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Delaware Valley Rail Passenger Vol 11 No 01
The Delaware Valley Rail Passenger
Electronic Edition
January, 1993 Vol. XI, No. 1
Published by the Delaware Valley Association of Railroad Passengers
in the interest of continued, improved, and expanded
rail service for the present and potential railroad and rail transit
passengers of southeastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, and nearby
areas.
For more information about DVARP and good rail service, please
contact us: P.O. Box 7505, Philadelphia, PA 19101 215-222-3373
The Electronic Edition is posted as a service to rail advocates.
Look for it on the TRANSIT and RAILROAD newsgroups.
If you do not receive either of those, e-mail the address below for
a direct delivery.
Send your comments, news and suggestions to Matthew Mitchell at:
<iekp898@tjuvm.tju.edu> or call 215-222-3373, message box 3.
Readers are encouraged to join DVARP, or to send a contribution to
help us continue to bring it to you. Regular membership rate is $15.00:
students and senior citizens can join for $7.50
President: Chuck Bode for other officers and committee chairs, see page
11
---Looking Back, Looking Forward
This month, DVARP takes a cue from Janus, whose two
faces allowed him to look both forwards and back. Several important
anniversaries coincide this month: the takeover by SEPTA of our regional
commuter rail service, the SEPTA management crisis of 1988, the 30th Street
fire, and the anniversary of The Delaware Valley Rail Passenger. This
month's newsletter looks back at a number of events which shaped the train
service we have today.
Inside The Delaware Valley Rail PassengerI
1 DVARP members celebrate trolley centennial
2 SEPTA Regional Rail: Progress in 10 years?
5 On the Railroad Lines: Winter storms pelt the area, disrupt service
6 Undercofler to quit Board amid patronage row.
7 Hot tips for cold weather commuting
8 Riders comment on SEPTA city, suburban transit service
9 Cross County Metro: How to create a $100 million rail line.
11 Amtrak News: On board X2000,
30th St. progress a year after the fire.
12 South Jersey Update: PATCO Capital Budget and possible extension,
legislative money grab
14 Membership Matters: Earn a special gift, NARP Region III
15 Up and Down the Corridor, DVARP Directory, Dates of Interest
Opinions expressed in The
Delaware Valley Rail Passenger are not necessarily those of DVARP or its
members. We welcome your comments: call 215-222-3373
---Trolley Celebration in Philadelphia by Joel Spivak
On Tuesday, December 15, a crowd
gathered at the corner of 3rd and Bainbridge to unveil a marker
commemorating 100 years since the first electric streetcar ran in
Philadelphia. The first electric trolley ran on the Catherine and
Bainbridge Streets Railway, which ran from Schuylkill Ave. to Front St. and
is now succeeded of SEPTA's route 63 bus.
Guest speakers addressed the
crowd prior to the unveiling. They included Happy Fernandez, who chairs
the Transportation Committee of City Council; Chris Zearfoss, Assistant
Deputy Mayor for Transportation Policy; Randal Baron of the Philadelphia
Historical Commission, and John Haigis of the Fairmount Park Council for
Historic Sites. Following the unveiling, the audience boarded a
trolley-style bus provided by Mark Sanders of the Philadelphia Street
Railway Historical Society, for a trip over the original route. Joel
Spivak narrated the tour, which featured a visit to the original car barn
and power house at 801 Schuylkill Ave., courtesy of Marshal Ledger of the
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
The day's activities continued with a
ride on the Penn's Landing Trolley, operated by the Buckingham Valley
Trolley Association. The ex-Philadelphia and West Chester car operated
over Delaware Avenue.
Elsewhere in Philadelphia, SEPTA held a cake-cutting
ceremony at Chestnut Hill, terminus of the Chestnut Hill Trolley, SEPTA's
only remaining all-surface streetcar operation. SEPTA also dedicated a new
historical exhibit in the SEPTA Library to the memory of Terence Cassidy,
former librarian. A mayoral proclamation paid tribute to the anniversary
and called attention to the Queen Village Neighbors Association
celebration. As a finale, the Crown Lights on the PECO Building announced
"100 Years of Electric Traction in Phila."
---SEPTA Railroad Turns Ten by John Pawson
The new year brings two
anniversaries of note for us, and they make us doubly mindful of where we
have been and where we should be going. One for DVARP itself to celebrate
is the tenth anniversary of its publication. In 1983, the Delaware Valley
Rail Passenger represented a return to the original DVARP concept that it
should specialize in supporting the passengers interest within the
Philadelphia 'commutershed.' SEPTA stewardship of our long-lived
southeastern PA commuter railroad network is now ten years old. We can't
quite say "historic", for a region's mythology tends to envelop its
earliest known figures and events. The Founding Fathers and the early
federal period have eclipsed the era of railroad creation and expansion,
and for that matter, Victorianism in general. Recently, the commuter lines
have begun to reach 150 years of operation, but we've seen no celebrations,
old steam engines, or the like.
