The
Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority
(SEPTA) is a regional municipal authority that
operates various forms of public transit — bus, subway and
elevated rail, regional rail, light
rail, and electric trolley bus — that
serve 3.8 million people in and around Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania
. SEPTA also manages construction projects
that repair, replace, and expand infrastructure and rolling
stock.
SEPTA
serves the combined city and county of Philadelphia
, Delaware County
, Montgomery County
, Bucks County
, and Chester County
. SEPTA also serves New Castle
County
in Delaware
, and
Mercer
County
in New
Jersey
.
SEPTA has the
6th-largest
U.S. transit system by ridership, with about 306.9 million
annual unlinked trips. It controls 280 active stations, over 450
miles of track, 2,295 revenue vehicles, and 196 routes. SEPTA also
manages Shared-Ride services in Philadelphia and
ADA services across
the region. These services are operated by third-party
contractors.
SEPTA is one of only two U.S. transit agencies that operates all of
the five major types of transit vehicles: regional (commuter) rail
trains, "heavy" rapid transit (subway/elevated) trains, light rail
vehicles (trolleys), electric trolleybuses and motor buses. The
other is Boston's
Massachusetts Bay
Transportation Authority (which runs
ferryboat service as well).
SEPTA employs more than 9,000 people. Its headquarters is located
at 1234
Market Street
in Center City Philadelphia.
History

SEPTA logo from the 1970s
Formation
SEPTA was created by Pennsylvania state charter on August 17, 1963,
to coordinate government subsidies to various transit and railroad
companies in southeastern Pennsylvania.
On November 1, 1965, SEPTA absorbed two predecessor agencies:
- The Passenger Service Improvement Corporation (PSIC), which was
created on January 20, 1960 to work with the Reading Company and Pennsylvania Railroad to improve
commuter rail service and help the railroads maintain otherwise
unprofitable passenger rail service.
- The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Compact (SEPACT),
created on September 8, 1961, by the City of Philadelphia and the
Counties of Montgomery, Bucks, and Chester to coordinate regional
transport issues.
By 1966, the
Reading Company and
Pennsylvania Railroad commuter
railroad lines were operated under contract to SEPTA. On February
1, 1968, the Pennsylvania Railroad merged with the
New York Central railroad to become
Penn Central, only to file for
bankruptcy on June 21, 1970. Penn Central continued to operate in
bankruptcy until 1976, when
Conrail took
over its assets along with those of several other bankrupt
railroads, including the Reading Company. Conrail operated commuter
services under contract to SEPTA until January 1, 1983, when SEPTA
took over operations and acquired track, rolling stock, and other
assets to form the
Railroad
Division.
Subsequent expansion
SEPTA acquired the
Philadelphia Transportation
Company (PTC) on September 30, 1968, which included bus,
trolley, and
trackless trolley
routes, and the
Market-Frankford
Line and the
Broad Street Line
in the City of Philadelphia. This became the City Transit Division.
(Established as the
Philadelphia Rapid Transit
Company in 1907 by the merger of a group of then independent
transit companies operating within the city and its environs, the
system became the PTC in 1940.)
On January 30, 1970, SEPTA acquired the Philadelphia Suburban
Transportation Company, also known as the Red Arrow Lines, which
included the
Philadelphia and Western
Railroad (P&W) route now called the
Norristown High Speed Line (Route
100), the
Media and
Sharon Hill Lines (Routes 101 and 102), and several suburban
bus routes in Delaware County. Today, this is the Victory Division,
though it is sometimes referred to as the Red Arrow Division.
In 1976, SEPTA acquired the transit operations of Schuylkill Valley
Lines, which is today the
Frontier
Division.
1998 Strike
On June 1, 1998 the Transport Workers Union initiated a strike that
would not end for 40 days on
July 10. This
was the seventh strike since 1975.
2005 Strike
SEPTA's contracts with its transportation employees in the City,
Victory, and Frontier Divisions expired in April and May 2005.
After working without a contract for the next few months, the
Transport Workers Union
Local 234 and the
United
Transportation Union Local 1594 set a final deadline of October
31, 2005 at 12:01 AM, at which point the unions would strike if a
new deal was not reached. The main disagreement between SEPTA
management and union leadership was regarding employees'
contributions to their health insurance premiums.
Before the strike, SEPTA tried to negotiate with the union,
offering them a new deal whereby SEPTA union employees would pay 5%
of their salary towards healthcare costs. The SEPTA unions refused
the offer, arguing that when cost of living increases and inflation
were factored in, its members would actually make less money than
they had before. Negotiators walked out of contract negotiations
minutes before the 12:01 AM deadline when they failed to reach an
agreement.
Shortly after midnight on the morning of October 31, the unions
called a strike. All employees in the City, Victory, and Frontier
Divisions walked off the job, resulting in a complete suspension of
service on all bus, trolley, and subway lines. Service on the
regional rail division continued according to contingency plans,
with service added to certain stations to help transport displaced
city and suburban division passengers. This work stoppage stranded
approximately 400,000 riders daily, impacting around 1,000,000
rides daily, forcing commuters to carpool, walk, or arrange other
alternative methods of transportation. In addition, over 27,000
public school students who receive free or subsidized transit
tokens were forced to miss school completely or have their days cut
short due to transportation issues.
