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Manayunk/Norristown Line
A Manayunk/Norristown train at Main Street station in Norristown, Pennsylvania
Overview
Service typeSEPTA Regional Rail commuter service
Current operator(s)SEPTA
Ridership3,074 (FY 2022)[1]
Route
TerminiPenn Medicine
Norristown–Elm Street
Stops16
Distance travelled18.1 mi (29.1 km)
Line(s) used
Technical
Rolling stockElectric multiple units
ElectrificationOverhead line, 12 kV 25 Hz AC
Route map
Map
Legend
mi
18.1
 Norristown–Elm Street
Marshall Street
closed
17.7
 Norristown–Main Street
Pottsville Line
17.2
 Norristown T.C.
Mogees
closed
Ivy Rock
closed
13.5
 Conshohocken
12.3
 Spring Mill
Zone
3
2
10.7
 Miquon
Shawmont
closed
8.4
 Ivy Ridge
CYN
former service
to 30th Street Station
7.6
 Manayunk
6.4
 Wissahickon
Zone
2
1
5.5
 East Falls
4.0
 Allegheny
SEPTA Main Line
DOY AIR FOX CHE WAR WTR
2.9
 North Broad
Zone
1
C
2.1
 Temple University
Spring Garden Street
closed
Reading Terminal
closed
0.5
 Jefferson
0.0
 Suburban Station
0.9
 30th Street
NJ TransitAmtrak
1.8
 Penn Medicine
NWK to Newark
AIR to Airport
WAW to Wawa
This diagram:

The Manayunk/Norristown Line is a commuter rail service in Southeastern Pennsylvania between Center City Philadelphia and Norristown, and one of the 13 lines in SEPTA's Regional Rail network. It has the second highest operating ratio (19.9%) on the SEPTA Regional Rail network.[2]

Route

[edit]
Main article: Norristown Branch

Manayunk/Norristown Line trains originate at and take the West Chester Branch to reach 30th Street Station. From there, they use the Center City Commuter Connection of the SEPTA Main Line, making all stops between 30th Street Station and North Broad station. From North Broad, trains use the Norristown Branch, traveling through Philadelphia's East Falls and Manayunk neighborhoods and Conshohocken before reaching Norristown. At the Norristown Transportation Center, commuters can transfer to SEPTA surface buses or the SEPTA Norristown High Speed Line to 69th Street Transportation Center. From the Norristown Transportation Center, trains continue to Norristown–Main Street and Norristown–Elm Street. Until 1981, additional passenger service continued from Norristown over the former Reading main line to Pottstown, Reading, and Pottsville.

As of 2022, most weekday Manayunk/Norristown Line trains terminate at 30th Street Station or continue to Wawa on the Media/Wawa Line. Most weekend Manayunk/Norristown Line trains continue to Wilmington on the Wilmington/Newark Line.[3]

History

[edit]
An outbound Manayunk/Norristown Line train at Norristown Transportation Center

The Manayunk/Norristown Line is a continuation of the Reading Company's suburban services on the Norristown Branch from Philadelphia to Norristown, Pennsylvania. Electrified service to Norristown and Chestnut Hill East began on February 5, 1933.[4] Steam (and later diesel)-operated intercity services continued to operate beyond Norristown. By the 1960s Budd Rail Diesel Cars handled most of the Reading's diesel services, although the Reading's EMD FP7 locomotives, displaced from the Crusader, saw regular use on the Philadelphia–Reading run.[5] SEPTA discontinued services beyond Norristown on July 26, 1981.[6]

Between 1984–2010 the route was designated R6 Norristown as part of SEPTA's diametrical reorganization of its lines. Manayunk/Norristown Line trains operated through the city center to the Ivy Ridge Line (later Cynwyd) on the ex-Pennsylvania side of the system.[7] The R-number naming system was dropped on July 25, 2010.[8] SEPTA undertook a series of operational and physical improvements of the Norristown Branch beginning in 2013, culminating in the activation of positive train control on August 15, 2016.[9][10][11]

On April 9, 2020, service on the line was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic,[12] though Temple University and North Broad stations were still being served by other rail services. Service resumed on June 28, 2020.[13] On September 1–2, 2021, the remnants of Hurricane Ida caused severe flooding along the Schuylkill River, with the Manayunk/Norristown Line between Miquon and Norristown flooded and damaged. As a result, service along the line was suspended. Service between Center City Philadelphia and Spring Mill resumed on September 7 while service along the entire length of the line to Norristown resumed on September 13.[14]

Proposed extensions beyond Norristown

[edit]
Main article: Schuylkill River Passenger Rail

Like the Cynwyd Line, the Manayunk/Norristown Line was slated to become part of the planned new Schuylkill Valley Metro, but was to serve the King of Prussia mall complex and the former Pennsylvania Railroad's Trenton Cut-Off line to Frazer. This was referred to by planners as the "Cross-County Segment." An extension of the Manayunk/Norristown Line, called the Norristown Extension, to Wyomissing was later proposed, with funding to come through new tolls on U.S. Route 422.[15][16]