-Commuting Before SEPTA
The railroads here
quickly merged into two systems: the Pennsylvania and the Reading. This
state brought a measure of competition that long outlasted competition in
the urban-transit market. The "trolley trust" was created in 1895; but as
its profitability declined, city politics was able to gain more and more
power over that monopoly. Managements of the PRR and Reading, however,
were aware that poor service or a strike could divert close-in passengers
from one company to the other; so there was much incentive to respond to
the customers' needs. During the first half of this century, the gradual
perfection and growing subsidies of automobiles, motor trucks and paved
roads generated a new form of competition for the railroad companies. With
this form of transportation, all persons and companies so equipped could
carry themselves or their goods without dealing with the railroad
companies. For much of their traffic, the railroads thus were rendered
institutionally obsolescent. Eventually, they came to under-stand that if
they were to salvage the core of appropriate freight traffic they would
have to stop cross-subsidizing commuter trains. Center-city businesspeople
understood that the automobilized city could not afford to build or to
maintain sufficient highway and downtown parking space to permit all
commuters, be they transit or railroad, to take to the highways. As a
result, the city government set up a subsidy program for the commuter rail
services and later expanded it to include matched capital grants as well.
Naturally, with the money came a measure of political control. Meanwhile,
the city government was attempting to take over the city transit company.
In this hostile environment, a biannual drama, the mayor's fashioning of a
transit workers' wage rise along with a transit rider's fare hike, failed
to take place. A 19-day city transit strike ensued, and the resulting
fire-storm of public opinion brought calls for creation of a region-wide
transit authority in conjunction with the four suburban counties. Thus in
1964, SEPTA was established to become the operator of all of the region's
major passenger transportation systems. The new organization immediately
took over the joint city-suburban program to subsidize the commuter rail
services. It also absorbed the city transit company four years later and
the leading suburban transit company two years after that. For reasons not
entirely clear but evidently related to the bankruptcies of the two
railroad companies in 1970-1, their takeover was delayed. The matter was
not resolved until federal legislation separated first the intercity and
then the regional passenger services from the freight railroads in the
1970s and early 1980s.
-1964-82: Control But Not Ownership
If someone ever
writes an objective SEPTA Regional Rail Division history, this period may
well be characterized as one of marking time while the fixed plant
deteriorated, service and ridership was lost, and a number of projects,
large and small were being pursued. Admittedly, ownership of the plant by
the Pennsy and Reading, later succeeded by Conrail, made improvement
difficult. Fortunately, the rolling stock, being mobile, was another
matter. By the end of the period, SEPTA was well on the way toward
operating only post-1955, air-conditioned cars. Given the 40-50 year life
of railcars, this means that RRD is essentially free of need for extensive
new car purchase through the turn of the century, assuming adequate
mainten-ance and overhauls. On its own, the city of Philadelphia pursued
two huge projects costing a total of over $400,000,000: the Center City
Commuter Connection and the Airport Rail Line. Generally, these were given
top funding priority. Still city-owned, the projects respectively replaced
two downtown stub-end terminals with a through underground rail line, and
connected that downtown trackage with Philadelphia International Airport as
the region's 13th SEPTA-run commuter rail line. A key SEPTA project put in
motion was the replacement of the temperamental Reading-side electric power
conversion equipment which during 1979 had shut down most service on those
lines for three weeks unexpectedly. What has been characterized as SEPTA's
worst railroad mistake was the 1981-3 elimination of all diesel-powered
service which had run to Pottsville, Allentown, Newtown, and Newark, New
Jersey. Over 150 route miles, much of it through high-growth territory, was
lost to service; and the rolling stock was scattered. Also lost were the
outlying electrified services from Elwyn to West Chester; Marcus Hook to
Wilmington and Newark, Delaware; and Cynwyd to Ivy Ridge. The Ivy Ridge
terminus had represented a new construction project, located beyond a
congested area to permit building a sizable park-and-ride facility. A
similar extension of the period from Hatboro to Warminster is still very
much in service. All of these service cuts responded to rapid Conrail wage
hikes with little passenger-service productivity gains to offset, done in
an inflationary recession era. In 1981-2, SEPTA also raised fares sharply
and reduced much service on lines still in operation.
-1982-3: A Tumultuous Transition
Specified by federal legislation as the time for conveyance of
property and employment from Conrail to SEPTA, the end of 1982 saw Conrail
acting to divest itself of remaining passenger operations. SEPTA asserted
its intention to cut the number of employees, reduce wage rates, and
greatly alter work rules, with city transit contracts as a model.