In the early morning of November 7, 2005, a preliminary agreement
was reached between SEPTA management and union leadership, ending
the strike. Service on all affected transit lines was fully
restored by the late afternoon. This agreement was due in large
part to the intervention by former Philadelphia mayor, and current
Pennsylvania governor,
Ed Rendell.
2007 Transfer Disputes
In 2007, as part of a new budget-balancing proposal, SEPTA proposed
eliminating bus transfers. This would have resulted in an 80% fare
increase for many riders. Because SEPTA has been unable to provide
a statistical need for the elimination, they have been forced to
hold off.
2009 Strike
SEPTA's contracts with its transportation employees in the City,
Victory and Frontier Divisions expired in March and April 2009. On
October 25, 2009, the
Transport
Workers Union Local 234 voted for SEPTA to go on strike at
12:01 AM by October 31, 2009, if no new contract deal was made. The
strike was initially averted after
Governor
Ed Rendell threatened to cut state
funding should the strike occur. Another reason the strike was
postponed was due to the
2009 World
Series games being hosted by the
Philadelphia Phillies.
However, at 3:00 AM on November 3, 2009, TWU 234 surprised the
public by officially going on strike without notice. On the subject
of the hardships imposed by the surprise strike on Philadelphians,
Willie Brown, president of
Transport Workers Union Local 234,
said "I understand I'm the most hated man in Philadelphia right
now. I have no problem with that".Victory Division service is not
affected by the SEPTA 2009 Strike, but buses are operating on
temporary changes, including the temporary discontinuation of route
116. On, November 4, 2009, TWU 234 strikers blocked buses from
leaving Victory Depot and SEPTA's 69th St Terminal, letting one out
every 40 minutes.
SEPTA was offering an 11.5-percent increase over five years. That
included no raise in the first year, although workers would have
received a $1,250 signing bonus.
This strike ended on November 9, 2009 at 12:45 am, with service
gradually restored beginning 4am.
Union Criticism
Some believe that
Transport
Workers Union Local 234 is being unduly greedy for going on
strike in face of what's offered in the contract offering them pay
increases and signing bonuses.
Individual citizens of Philadelphia have been decrying and even
protesting the actions of SEPTA and of Local Union 234, in the
words of one resident: "I want the SEPTA corporation and the union
to settle now! This is a time of recession! How dare you?".
Commuter Reaction
Many programs have sprung up across the city including Shuttle
service provided by the City of Philadelphia for its municipal
workers and shuttles provided by hotels .Since the strike began,
the
Bicycle Coalition
of Philadelphia has reported a 38 percent rise in commuting by
bicycle .
Additionally, many many High School Students
are finding biking to be a viable replacement for SEPTA bus service
partially because of the availability of secure places to store
bikes as advocated by schools and clubs such as Central High
School of Philadelphia
's Cycling Club.
Governance
SEPTA is governed by a 15-member Board of Directors.
- The City of Philadelphia appoints two members; one member is
appointed by the Mayor, the other by the City Council President.
These two board members can veto any item that is approved by the
full SEPTA board because the city represents more than two-thirds
of SEPTA's local subsidy, fare revenue, and ridership. However, the
veto may be overridden with the vote of at least 75% of the full
board within 30 days.
- Bucks County, Chester County, Delaware County, and Montgomery
County appoint two members each. These members are appointed by the
County Commissioners in Bucks, Chester, and Montgomery County and
by the County Council in Delaware County.
- The majority and minority leaders of the two houses of the
Pennsylvania State
Legislature (the Senate and the House of Representatives)
appoint one member each, for a total of four members.
The day-to-day operations of SEPTA are handled by the General
Manager, who is appointed and hired by the Board of Directors. The
General Manager is assisted by nine department heads called
Assistant General Managers.
The present General Manager is Joseph M. Casey, who had served as
the authority's Chief Financial Officer/Treasurer until his
appointment as General Manager in 2008. Past General Managers
include Faye L. M. Moore, Joseph T. Mack, John "Jack" Leary, Lou
Gambaccini, and
David L. Gunn. Past acting General Managers include
James Kilcur and Bill Stead.
Routes and ridership
Rapid transit
- Market–Frankford Line (Blue
Line): subway and elevated line from the Frankford Transportation
Center (rebuilt in 2003) in the Frankford
section of Philadelphia to 69th Street
Terminal
in Upper
Darby
, via Center City Philadelphia. Weekday
ridership averaged 178,715 in 2006.
- Broad Street Line and Broad–Ridge Spur (Orange Line):
subway line along Broad Street in Philadelphia from Fern Rock
Transportation Center to Pattison Avenue/Sports Complex, via Center
City Philadelphia. Weekday ridership averaged 114,816 in 2006.
Trolley and light rail

SEPTA trolley.
- Subway–Surface
Trolley Lines (Green Line): five trolley routes - 10, 11,
13, 34,
and 36 - that run in a subway in
Center City and fan out along on street-level trolley tracks in
West and Southwest Philadelphia. Daily
ridership averaged 55,463 in 2006.
- Norristown High-Speed
Line (Route 100): formerly known as the Philadelphia &
Western (P&W) Railroad, this interurban rapid transit was considered a light rail line until 2009, when SEPTA began to
consider it a heavy rail line. Daily
ridership averaged 8,801 in 2006.