As of mid-2018, the borough of Phoenixville is studying the restoration of SEPTA train service by extending the Manayunk/Norristown Line using old Reading Line track past Norristown, currently used for freight trains by Norfolk Southern along its Harrisburg Line.[17] In 2018, a panel led by the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance pushed for an extension of the Manayunk/Norristown Line to Reading, with service terminating either at the Franklin Street Station in Reading or in Wyomissing. The proposed extension would utilize existing Norfolk Southern freight railroad tracks. Before service can be implemented, a study would need to take place.[18]

In 2020, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) finalized a study on the feasibility of extending passenger train service from Norristown to Reading along the Norfolk Southern freight line. The proposed extension is projected to cost $818 million, which includes buying the trains and paying Norfolk Southern to use the line. The service is projected to have an annual operating cost of between $18 million and $25 million. Stations will be located in Reading (Franklin Street Station), Birdsboro, Pottstown, Royersford, Phoenixville, Valley Forge, and Norristown (Norristown Transportation Center); from where the train will follow the existing Manayunk/Norristown Line to Philadelphia.[19][20][21] As the section between Reading and Norristown is not electrified, the service will either require dual mode locomotives or the extension of electrification beyond Norristown in order to provide a one-seat ride between Reading and Philadelphia; another option would be to operate diesel-powered trains between Reading and Norristown that would offer a transfer to electric-powered trains at Norristown for service to Philadelphia. In addition, a third track would need to be constructed between Reading and Norristown in order to accommodate both passenger service and Norfolk Southern freight trains. The proposal calls for between 6 and 9 daily round trips to Reading and has a projected weekday ridership between 3,400 and 6,400 by 2030.[21] Following the PennDOT feasibility study, a feasibility study by Norfolk Southern needs to be conducted and the proposal needs to be added to the PennDOT rail plan, which would allow for Federal Railroad Administration grants to be used for studies of the proposed service.[20]

As part of the process of implementing passenger train service from Norristown to Reading, county commissioners from Berks, Chester, and Montgomery counties will create the Tri-County Passenger Rail Committee, which will consist of three members named by each county.[22]

Rail service between Reading and Philadelphia along the Norfolk Southern line is included in Amtrak's service vision for 2035.[23]

Stations

[edit]
The Norristown Transportation Center is a major hub
Miquon station

The Manayunk/Norristown Line makes the following station stops after leaving the Center City Commuter Connection; stations indicated with a gray background are closed.[3]

Zone Location Station Miles (km)
from
Center City 		Connections / notes
C Callowhill, Philadelphia Spring Garden Street On the former line to Reading Terminal, closed November 6, 1984[24]
Temple University Temple University Disabled access 2.1 (3.4) SEPTA Regional Rail: all lines
1 Glenwood, Philadelphia North Broad Disabled access 2.9 (4.7) SEPTA Regional Rail:      Lansdale/​Doylestown Line
SEPTA Metro: Broad Street Line
Bus interchange SEPTA City Bus: 4, 16, 54
Allegheny West, Philadelphia Allegheny 4.0 (6.4) Bus interchange SEPTA City Bus: 33, 60
East Falls, Philadelphia East Falls 5.5 (8.9) Bus interchange SEPTA City Bus: K
2 Wissahickon, Philadelphia Wissahickon 6.4 (10.3) Bus interchange SEPTA City Bus: 9, 27, 61, 62, 65
Manayunk, Philadelphia Manayunk 7.6 (12.2) Bus interchange SEPTA City Bus: 35, 61, 62
Roxborough, Philadelphia Ivy Ridge 8.4 (13.5) Bus interchange SEPTA City Bus: 61, 62
Shawmont 9.4 (15.1) Closed November 10, 1996[25]
Miquon Miquon 10.7 (17.2)
3 Conshohocken Spring Mill Disabled access 12.3 (19.8)
Conshohocken Disabled access 13.5 (21.7) Bus interchange SEPTA Suburban Bus: 95, 97
Ivy Rock 15.3 (24.6) Closed 1978
Mogees 15.9 (25.6) Discontinued on October 4, 1992[26]
Norristown Norristown Transit
Center 		17.2 (27.7) SEPTA Metro: Norristown High Speed Line
Bus interchange SEPTA Suburban Bus: 90, 91, 93, 96, 97, 98, 99, 131
Norristown–Main Street 17.7 (28.5) Bus interchange SEPTA Suburban Bus: 90, 91, 93, 131
Marshall Street 17.9 (28.8) Closed 1959[27]
Norristown–Elm Street Disabled access 18.1 (29.1)

Former diesel service

[edit]

Prior to July 26, 1981, RDC diesel trains operated north of Norristown to Reading and Pottsville. Until 2011, SEPTA had considered restoring service as far as Reading as part of the Schuylkill Valley Metro project. These plans are currently on hold. The following is a list of stations formerly served by SEPTA.