Ultimately, over half of the Conrail employees never or only shortly were
employed by SEPTA. The loss of their competence is still felt at RRD. Many
empty staff and line positions were filled by SEPTA transit workers or new
hires. A sparse but gradually fleshed-out service began in 1983. In March,
labor negotiations failed; and what was then known as the "Regional High
Speed Lines" (an allusion to SEPTA's rapid transit lines) were idled for
108 days by strike. Three years were required to build ridership to a
stable level; but that level was about 25% below the average patronage
during the 1970s. Even the opening of the center city tunnel and the
airport line failed to boost the traffic significantly. Despite the loss in
ridership, recently released census figures show that the major RRD market,
suburbanites who work in Philadelphia, is little changed in size since
1970. Indeed, many are coming from well beyond the present contracted
limits of the RRD system. The commuter trains' market share obviously has
fallen, precipitated by the shocks of
-1981-3. SEPTA Runs a Railroad
With much of the fixed plant in its hands for a decade, SEPTA made numerous
bread-and-butter improvements. The general condition is much better than
it has been for a generation. Rails and bridges, perhaps the most basic
items, represent SEPTA's best, if least glamorous, successes. By the end of
1993, over half of the 200-odd track miles both owned and now run by RRD
will have been replaced by welded rail Amtrak and Conrail trackage over
which SEPTA operates have kept pace. Because commuter services at SEPTA's
levels wear out rails but slowly, most (but not all) of the remaining track
will be serviceable for many decades to come if it is well maintained.
Also by the end of 1993, all RRD
which were listed as "critical" on RRD's 1986 bridge list will have been
replaced or rehabilitated. Many of the bridges then rated "poor" also will
so have been treated. The most notable future bridge project should be the
rehabilitation of the R6 Schuylkill River viaduct at Manayunk. Other
infrastructure types lag behind, presumably because work can more safely
and readily be deferred on them. These elements which will need a lot of
attention include block signals, interlockings (including the track
switches), stations, parking, overhead contact wire, and outlying
electrical equipment.
-Looking Forward
Other less obvious, but economically important and possibly
controversial capital improvements need serious consideration:
1. Raise track speeds to counter the effects of superhighway improvements
of recent decades which have left RRD less competitive than it once was.
2. Reduce operating costs in many areas. In some cases,
complexity needs to be added (e.g.: to improve the slow and circuitous
train access to Frazer yard and shop) while in other cases, the K.I.S.S.
(keep it simple, stupid!) principle needs to be implemented (such as at
Chestnut Hill West, to replace a fully staffed signal tower with some less
costly and simpler self-actuating track switches).
3. Provide a modern but cost-effective RRD control center.
4. Effect track connections at
Manayunk and elsewhere to make service faster and more flexible.
5. Reduce costs and lessen conflicts between SEPTA and Amtrak trains by
separating traffic flows in North & West Philadelphia and at Trenton.
6. As expedient, increase overhead clearances on major lines to accommodate the
efficient and attractive full-size bilevel commuter car early in the next
century.
7. Rectify mistakes and suboptimal designs of the center city tunnel and
the current Main Line project in North Philadelphia.
8. Provide for cost-effective operation of non-electrified trains to Center
City.
9. Support early extension and resumption of service to promising
areas. Aside from infrastructure, there are other legitimate concerns that
are soft in nature, may be controversial, and are less likely to build a
political constituency for themselves: a. Total revision of RRD fare policy
is overdue. b. The expected second decimation of Reading-side ridership by
this year's service shutdown will test the survival of that half of the
system; a satisfactory alternative to the subway detour and post-shutdown
service revisions are essential c. The "Regional High Speed Line" concepts
which were used to organize the service when the center city tunnel came
into use are ripe for reevaluation and change. d. SEPTA must seriously
negotiate with Delaware, NJ Transit, and non-SEPTA counties in Pennsylvania
for improved, restored, and new train services. e. Peak-period schedules
must be rewritten for faster and more reliable service. f. SEPTA's
corporate structure needs reorg-anization, and the Regional Rail system
must become more businesslike and responsive in serving its passengers. g.
Personnel changes may be in order. What should be done at RRD will absorb
much of our energies in 1993. Two things are most obvious: SEPTA must work
to improve its services and its employees' competence and capabilities; and
the chain of megaprojects must yield to a larger number of smaller and
more productive capital projects.
---On the Railroad LinesI
--R1: ServiceJGapsJClosed
Extra reverse-peak train stops at Melrose Park were added last month.
Selected R5 trains will make
the stops, closing the gap of almost 2 hours reported here last month.
