ledger reports that a university researcher is studying the
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
impact that the Clean Air Act will have on working women. The paper
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
reports that sanctions on employees, such as parking fees or mandatory work
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
schedule changes, unfairly hurt women more than men.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Compiled by Tom Borawski, with Mike McEneny, Matthew Mitchell, Steve
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Spitzmiller
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
LIRR Crime Card
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
LIRR uses a "Crime Prone Conditions" card which lists 10 acts of stupidity
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
passengers may commit from "Displaying money needlessly" to "When using the
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
public phones, not hiding your calling card PIN #." Policemen seeing the
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
lapse check the appropriate box and hand it to the passenger.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Baltimore Light Rail Extension
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The Lithicum to Glen Burnie segment of the MTA Central Light Rail Line
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
should be opening soon.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Computer Corner: Got a modem? Get our newsletter!
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Though it's a long-distance call for most of our readers, those of you who
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
can't wait for your Delaware Valley Rail Passenger can now get it by modem,
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
even if you don't have an internet connection.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
We have arranged for the DVRP to be carried on the "Railnet BBS"-216-786-
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
0476. Modem settings: 2400 baud , 8-N-1. The newsletter is uploaded to
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
our various electronic outlets (see April and June DVRP) about the 4th or
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
5th of each month, allow a few days after that for the file to be available
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
for download.-MDM
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
DVARP Phone & Voice-mail Directory
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
DVARP main number (voice mail line) 215-222-3373
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
1 Chuck Bode, President 215-222-3373
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
-> Tom Borawski, VP-Transportation 215-552-4198
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
6 Robert H. Machler, VP-Administration 215-222-3373
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
5 Sharon Shneyer, VP-Public Relations 215-386-2644
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
4 Betsey Clark, Volunteer Coordinator 215-222-3373
|
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2 John Pawson, Commuter RR Comm. 215-659-7736
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(6 to 9 pm please)
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3 Matthew Mitchell, Transit Committee 215-885-7448
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7 Don Nigro, South Jersey Committe 609-869-9048
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7 Octararo Task Force 215-222-3373
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Computer e-mail address (internet) iekp898@tjuvm.tju.edu
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Upcoming DVARP Meetings:
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Saturday, July 16, 1:00 to 4:00 Temple Univ. Center City, 1616 Walnut
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Please see board in lobby for room assignment.
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Food and drinks prohibited in meeting room
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Saturday, August 21, 1:00 to 4:00 Annual Picnic, Willow Grove
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At the home of Ralph Page, 3140 Woodland Ave.
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See page 18 for details
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Saturday, September 18 Location to be announced
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Agenda for the July meeting:
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1:00 introductions, agenda, minutes
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1:15 Issues requiring immediate action:
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SEPTA budget and possible fare increase
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2:00 Other business:
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Intercity and high-speed rail
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Commuter Rail Committee:
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Post-RailWorks ridership rebuilding
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Transit Committee
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SEPTA service levels
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South Jersey Committee
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Light Rail Committee
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3:00 Administrative:
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Incorporation of DVARP
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Newsletter Editorial Policy
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Procedures for election of officers
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Committee Meetings:
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Philadelphia Trolley Coalition: Sat., July 10, 2:00 at Chestnut Hill
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Trolley Loop, Germantown Ave and Bethlehem Pike.
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South Jersey Task Force: Sat., July 17, 11:00 at 104 Edison Ave.,
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Collingswood, NJ
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Commuter Rail Committee: Sat., Aug. 14, 12:00 at Chestnut Gourmet, 1121
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Chestnut St.
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Light Rail Committee: no meeting this month
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Transit Committee: no meeting this month
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