- Routes 101 and 102
(Suburban Trolley Lines): two trolley routes in Delaware County
which run mostly on private rights-of-way but also have some street
running. Daily ridership averaged 7,132 in 2006.
- Routes 15, 23, and 56: Three surface trolley routes that were suspended in 1992. Routes 23 and 56 are currently operated with buses. Trolley
service on Route 15 resumed as of
September 2005. Route 23 has long been SEPTA's most heavily
traveled surface route, with daily ridership averaging 20,113 in
2006.
- Trackless trolley (Trolleybus):
Trackless trolleys (the preferred term for trolley buses in the
northeastern USA) operate on routes 59, 66 and
75. Service resumed in spring 2008
after a nearly five-year suspension. Until June 2002, five SEPTA
routes were operated with trackless trolleys, using AM General
vehicles built in 1978-79. Routes 29,
59, 66,
75 and 79 used trackless trolleys, but were
converted to diesel buses starting in 2002 (routes 59, 66, 75) and
2003 (routes 29, 79), for an indefinite period. The elderly AM
General trackless trolleys were never returned to service, but in
February 2006 SEPTA placed an order for 38 new low-floor trackless
trolleys from New Flyer
Industries—enough for routes 59, 66 and 75 only—and the first
new ("pilot") trackless trolley arrived in June 2007, for testing.
The production-series vehicles were delivered between February and
August 2008. Trackless trolley service resumed on Routes 66 and 75
on April 14, 2008, and on Route 59 the following day, but was
initially limited to just one or two vehicles on each route, as new
trolley buses gradually replaced the motorbuses serving the routes
over a period of several weeks. The SEPTA board voted in October
2006 not to order additional vehicles for Routes 29 and 79, and
those routes permanently became non-electric routes.
Bus
SEPTA lists 121 bus routes, not including over 50 school trips,
with most routes in the City of Philadelphia proper. Currently,
SEPTA generally employs lettered, one and two-digit route numbering
for its City Division routes, 90-series and 100-series numbers
routes for its Victory ("Red Arrow") Division (Chester, Delaware,
and Montgomery Counties) and its Frontier Division (Montgomery and
Bucks Counties), 200-series routes for its Regional Rail connector
routes (Routes 201, 204, 205 and 206 in Montgomery & Chester
Counties), 300-series routes for other specialized and/or
third-party contract routes, and 400-series routes for limited
service buses to schools within the city of Philadelphia.
Commuter rail
SEPTA's commuter rail service is run by the
SEPTA Regional Rail division. This
division operates 13 lines serving more than 150 stations covering
most of the five county southeastern Pennsylvania region.
It also
runs trains to Newark,
Delaware
, Trenton, New
Jersey
, and West
Trenton, New Jersey
.
Daily ridership averaged over 100,000 in 2006, with 1/3 of
ridership on the R5 route between Thorndale, Paoli, Lansdale, and
Doylestown.
Most of the cars used on the lines range in vintage from 1963 to
1976. New Silverliner V cars have been ordered but delivery dates
remain uncertain due to production delays. The first test cars were
to have been delivered in April 2009, however the delivery date has
been delayed. The first cars will now not be delivered until 2010,
with the full order to remain unfilled until 2011—barring
additional delays.
SEPTA divisions
SEPTA has three major operating divisions:
City
Transit,
Suburban, and
Regional
Rail. These divisions reflect the different transit and
railroad operations that SEPTA has assumed.
City Transit Division
The City Transit Division operates routes mostly within the City of
Philadelphia, including buses, subway-surface trolleys, the
Market-Frankford Line, and the
Broad Street Line. Some of its
routes extend into Delaware, Montgomery, and Bucks counties. This
division is the descendant of the
Philadelphia Transportation
Company (PTC). There are seven depots in this division: four of
these depots only operate buses, one is a mixed bus/trackless
trolley depot, one is a mixed bus/streetcar depot, one is a
streetcar-only facility.
Bus and trackless trolley routes
Light rail routes
Garages
- Callowhill Depot (buses and streetcars)
- Elmwood Depot
(streetcars only, also used as a
station)
- Frankford Depot (buses and trackless trolleys)
- Comly Depot (articulated and standard size buses)
- Midvale Depot (articulated, standard size, and 30-foot
buses)
- Allegheny Depot (articulated and standard size buses)
- Southern Depot (buses only; SEPTA voted to not have the
trackless trolleys return to South Philly)
- Germantown Depot (30-foot buses and cutaway buses, CCT
Oversight (Senior-Disabled) / Phila. Trenton Coach (officially)
contract operations)
For latest info on Garages
Suburban Division
Victory District
The
Victory District operates suburban bus and trolley (or light rail)
routes that are based at 69th Street Terminal
in Upper Darby
in Delaware County. Its routes include the
Norristown High Speed
Line (Route 100) light rail line that runs from 69th Street
Terminal to Norristown and the
SEPTA Surface
Media and Sharon Hill Trolley Lines (Routes 101 and 102). This
district is the descendant of the
Philadelphia
Suburban Transportation Company, also known as the Red Arrow
Lines. Most residents of the Victory District operating area still
refer to this district as the "Red Arrow Division."