Melrose passengers got more good news when their walkways on the bridge
over Cheltenham Ave. were reopened recently. Meanwhile, SEPTA finally
issued a combined timetable for the local stations, using a PC and copy
machine.
-Jenkintown Station Tested: The quality of workmanship in the new
sheds at Jenkintown was proven in last month's deluge of wind and rain.
Work continues on the outbound side, including new sidewalks.
--R2: Wilmington Ridership Slip
SEPTA statistics indicate falling ridership on
the Wilmington Line, despite the reopening of Claymont station. The end of
construction on I-95 is cited as a cause. Rail won't compete at present
speeds.
--R5: SEPTAJAdmitsJMistake:J RestoresJCutJTrain
A new Paoli-Parkesburg
timetable was issued December 13, restoring an early-evening express train
which had been combined with a local earlier in the year. AGM for Revenue
Development John McGee publically acknowleged that the service cut had led
to excessive crowding on the train, and a resultant loss of ridership.
-Storm Brings Line to a Halt The wind and rain storm of December 10-11
caused the total shutdown of morning Paoli Line service when a tree fell
across the tracks in Villanova. Power was shut off in the affected area,
and Amtrak moved its trains through on one track under diesel power. The
situation was made more difficult for the passengers when the parallel
Route 100 service was also curtailed. Faced with a thousands of passengers
seeking alternate transportation, SEPTA declined to send shuttle buses as
it often does on other lines. Could they have bused all the R5 passengers?
Probably. But the cost would have been too much, not in terms of dollars,
but the disruption of Suburban Transit services. To carry the thousands of
peak-hour R5 riders, SEPTA would have had to take some 50 or more buses out
of regular service That's a tough call that we won't second-guess here.
--R6: DVARP Launches Operation Conshohocken
In the aftermath of RailWorks(R),
DVARP is testing whether an intensive marketing effort can get passengers
back onto the trains. A special mailing with train schedules and other
promotional material is being sent by DVARP to all the residents of
Conshohocken.
--R8: SEPTAJSeeksJNewtownJBids
Late in December, SEPTA held a
pre-bid conference for parties who may be interested in operating a Fox
Chase-Newtown shuttle service. The added sweeteners at this go-around are
two-fold. First, the operator would get a stipend from SEPTA annually to be
equivalent to the losses that SEPTA now incurs in operating a Fox
Chase-Newtown substitute bus service. Second, SEPTA would agree to pass
through the Federal Transit Adiminstration "fixed guideway" formula
subsidies which begin about two years after a rail or trackless trolley
line starts operations. Expected annual amount-is some $800,000. In
addition, the operator might be awarded a matchable $1.2 million grant that
Bucks County has designated for the line's capital needs.
--MFSE: West End Settling?
Engineers evaluating the Market St. El have found some
problems caused by settling ground near 63rd St. The El is next on SEPTA's
list of major infrastructure repair projects, and the structural evaluation
will determine how much work is necessary.
-"Report Card" results With the
survey (page 8) taken in July, El riders continued to bemoan the lack of
air conditioning on their trains. 34th Street riders want both A and B
trains to stop there, citing their numbers.
--STD: ShelterJIssueJResolved
Upper Darby Township officials have approved a new shelter for the homeless
to be located near 63rd and Market. Church and social service goups had
been providing services to the homeless at 69th Street Terminal causing
alcoholics and mentally ill people to loiter there.
-Report Card: Thumbs Up for Rail People
Media-Sharon Hill trolley operators received numerous
commendations in the "Rider Report Card" survey last summer. Their
everyday courtesy doesn't take much work, but makes their job easier.
--SEPTA $$ Woes Continue
Financial reports released at last month's SEPTA
Board meeting show ridership and revenue continue to sag. Though the
budget presumed a ridership loss, the actual numbers are worse, probably
because of management's assumption that RailWorks refugees would be back on
the trains by now, and under-estimation of the ridership effect of CTD
service cuts. Right now, the Authority is $4 million in the hole, with the
losses mounting. Additional administrative and supply cuts have been
indentified-MDM
--SEPTA Board Focus: 'Pinstripe Patronage'
Last month, the SEPTA Board spent hours in executive session wrangling
over "bond running."
The job of providing accounting services for SEPTA bonds is a lucrative
one, and several investment bankers have been vying to get the contract.