Zone
 Station Miles (km) from
Reading Terminal 		Date opened Date closed
4 Valley Forge Park    
Valley Forge 21.5 (34.6)  
5 Phoenixville 27.7 (44.6)  
Royersford 32.0 (51.5)  
Linfield 34.7 (55.8)   March 26, 1978[28]
6 Pottstown 39.1 (62.9)  
7 Birdsboro 49.5 (79.7)  
8 Reading (Franklin Street) 58.1 (93.5)  
Leesport 66.3 (106.7)  
Mohrsville 68.6 (110.4)  
Shoemakersville 70.0 (112.7)  
Hamburg 75.3 (121.2)  
9 Auburn 83.5 (134.4)  
10 Schuylkill Haven 89.1 (143.4)  
Pottsville 93.6 (150.6)  

Ridership

[edit]

Between FY 2013–FY 2019 yearly ridership on the Manayunk/Norristown Line ranged between 2.9 million–3.3 million before collapsing during the COVID-19 pandemic.[note 1]

1,000,000
2,000,000
3,000,000
4,000,000
FY 2013
FY 2014
FY 2015
FY 2016
FY 2017
FY 2018
FY 2019
FY 2020
FY 2021
FY 2022
FY 2023

Notes

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

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b SEPTA Data Group. "Route Operating Statistics". Retrieved February 26, 2024.
  2. ^ "Route Operating Statistics". Retrieved February 26, 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Manayunk/Norristown Line schedule" (PDF). SEPTA. January 7, 2024. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  4. ^ Baer, Christopher T. (April 2015). "A GENERAL CHRONOLOGY OF THE SUCCESSORS OF THE PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD COMPANY AND THEIR HISTORICAL CONTEXT: 1933" (PDF). Pennsylvania Railroad Technical and Historical Society.
  5. ^ Woodland, Dale W. (December 2003). "SEPTA's Diesels". Railpace Newsmagazine. pp. 21–22.
  6. ^ Williams, Gerry (1998). Trains, Trolleys & Transit: A Guide to Philadelphia Area Rail Transit. Piscataway, New Jersey: Railpace Company. p. 47. ISBN 978-0-9621541-7-1.
  7. ^ Vuchic, Vukan; Kikuchi, Shinya (1984). General Operations Plan for the SEPTA Regional High Speed System. Philadelphia: SEPTA. pp. 2–8.
  8. ^ Lustig, David (November 2010). "SEPTA makeover". Trains Magazine. Kalmbach Publishing: 26.
  9. ^ "Manayunk/Norristown Line Shuttle Busing: An Explanation". SEPTA. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
  10. ^ "SEPTA's Capital Program:Regional Rail Signal System Modernization Program" (PDF). Fiscal Year 2014 Capital Budget Proposal. Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 April 2013. Retrieved 29 March 2013.
  11. ^ "Positive Train Control Update". SEPTA. May 1, 2017. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
  12. ^ "Service Information". SEPTA. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
  13. ^ "SEPTA Regional Rail & Rail Transit Lifeline Service" (PDF). SEPTA. 2020. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
  14. ^ Katro, Katie (September 9, 2021). "Repairs continue at some stations on SEPTA's Manayunk/Norristown line after flooding". Philadelphia, PA: WPVI-TV. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  15. ^ Hambright, Brett (December 12, 2010). "Decision near on Route 422 tolls". Reading Eagle. Retrieved December 12, 2010.
  16. ^ Hambright, Brett (August 10, 2010). "Technology is making tolls (almost) painless". Reading Eagle. Retrieved December 12, 2010.
  17. ^ "Phoenixville Regional Rail Plan Moving Forward". Patch. May 9, 2018. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  18. ^ Brelje, Beth (August 21, 2018). "Panel hopes to revive Reading to Norristown passenger train service". Reading Eagle. Retrieved August 26, 2018.
  19. ^ Herman, Holly (November 27, 2020). "PennDOT plans to finalize a study on using Norfolk Southern freight tracks to restore rail passenger service to Reading". Reading Eagle. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
  20. ^ a b Vasil, Jim (January 11, 2021). "Reading to Philly rail study shows idea gaining steam". Allentown, PA: WFMZ-TV. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  21. ^ a b "Reading to Philadelphia Passenger Rail Analysis" (PDF). Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. December 2020. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  22. ^ Herman, Holly (February 5, 2021). "Berks County commissioners support plan to restore Reading-to-Philadelphia passenger train service". Reading Eagle. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
  23. ^ Vasil, Jim (April 1, 2021). "Reading, Philly train travel part of Amtrak's 2035 vision". Allentown, PA: WFMZ-TV. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  24. ^ Williams, Edgar (November 6, 1984). "A Fond Adieu to Reading Terminal". The Philadelphia Inquirer. pp. A1, A8. Retrieved July 4, 2019 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  25. ^ Dougherty, Frank (October 25, 1996). "Septa Board Cuts Service But Opposition Is Spirited". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on October 18, 2015. Retrieved October 25, 2017.
  26. ^ "New Rail Schedules Set". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. October 2, 1992. p. 36. Retrieved October 19, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  27. ^ "To Make Changes". The Scranton Tribune. September 16, 1959. p. 1. Retrieved July 4, 2019 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  28. ^ "Rail Hikes Stalled". The Philadelphia Daily News. March 23, 1978. p. 62. Retrieved October 26, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
[edit]
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