Light rail routes
Bus routes
Frontier District
The
Frontier District operates suburban bus routes that are based at
the Norristown
Transportation Center in Montgomery County and bus
lines that serve eastern Bucks County. This district is the
descendant of the Schuylkill Valley Lines in the Norristown area.
SEPTA began operating the Bucks County routes in the 1980s.
Suburban contract operations
Regional Rail division
The
Regional Rail Division (RRD) operates 13 commuter railroad routes
that begin in Central
Philadelphia
and radiate
outwards, terminating in intra-city, suburban, and out-of-state
locations.
This
division is the descendant of the six electrified commuter lines of
the Reading Company (RDG), the six
electrified commuter lines of Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR, later
Penn Central: PC) railroads, and the
new Airport line constructed by the City of Philadelphia
between 1974 and 1984.
With the construction and opening of the
Center City Commuter
Connection Tunnel in 1984, lines were paired such that a former
Pennsylvania Railroad line was coupled with a former Reading line.
Seven such pairings were created and given route designations
numbered R1 through R8 (with R4 not used).
As a result, the
routes were originally designed so that trains would proceed from
one outlying terminal to Center City, stopping at 30th Street
Station
, Suburban Station
, and Market East Station
, then proceed out to the other outlying terminal
assigned to the route. Since ridership patterns have changed
since the implementation of this plan, numerous exceptions exist,
e.g.
R6 Cynwyd
line trains from Cynwyd terminate at Suburban station and do
not proceed to Norristown
, while R6s from Norristown often continue through
center city as R2s.
The out-of-state terminals offer connections (and potential
connections) with other transit agencies.
The R7 Trenton line
offers connections in Trenton, New Jersey
to NJ Transit or
Amtrak for travel to New York City
. Plans exist to restore NJT service to
West
Trenton, New Jersey
, thus offering a future alternate to New York via
the R3 West Trenton line and NJT. Another plan offers a
connection for travel to Baltimore
and Washington DC
via MARC, involving
extensions of the SEPTA R2 from Newark, Delaware
, an extension of MARC's Penn service from Perryville
MD
, or both.
SEPTA's railroad
reporting mark
SPAX can be seen on non-revenue work equipment
including boxcars, diesel locomotives, and other rolling
stock.
SEPTA equipment
Buses
In 1982, SEPTA made its largest-ever order of buses: the
Neoplan USA order, which was at the time also
that company's largest order. Over the years, these buses have made
their way all around the system. SEPTA changed its specifications
on new bus orders each year. The Neoplan AK’s (8285–8410), which
were SEPTA’s first order of Neoplans, had longitudinal seating: all
of their seats face towards the aisle. However, their suburban
counterparts (8411–8434) had longitudinal seating only in the rear
of the bus. The back door has a wheelchair ramp, which forced SEPTA
to limit their use and specify wheelchair-lift operations on the
authority's next order of coaches.
These units also sported a nine-liter
6v92 engine and Allison
HT-740 transmission.
In 1983, SEPTA would join forces with other transit operators in
Pennsylvania in an order of 1000 buses from Neoplan of various
lengths. SEPTA would ultimately receive 450 of these buses, of
which 425 were 40-foot buses (8435-8584 and 8601-8875), which came
without wheelchair lifts, and 25 buses that were 35 foot buses
(1301-1325).
In 1986, SEPTA would buy more Neoplans on its own, and these began
to arrive in early 1987. The first two groups (3000-3131 and
3132-3251) came without wheelchair lifts, but the last two groups,
the first arriving in late 1987 (3252-3371), and a second group
that arrived in 1989 (3372-3491), would have rear wheelchair lifts.
All Neoplans built between 1986 and 1989 were equipped with a ZF
5HP-590 transmission.
By the early 1990s, SEPTA had 1,092 Neoplan An440 coaches in active
service, making the Philadelphia operation the largest
transportation authority in North America with a fleet mainly
manufactured by Neoplan USA. These buses dominated the streets of
Philadelphia through late 1997, when the earlier fleet of AK/BD
Neoplans (8285–8581) was replaced by a series of 400 buses built by
North American Bus
Industries (NABI). More retirements occurred as SEPTA received
its
low-floor fleet, with the last
ones retired in June 2008.
The Neoplan model has not entirely vanished from Philadelphia's
streets, since SEPTA contracted with Neoplan in 1998 to build a
fleet of 155 articulated buses, the first of which began to arrive
in late 1999. By the summer of 2000, all were in service.
As part of the procurement process that produced the articulated
buses, SEPTA also went into smaller buses. This was manifested in
an order of 80 buses from
National-Eldorado (4501-4580), the first
of which began to arrive in late 2000. Most of these buses are on
suburban routes, but a group of them is in use in the "LUCY"
service in the University City section of West Philadelphia, in a
special paint scheme, and a number of them are on lighter lines
within Philadelphia.
Also, a group of buses called "cutaways" was purchased. These buses
were built on Ford van chassis, with bodies similar to those seen
on car rental shuttles at various airports. These buses were
retired around 2003 and replaced with slightly larger cutaway buses
on a Freightliner truck chasis.