With those dollars at stake, the firms make campaign contrib-utions to gain
favor with politicians, and the "godfathers" of Board members will insist
that their supporters get on the gravy train. The deal worked out by the
politicians fell apart at the last minute, and spectators at the Board
meeting were treated to a rare public debate among the members. Several
Board members we contacted expressed frustration with the emphasis on
dishing out white-collar pork. As long as the Board pays more attention to
patronage than to transportation issues, SEPTA management, unaccountable to
the public, will continue to make policy decisions instead of the
Board.-MDM
--Undercofler to Quit Board
Though it was not linked to the "bond
running" controversy, SEPTA Board Chair-man J. Clayton Undercofler has
announced his intention to resign both the Chairman-ship and his Board
seat. The Chester County Republican was appointed in the aftermath of the
Gould/Stead affair, and was widely credited with smoothing the waters and
fostering an era of cooperation between city and suburban interests,
culminating in the passage of state legislation setting up dedicated
funding for SEPTA's capital needs. While there is no obvious candidate to
succeed Undercofler, the representatives of the four suburban counties
still control the Board, despite the recently-added members. A new Chair
is likely to come from their ranks. -MDM
--More City Transit Cuts
In a briefing of Citizen Advisory Committee, SEPTA management told of plans
for still cuts in bus and trolley service levels on CTD routes. Cuts in
previous years have left inadequate service on many routes. Buses are
often dangerously overcrowded, and pass up passengers frequently, a prime
source of anger in the CTD ridership. The mid-winter general schedule
change has been postponed until March as staff fine-tunes the schedules as
best as they can. The delay also allows time for route consolidation
tariffs to be approved and new schedules made out.
News compiled by Matthew Mitchell and correspondents:
Tom Borawski, Howard Bender, Margaret Deck, John Pawson
--Serenity at Fern Rock
If you are looking for a solitary respite
during our weekday traffic peaks, go to Fern Rock Transportation Center.
All Regional Rail trains are scheduled to stop there (it's corporate level
policy, we hear). In the three months since the construction shutdown was
replaced by normal service, the tumultuous crowds have been reduced to a
trickle. This writer surveyed the station on a typical mid-December
afternoon peak, the 16th. Among the 17 outbound peak-period trains seen, a
total of 55 passengers entrained and 13 detrained. No one appeared to
transfer from one commuter train to another. A few came from or headed to
the Nedro Av. entrance and parking lot. Thus we can credit about 50 persons
transferring from subway to railroad during the entire peak period.
Another, brighter fact is that there were not standees aboard the trains
that day. One train which had been overcrowded, the now-combined West
Trenton express-local for those quitting at 5 pm, consists of six cars. A
mong the ten reverse-commuter trains, 88 passengers detrained and two
boarded. In the reverse commuter service, the station thus is a significant
factor. However, for the conventional peak direction, only 3.2 persons
boarded the average outbound train. This number represents only about one
percent of the loading of an average commuter train. It begs the question:
does it make sense to stop each and every peak commuter train at Fern Rock
now, thus adding about two minutes each day to the average commute to and
from work? Another question is relevant in view of some staffers' desire to
build dozens of $10 million "transportation centers" elsewhere: can
construction of any of these costly-to-build, costly-to-maintain objects be
justified if the best-case prototype, Fern Rock, is so embarrassingly
ill-patronized by the peak-direction passengers?-JRP
--Wintertime Commuter Advice by Matthew Mitchell
Each year, we can count on at least one or two
winter storms disrupting the transportation systems of the Delaware Valley.
While train service is the most reliable mode of travel when the weather
is bad, smart riders should make special plans when storms are in the
forecast. Railroaders fear sleet storms and boilerplate ice much more than
they fear even a foot of snow. When it snows, the trains usually get
through all right. While those who drive have to leave early, rail
passengers are often better off not altering their plans. In fact,
Chicago's Metra commuter rail system tells its riders not to leave work
early, for those "snowbirds" make things worse by crowding the system
before the normal rush hour.
The most important part of preparing for
winter commuting is knowing your travel alternatives. Most commuter rail
lines have parallel bus or trolley service nearby. If you ride SEPTA, look
at the station page of your schedule to find those alternate routes. For
South Jersey alternatives, call NJ Transit. Pick up a current schedule for
your alternate route now. If you haven't used it lately, it would be a
good idea to try it out on a good day, so you will be familiar with the
fares and landmarks along the way. If you wait until the storm hits,
you'll have a hard time getting information. If you use a TrailPass, you
can relax; you're ready. Otherwise, get tokens or exact change for the
fare, and tape them to the schedule; then keep the schedule and coins in
your briefcase or purse. It's also a good idea to have enough change for a
couple of phone calls stored in a secure place, too. Remember that calls
from Philadelphia to the suburbs are usually more than 25c. When the storm
hits, be sure to have hat and gloves in case you have a long wait for the
train. On the way home from Center City, pick a train that originates in
Center City, since trains coming from other points are more likely to be
delayed. But don't wait around home or office; go right to the station. A
late train may get you to your destination early.
--Transit Riders Give SEPTA a "ReportJCard" by Matthew Mitchell
SEPTA released the results of its annual "Rider Report Card" last month.
While Railroad Division results were not yet available, DVARP has received
and studied the thick stack of books covering the transit divisions.
Several months ago, overall grades for the various divisions were released.
The transit operations were all in the C to C+ range, up slightly over
last year's marks. However, the full report shows some problems with the
computer-scanned results. One problem is that most SEPTA passengers use
more than one route, and their comments cover the whole trip. Other coding
errors came up: the majority of route 3 bus comments were actually from R3
rail riders. Also, it must be remembered that survey respondents are a
self-selected group, more likely to respond if they have strong positive or
negative feelings. The survey grades shouldn't be used as a measure of
success; ridership is still the best yardstick. But the written comments
reproduced verbatim in the report books are a gold mine of information on
what makes riders satisfied or dissatisfied. The most frequent complaints
relate to service cuts made over the past several years: overcrowded
vehicles and 'pass-ups.' With more cuts on the horizon, this is likely to
drive some of these customers off the system.
-Riders Resentful
RailWorks had a significant effect on Broad St. riders, as strongly-worded
comments attest. While they complained about crowding, they praised the
extra attention paid to their line while rail commuters were forced onto
it. The complaints often took on a bitter tone, with many people making
racial allegations about SEPTA management. No doubt these comments were
fueled by the equally-spiteful leaflets passed out by TWU 234 members
during contract negotiations and ratification. Meanwhile, other riders were
resentful of the behavior of their fellow passengers. They conclude that
rules enforcement is non-existent. Smoking and eating on vehicles (by
employees too) were a common complaint, but the harshest criticism was of
mothers with children taking up seats and carriages blocking aisles while
fare-paying passengers have to stand. SEPTA took heat for urine and trash
in stations and the concourse. While some of the worst problems people
complained about are in areas SEPTA doesn't control, many of them are.
Passengers are frustrated over the lack of action.
-Courtesy Counts
Bus and trolley operators were subjects of both compliments & complaints.
Some passengers reported what happens when they try to act courteously to
an operator. The individuals who responded in kind were praised while the
others were panned.
Far too many riders complained of sexual harassment or "pick-up" attempts.
Suprisingly, both men and women operators were to blame. Both surface
operators and subway cashiers were targets of criticism for not answering
rider questions. A lot of them responded very rudely when asked a
question: no way to encourage people to try out the system or a new route.
Is this an attitude problem, or do the customer-contact people not have the
information? Unfortunately, it takes only a few bad attitudes to outweigh
the best efforts of the rest of the work force. All the training in the
world is unlikely to reach the worst actors; rider complaints about them
are going to have to be taken seriously, and the ones who refuse to change
taken off the line.
-Don't Sell the Passengers Short
Survey respondents
repeated DVARP's observations that early running ocurrs much more often
than SEPTA realizes. The detail with which they described incidents like
this makes it quite clear that passengers understand the workings of the
system very well, better than SEPTA or DVARP ever expected. That means that
it is important for SEPTA to give the passengers the facts. They
understand SEPTA's financial pressures, but believe SEPTA's hiding the
truth is considered a greater sin than the ensuing service cuts.-MDM
--P&W--Cross-County Metro: What's the Connection? by John Pawson
What is now
SEPTA's Cross-County Metro proposal originally (circa 1980) was just a
modest electric commuter rail concept to link Frazer, King of Prussia, and
intermediate points with Trenton and New York City. In those days, Conrail
moved about a dozen freight trains in each direction daily over its fully
signalled and electrified double track rail line which links Morrisville
and Frazer, familiarly known as the "Trenton Cutoff." Twenty-four trains
being well below the economic capacity of a double track railroad, the
commuter trains would have run as an low-cost by-product of the freight
line, tapping its excess capacity. Providing railcars, stations, and
parking would have comprised most of the start-up costs.
As SEPTA developed
the idea, half-hourly peak service in both directions would have been
provided, along with service every two hours or so at other times in order
to coexist with the freight trains. With about 14 projected stations, the
"Circumferential Rail Line" would have taken passengers from Frazer to
Trenton in about 70 minutes, en route at the latter point to New York.
Then as now, the Norristown High Speed Line (route 100) operated at right
angles to the Trenton Cutoff. Route 100's ridership had fallen from an
earlier figure of about 11000 per weekday by about half. In large numbers,
the commuters left for other transportation, leaving the reverse commuters
to Radnor, Villanova, etc., who have become 60% of the peak ridership. The
cost recovery declined to a level below that of the Regional Rail system.
Old cars and a deteriorated plant needed replacement. A large but
relatively low-key replacement program has brought or is bringing new rail
railcars, signals, and bridges. Last month, the Board approved a $5.7
million general construction contract. About seven years ago, there must
have been some questioning of the scale of the P&W reconstruction effort.