The last, which has steered SEPTA into a new era, was the
low-floor bus. After evaluating sample buses
in the 1995-96 period from
New
Flyer and
NovaBus, an order was placed
with New Flyer for 100 low-floor buses (5401-5500). A pilot bus
arrived in January 2001, and production models arrived in the
autumn of 2001. More purchases arrived from 2002 to 2005, with the
2002-2004 buses being numbered 5501-5600, 5613-5830, and 5851-5950.
The 2005 arrivals were numbered 8000-8119, these numbers presumably
chosen so as not to run into the 6000's, which had been reserved
for an order of commuter coaches from
Motor Coach Industries that SEPTA
eventually did not pursue.
SEPTA has placed an order for 400 New Flyer
hybrid bus - with options for up to 80
additional buses - to replace the NABI Ikarus buses at the end of
their 12-year life span. These will not be the first hybrid buses,
since SEPTA purchased two small groups of hybrids, 5601H-5612H,
which arrived in 2003, and 5831H-5850H, which came in 2004. Before
the 2008 purchase, SEPTA would borrow an MTA New York City Transit
Orion hybrid to evaluate it in service. While in use for SEPTA, it
bore the number 3999. After evaluation, it resumed its New York
identity. The first of these hybrids arrived in late 2008, and by
early spring 2009, all were in service. SEPTA was the first to
purchase New Flyer DE41LFs equipped with roof-top HVAC units.
Advertising Revenue
Although transit authorities earn revenue from advertisements
placed on buses, SEPTA earns more advertising revenue from
advertisements placed on the backs of its buses. As the result,
SEPTA buses are mainly equipped with a roof-top HVAC, and with
their rear route-number sign mounted close to the roof, so they can
have the space for rearadvertisements—especially on the 2008-2009
New Flyer DE41LFs and future orders.
An Example of Rear advertising used on SEPTA's
DE41LF and D40LF buses
Bus Assignments
Image:SeptaBUS.jpg|One of SEPTA's
articulated NEOPLAN AN460
busesImage:5733-MorelandRd-2-22-06.jpg|The new face of SEPTA's bus
fleet which is the New Flyer D40LF.Image:SEPTA LRVs at the
maintenance facility, 1993.jpg|Single-end Kawasaki
trolleys waiting in the yard in
1993.Image:2008_New_FLyer_E40LFR.jpg|One of SEPTA's New Flyer
E40LFR
trackless trolleys
| Year |
Make |
Model |
Length
(ft / mm)
|
Width
(in / mm)
|
Numbers |
Buses in active service |
Engine |
Transmission |
Districts Assigned |
Notes |
| 1996-1997 |
American
Ikarus/NABI |
416.08TA |
40 / 12,192 |
102 / 2,591 |
5001-5400
|
325 |
Detroit Diesel Series 50 |
Allison B400 |
Callowhill, Comly, Frankford, Midvale, Southern, Victory,
Frontier |
Buses in process of being retired and to be replaced by New
Flyer DE41LF hybrids between now and 2012 |
| 1998-2000 |
Neoplan USA |
AN460OQ |
60 / 18,288 |
102 / 2,591 |
7101-7255 |
155 |
Detroit Diesel Series 50 |
Allison B500 |
Allegheny, Comly, Midvale |
|
| 2001 |
New Flyer |
D40LF |
40 / 12,192 |
102 / 2,591 |
5401-5500 |
100 |
Detroit Diesel Series 50 |
Allison B400 |
Callowhill, Comly, Southern, Victory |
5401 was built in 2000 |
|
| 2001 |
ElDorado |
Transmark RE29 |
29 / 8,839 |
96 / 2,438 |
4501-4581 |
79 |
Cummins ISB |
Allison B300 |
Midvale, Frontier, Germantown |
4581 was a replacement bus for 4539, which was retired due to
fire damage. 4579 lost in a fire. |
| 2002 |
New Flyer |
D40LF |
40 / 12,192 |
102 / 2,591 |
5501-5600 |
100 |
Detroit Diesel Series 50 |
Allison B400 |
Comly, Frankford, Midvale, Victory |
New Flyers 5599-5600 have USSC seats like the 2004 New
Flyers. |
| 2002 |
New Flyer |
DE40LF |
40 / 12,192 |
102 / 2,591 |
5601H-5612H |
12 |
Cummins ISL |
Allison E drive |
Southern |
SEPTA's first diesel-electric hybrid buses |
| 2003 |
New Flyer |
D40LF |
40 / 12,192 |
102 / 2,591 |
5613-5712 |
100 |
Cummins ISL 280 |
Allison B400 |
Midvale, Victory, Frontier |
Originally delivered with Detroit Diesel Series 50 engine |
| 2004 |
New Flyer |
D40LF |
40 / 12,192 |
102 / 2,591 |
5713-5830,
5851-5950
|
218 |
Detroit Diesel Series 50 |
ZF6HP-592 |
Allegheny, Callowhill, Frankford, Midvale, Southern, Victory,
Fromtier |
5724 was retrofit with Cummins ISL 280 engine; balance of fleet
tentatively scheduled to receive ISL 280, but no timetable has been
set |
| 2004 |
Champion (Freightliner FB-65 chasis) |
Defender |
27 / 8,230 |
96 / 2,438 |
2070-2097 |
26 |
Caterpillar C7 |
Allison 1000 |
Germantown/private |
One bus damaged by fire; unknown vehicle number, some of these
units are slated to be scrapped, used for private transit
contractors or sold. |
| 2004 |
New Flyer |
DE40LF |
40 / 12,192 |
102 / 2,591 |
5831H-5850H |
20 |
Cummins ISL 280 |
Allison E drive |
Southern |
|
| 2005 |
New Flyer |
D40LF |
40 / 12,192 |
102 / 2,591 |
8000-8045, 8047-8119 |
119 |
Cummins ISL 280 |
ZF 6HP-592 |
Southern |
8046 retired due to fire damage |
| 2007 |
Champion (Chevrolet C4500 chasis) |
Challenger |
27 / 8,230 |
96 / 2,438 |
2098-2099 |
2 |
Duramax Diesel 6.6L |
Allison 1000PTS |
Germantown/private |
Built to replace buses from the 2070–2097 batch lost to
fire |
| 2007-2008 |
New Flyer |
E40LFR |
40 / 12,192 |
102 / 2,591 |
800-837 |
38 |
Cummins QSB 4.5 (emergency backup) |
Vossloh-Kiepe Propulsion Equipment |
Frankford |
Trackless trolleys (trolley buses),
for use on routes 59, 66 and 75.