We understand that one SEPTA executive lamented that "I'm spending $130
million, and its unjustifiable!" At this point lies the 'connection'
between the P&W and the Conrail Morrisville-Frazer line. SEPTA staff
decided to justify the P&W expenditure on the basis that it would provide a
prototype for something much bigger. So like magic, the circumferential
rail line vanished; and in its place appeared the Cross County Metro rapid
transit line.
A few pesky dilemmas have resulted, among them: 1. Rapid
transit trains, unlike commuter rail, cannot safely share tracks at the
same time with fast freight trains. Answer: just provide separate tracks.
2. Is the Conrail right of way not wide enough for both Conrail and for two
SEPTA rapid transit tracks? Then just widen the roadbed; all that takes is
money, bulldozers, energy, and more made-in-Pennsylvania bridges. 3. Would
car-owning adults in the suburbs who don't ride the P&W now flock to the
CCM in the tens of thousands, unlike to rapid transit lines? No problem,
just hope for a permanent energy crunch; for then they'll have to ride
whatever SEPTA offers. 4. Do many wish to travel to the New York area? Just
let them transfer at the end of the line. Anyway, they should be happy to
work and in this region; no need to travel to another. 5. Will people have
problems walking from the CCM "transportation centers" to offices away over
yonder? Add scads of feeders-are-bleeders 200-series bus routes.
What CCM
would give us is a high-capacity, essentially nowhere-to-nowhere rapid
transit line that breaks all the rules of transportation planning. Once
built, it would cost a bundle to maintain the elaborate infrastructure and
to operate with the planned 10-minute frequency the small railcars with
their low ratio of passengers to crew. Not to worry, for the line isn't
expected to open until the next century, when by the industry's current
vagabond habits, the present principals will be working elsewhere, avoiding
the problems. Some at SEPTA justify a change to the rapid transit mode by
saying for the first time SEPTA will be able to tap into "new start"
federal funds. One even gets the impression that spending hundreds of
millions of federal taxpayers' dollars is a worthy goal in itself! The
federal new rail start category, whether by design or happenstance,
apparently only applies to rapid transit construction. Most, if not all,
recently opened commuter rail and true light rail transit 'new starts' have
been funded without federal money. The message: if you want federal
megabucks, go heavy rail.
Unfortunately, SEPTA's prestidigitation had its
effect on Conrail's planning for the Morrisville Line. Lacking prospects
for future commuter trains, Conrail determined that the second track of
that line, along with electrification and conventional signals, and excess
plant. Not long after the SEPTA decision was announced, the wires came
down. Later most signals and second track were removed. What remains is
improved; for instance, the eastern half of the line is now protected by
cab signals. Today, the line is well maintained; and most of it permits
freight trains to run at a steady 50 mph speed. However, the cycle is back
where it was circa 1980. Again the Cutoff is underutilized; only a handful
of trains operate during daylight hours. Diesel-powered commuter trains,
such as extensions of New Jersey Transit's Newark-Trenton Diesel Expresses,
could fill up that empty track space. As New York MTA pays NJT to extend
several diesel trains from Suffern to Port Jervis, New York, so SEPTA could
engage NJT to extend some diesel trains through Morrisville and King of
Prussia to Frazer. We could have this service next year, instead of next
century.
--PATCO Offers Capital Budget In little-publicized hearings last
month, The Delaware River Port Authority considered a capital budget for
its PATCO rail line. A sketchy description of the budget proposal was
published in area newspapers. A total of $11 million is to be spent,
mostly on maintenance projects. It speaks of "upgrading of PATCO subway
stations" but doesn't describe what work will be done. At the suburban
stations, platforms are to be rehabilitated, and parking expanded. Reverse
signalling is to be installed at the outer end of the line. The other
major improvement proposed is installation of fiber-optic cable for
improved communica-tions throughout the system.-MDM
--NJ Government to Raid Transportation Fund? Governor Florio and legislative
leaders are looking to use transportation trust fund money to close gaps in
the general state budget. A gas tax increase of 4.5c would be necessary to
restore the transportation funds. Gas tax revenues are not
constitutionally earmarked for transportation in New Jersey.
--New Fareboxes More Than Technology
SEPTA has concluded its test of new fareboxes. While
passengers are likely to see only the end result, our own observations give
us little hope that the devices will be worth their cost. The first
significant change with the new fareboxes is a slide-through reader for
passes, as found on subway turnstiles. The reader detects outdated passes
and passes which have been handed back from one passenger to another. It
only works when the operator insists that passengers use it instead of
simply flashing the pass to the operator. Next is an automatic transfer
dispenser which prints a properly timed and labeled ticket at the touch of
a button. This gives SEPTA the potential for going to a "proof of payment"
collection and enforcement system. While it should be a labor-saving
device, some operators were seen issuing old-fashioned transfers instead of
using the machine. Like the ones they are to replace, the new fareboxes
can collect data on rider numbers and payment methods, but this is
dependent on the operator registering each passenger. Compliance was so
bad in the past that SEPTA actually disabled all the electronic features of
the fareboxes. Without an improvement in this aspect, the new fareboxes
will instantly becoime white elephants. Are the devices user-friendly?