These trolley buses have LED lighting like the 2009 New Flyer
DE41LFs. |
| 2008 |
New Flyer |
DE41LF |
41 / 12,497 |
102 / 2,591 |
8120-8219 |
100 |
Cummins ISL 280 |
Allison E Drive |
Callowhill, Comly, Victory, Frontier |
|
| 2009 |
New Flyer |
DE41LF |
41 / 12,497 |
102 / 2,591 |
8220-8339 |
120 |
Cummins ISL 280 |
Allison E Drive |
Midvale, Allegheny, Frankford |
These buses have LED lighting unlike their 2008
counterparts. |
|
Subway
| Year |
Make |
Model |
Length
(ft / mm)
|
Width
(in / mm)
|
Gauge |
Numbers |
| 1981-1983 |
Kawasaki |
B-IV single-ended |
67.5 / 20,574 |
121.5 / 3,086 |
Standard gauge |
501-576 |
| 1981-83 |
Kawasaki |
B-IV double-ended |
67.5 / 20,574 |
121.5 / 3,086 |
|
651-699 |
| 1996-1999 |
Adtranz |
M4 |
55 / 16,764 |
110 / 2,974 |
|
1001-1032 1035-1220 |
Light Rail
| Year |
Make |
Model |
Length (ft / mm) |
Width (in / mm) |
Gauge |
Numbers |
1947
(rebuilt 2003)
|
St. Louis Car |
PCC II |
46 / 14,021 |
96 / 2,438 |
|
2320-2337 |
| 1981 |
Kawasaki |
K-Car Suburban LRV |
53 / 16,154 |
102 / 2,591 |
|
100-129 |
| 1981 |
Kawasaki |
K-Car Subway-Surface LRV |
49 / 14,935 |
102 / 2,591 |
|
9000-9111 |
| 1993 |
ABB |
N-5 Norristown |
65 / 19,812 |
107 / 2,718 |
|
130-155 |
Regional Rail
Image:Septa269.jpg|Silverliner II No. 269 still carrying
"PENNSYLVANIA" name boards.
Image:Septa 145 1993, near Valley Forge,
Pennsylvania.jpg|Eastbound SEPTA 145 making a station stop in
Paoli
, in 1993.Image:SEPTA Silverliner II.jpg|Train of
Silverliner II and III cars entering the Temple
University
station in May 2006.
| Year |
Make |
Model |
Numbers |
Total |
Hp |
Tare
(Ton/t)
|
Seats |
Remarks |
| 1963 |
Budd |
Silverliner II |
201-209, 211-219,
251-256, 258-264, 266-269,
9001-9017
|
52 of 56 active *Note - 9003 involved in collision with work
train January 27, 2009, status and damage not yet known, 257 caught
fire Nov 4, 2009. Cause under investigation. |
624 |
50.7/46.1 |
124-127 |
200 series cars are former Pennsylvania Railroad cars. 9000
series cars are former Reading
Railroad cars. |
| 1967 |
St. Louis Car |
Silverliner III |
220-223, 225-239 |
19 of 20 active |
624 |
50.7/46.1 |
122 (232-239 seat 90) |
Former Pennsylvania Railroad cars used on what is now the
Keystone Service with left-side
cabs, instead of standard right-side cabs; 232-239 formerly
dedicated cars for the R1 Airport Line. |
| 1974-76 |
GE |
Silverliner IV |
101-188, 306-399,
417-460 (married pairs)
276-305, 400-416
(single cars)
|
231 of 232 active |
Not known |
62.5/56.8 |
125 |
400-series units are cars renumbered from lower series or from
Reading Railroad cars 9018–9031 when PCB transformers were replaced with
silicone transformers. |
| 1987 |
EMD |
AEM7 |
2301-2307 |
7 |
7,000 |
101/91.9 |
Locomotive |
Locomotives for push-pull trains |
| 1987 |
Bombardier |
SEPTA I |
2401-2410 (cab cars)
2501-2516 (trailer)
|
10 cab cars
25 trailers
|
Push-pull |
50/45.4 |
118
(cab cars)
131
(trailers)
|
Push-pull coaches hauled by locomotives. |
| 1995 |
ABB |
ALP-44 |
2308 |
1 |
7000 |
99.2/90.2 |
Locomotive |
Locomotive for push-pull trains. Delivered as a result of a
settlement agreement for late delivery of N-5 cars. |
| 1999 |
Bombardier |
SEPTA II |
2550-2559 |
10 trailers |
Push pull |
50/45.4 |
117 |
These cars have a center door, and are used in push-pull
service. |
| 2008 |
Pullman Standard |
Comet I |
|
1 cab, 6 coaches |
Push pull |
50/45.4 |
118
(cab car)
131
(trailers)
|
Push-pull cars originally built c. 1971 for NJDOT. Purchased
from NJ Transit for added seating. |
| 2010- |
Rotem |
Silverliner V |
701-739 Single Cars (Double Ended), 801-883 Married Pair
Units |
120 |
|
62.5/56.8 |
110 |
Replacements for 1963 Budd and 1967 St. Louis Car MU cars. |
Maintenance-of-way vehicles
- C-145 snow sweeper 1923
- Harsco Track Technologies Corporation work car
- PCC work car 2194
- SEPTA Railroad OPS-3161 work car
- W-56 work Car
- W-61 work Car
- 1033-1034 Market Frankford line Work Cars
Retired vehicles

SEPTA Neoplan An440EZ 3374
List updated June 2008:
Buses
Railroad cars and trolleys
- 1906-1911 Market Street el' cars, #1-135, Pressed Steel Car
Co., Class A-8 (M1)
- 1911-1913 Market Street el' cars, #136-215, J.G. Brill Co.,
Class A-8 (M1)
- 1922 Frankford el' cars, #501-600, J.G. Brill Co., Class A-15
(M2)
- 1960 Budd el' cars, #601-646, Budd Co., Class A-49 (M3)
- 1960 Budd el' cars, #701-743, Budd Co., Class A-50 (M3)
- 1960 Budd el' cars, #702-924, Budd Co., Class A-51 (M3)
- 1960 Budd el' cars, #745-923, Budd Co., Class A-50 (M3)
- 1928 North Broad subway cars, #1-150, J.G. Brill Co. (B1)
- 1938 South Broad subway cars, #151-200, Pressed Steel Car Co.
(B3)
- 1936 Bridge Line subway cars, #1001-1026, J.G. Brill Co. (B2),
acquired second-hand from DRPA (Delaware River Port Authority)
subsidiary PATCO (Port Authority Transit Corporation)
- 1927 to 1929 J.G.
Brill and Company Strafford
Cars
- St. Louis Car Company
Ex-CTA Cars
- 1932 to 1933 J.G.
Brill and Company Master Unit
Cars
- 1940 J.G. Brill and Company Brillliners
- 1926 J.G. Brill and Company Center Door
- 1949 St. Louis Car Company
Interurbans
- 1941 St. Louis Car Company
Liberty Liners
- 1940 to 1942 PCC Air Cars
- 1946 to 1948 PCC All-Electrics
Maintenance facilities
- 69th Street Yard (Market-Frankford Line)
- Allegheny Depot (City Transit Division/Bus)
- Berridge Shops (formerly Wyoming Shops) (Bus Maintenance and
Overhauls)
- Callowhill Depot (City Transit Division/Bus and Streetcar)
- Comly Depot (City Transit Division/Bus)
- Elmwood Depot (City Transit Division/Streetcar)
- Fern Rock Yard (Broad Street Line)
- Frankford Depot (City Transit Division/Bus and Trackless
Trolley)
- Frazer Yard (Regional Rail Push and Pull sets)
- Frontier Depot (Suburban Transit Division/Bus)
- Germantown Brakes Maintenance Facility (Bus
Maintenance/Trenton-Philadelphia Coach (officially)or Contract
Operations-bus for government agencies and senior or disabled
person transportation oversight (CCT))
- Midvale Depot (City Transit Division/Bus)
- Overbrook Maintenance Facility (Regional Rail)
- Powelton Yard (Regional Rail)
- Roberts Yard (Regional Rail)
- Southern Depot (City Transit Division/Bus)
- Woodland Maintenance Facility (Streetcar Overhaul and
Repairs)
- Victory Depot (69th Street) (Suburban Transit Division/Bus and
Rail)
- Bridge Street Yard (Market-Frankford Line)
Connecting transit agencies in the Philadelphia region
Local services

SEPTA Market-Frankford Line at 52nd
Street Station.
- The
PATCO Speedline is a rapid transit line that runs from Center City
Philadelphia to Camden, New Jersey
and terminates in Lindenwold, New Jersey
. At the 8th and Market Streets
, one can transfer to the Market-Frankford Line and Broad-Ridge Spur with an additional
transfer fare. Paid transfers are also available at PATCO's
12th-13th Street Station
and 15th-16th Street Station
with SEPTA's Broad
Street Line Walnut-Locust Station
. The PATCO Speedline crosses over the
Delaware River via the Ben Franklin Bridge. It is owned by the
Delaware River Port
Authority.
- Krapf's Transit runs
regularly scheduled buses between Coatesville
, Downingtown
, Exton
, and West Chester
in the western Philadelphia suburbs. SEPTA
Routes 92, 104, 306, and 314 connect with this service in West
Chester, while the Routes 92 and 204 buses connect with this
service at the Exton Square Mall. Krapf's also provide contract
services to SEPTA on four routes (204, 205, 306, and 314).
- Pottstown Area Rapid Transit (formerly known
as Pottstown Urban Transit) operates five bus routes in the
northwestern Philadelphia suburbs within Pottstown
Borough
and the neighboring townships of Limerick, Lower
Pottsgrove, Upper Pottsgrove, and West Pottsgrove in Montgomery
County
and North Coventry Township in Chester
County
. PART and SEPTA have an agreement allowing
transfers between PART service and SEPTA Route 93 buses in
Pottstown.
Regional services
- NJ Transit runs buses from
Philadelphia to New Jersey points. Many NJT buses stop at the Philadelphia
Greyhound Terminal
, which is immediately north of Market East
Station
, or at other locations in Center City
Philadelphia
. NJT also operates the River
Line
light rail line between Camden
and Trenton
, the Northeast
Corridor Line between Trenton and New York, and the Atlantic City Line between 30th Street
Station and Atlantic City
. Both the Northeast Corridor Line and River
Line connect with SEPTA's R7 Trenton
Regional Rail line at the Trenton train station
. Additionally, SEPTA Route 127 connects with
NJT bus and rail services at Trenton.
- DART First State provides bus
service in Delaware. This service connects with SEPTA's R2 Wilmington-Newark Regional Rail line in
Wilmington
and Newark
. In 2007, SEPTA Bus Route #306 began
service, connecting the Great Valley Corporate Center and West
Chester with the Brandywine Town Center. In February, 2009, SEPTA Bus Route
#113 commenced connecting bus service with DART at the Tri-State
Mall, allowing Marcus Hook
-Wilmington service on Sundays as the R2-Marcus Hook/Wilmington/Newark does not operate
beyond Marcus Hook on Sundays.
National and international services
- Amtrak provides rail
service between Philadelphia (at 30th Street Station) and points
beyond SEPTA's range, including Lancaster
, Harrisburg
, Pittsburgh
, and Chicago
to the west, Baltimore
and Washington, D.C.
to the southwest, and New York
, Boston
, and Montreal
to the northeast. Amtrak's service overlaps
to some degree with the R2, R5, and R7 lines.
In
addition to 30th Street Station, shared Amtrak/SEPTA Regional Rail
stations include Wilmington
and Newark
on the R2, Ardmore
, Paoli
, Exton
, and Downingtown
on the R5, and North Philadelphia,
Cornwells
Heights
, and Trenton on the R7. Amtrak is faster
than SEPTA, but significantly more expensive, particularly for
services along the Northeast
Corridor.
- Greyhound and a variety of
interregional bus operators, most of which are part of the Trailways system, stop at the Philadelphia
Greyhound Terminal. In addition to being adjacent to Market East
Station, the terminal is one block from the Market-Frankford Line
11th Street
station
and various SEPTA bus routes. Major destinations
served with one seat rides to/from the terminal include Allentown
, Atlantic City, Baltimore, Harrisburg, Newark
, New York, Pittsburgh
, Reading
, Scranton
, Washington, and Wilmington. In
addition, six NJ Transit bus routes (313, 315, 316, 317, 318, and
551) originate and terminate from this terminal.
- Philadelphia
International Airport
is served by many airlines with flights to various
national and international points. SEPTA serves the airport
with local bus service and with a special regional rail line from
Center City, the Route R1 Airport line.
See also
References
-
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/20091103_SEPTA_strike_grinds_into_Day_2.html
-
http://www.myfoxphilly.com/dpp/news/local_news/110309_septa_goes_on_strike
Fox 29
-
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/20091109_Subways__buses__trolleys_rolling_again.html
-
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/69447822.html?cmpid=15585797
-
http://www.myfoxphilly.com/dpp/news/local_news/110309_septa_goes_on_strike
Fox 29
-
http://www.philly.com/dailynews/top_story/20091105_By_bike__on_foot__they_got_there.html
-
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/69447822.html?cmpid=15585797
-
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/69447822.html?cmpid=15585797
-
http://temple-news.com/2009/11/04/septa-strike-squeezes-south-philly-center-city-students-onto-shuttle-buses/
-
http://blog.intersection911.org/post/234332718/philadelphia-bicycling-up-38-during-septa-strike
-
http://www.philly.com/dailynews/top_story/20091105_By_bike__on_foot__they_got_there.html
-
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/opinion/20091105_Editorial__Union_strikes_out.html
- Trolleybus Magazine No. 275 (Sep.-Oct. 2007), p. 119.
National Trolleybus Association (UK). ISSN 0266-7452.
- Trolleybus Magazine No. 280 (July-Aug. 2008), p.
95.
- Trolleybus Magazine No. 271 (Jan.-Feb. 2007), p.
23.
- http://www.philadelphiatransitvehicles.info/reg-roster.php
- http://www.septa.org/news/press_releases/042607.html
- http://www.kyw1060.com/pages/4250442.php?
-
http://www.philadelphiatransitvehicles.info/history/neoplanhistory.php
- The body-shells were manufactured in Australia - See
ADtranz Exports Australian Railway Historical Society
Bulletin, March, 1998 pp112-117
Further reading
External links
Official
Fares
Enthusiast