Somewhat. A large digital display is necessary so passengers know how much
they have paid. The transfers are easy to read and understand and could
potentially be good for zone fares too, reducing the need for exact change.
Pass users should have at least two readers, one on each side of the
entryway. The jury is still out.-MDM
--30th St. Shops to Open
A year after a fire filled the station with smoke,
delaying renovation work, Amtrak is opening the South Arcade of 30th St.
Station. This section of the station will be filled with shops, mostly
specialty food vendors hoping to attract commuters on their way home. A
critical mass of shops is necessary for the project to thrive. Because the
station is not close to the major Center City office buildings, fewer
customers will be stopping by on their lunch hour than do the the Reading
Terminal Market. New rest rooms will also be available in the South Arcade.
-Suburban Concourse, Roads Still a Mess
While the main passenger service
areas of 30th Street blend the best of old and new, little progress has
been made on the upper level of the station since the fire. None of the
escalators have worked for years, whole sections are barricaded off, and
smoke is still visible throughout the concourse. The escalators
to the SEPTA RRD platforms have been out of service for years, and there
is no evidence Amtrak is making any effort to fix them. Even though SEPTA
is only a tenant at the station, Amtrak ought to be making more progress
for the SEPTA commuters. Effective partnership between Amtrak and commuter
rail services across the nation is in the financial interest of both, but
neither most Amtrak nor most commuter customer service personnel can
provide information about the other service, and through ticketing is only
a dream. Then again, through tickets aren't much help to people who can't
wrestle their bags up the stairs to their commuter train. Another Amtrak
passenger disincentive is the dangerous auto traffic flows around the
station. Drivers routinely take wrong-way shortcuts on the
carefully-planned driveway system, putting the lives of pedestrians at
risk. Taxi drivers put up barriers to block access to the passenger
pick-up area, while Amtrak Police watch and ignore and passengers must
carry their baggage further. Amtrak must stop throwing up its hands at the
situation, and take control now, before someone is killed.-MDM
-On Board X-2000
In between test runs, Amtrak has exhibited its X-2000 test
train to employees, press, and public. Here's a look inside what may be
the future of US intercity rail travel. The X-2000 has a low-slung, but
businesslike look, which recalls design elements of past trains but is
distinct from its Euorpean and Japanese competitors. The stainless steel
construction is similar to that of Amfleet coaches while the angular lines
resembe Canada's LRC equipment. The ends are also simple in design, like
recent British trains. On the inside, the train is quite luxurious.
Seating is in the 2+1 arrangement, since the Swedish X2000s are all First
Class (equivalent to Club or Custom Service on Amtrak.) The reclining
mechanism is found at the base of the seat. When operated, the seat base
slides forward while the back reclines, an improvement on present Amtrak
seating. Wood veneer is used for tables; don't count on seeing it in the
production run. The train is equipped with all the latest electronics:
automatic signs and announce-ments, three-channel audio at every seat, and
fault diagnosis systems. But the most significant technology in the trains
is the active tilting system, designed to reduce the centrifugal force felt
be passengers when the train rounds a curve. Amtrak hopes that tilting
trains can allow speed restrictions to be eased on the Boston-New York
corridor. While the X-2000 is in test service, Amtrak will try out some new
passenger service ideas. Facing pairs of seats will replace the usual
front-to-back seating in some cars, with a table between seats. This
arrangement is common in Europe, and eliminates the need to turn seats
around or turn the entire train. Amtrak will also try a cart (or trolley)
based snack and beverage service, using airline-style equipment. This
service is also popular in Europe. While most of the seating is in open
coaches, some of the compartment seating has been left in. Amtrak hopes
that the compatments will make the train more attractive for business
travel. If you want to ride the X2000, it will go into revenue service
early this year. The Arrow computerized reservations system will note the
scheduled Metroliner trips the new train will be used on. Standard
Metroliner fares apply.-MDM
--Ocean City Threatened
New Jersey Transit is conducting negotiations for the
sale or lease of the Ocean City line right-of-way. The municipality of
Ocean City seeks to acquire the property so that it may widen the adjacent
road and/or create a bicycle trail. Regardless of any reverter clauses that
may be put in an agreement, NJ Transit should not transfer the use of the
property. Once a road is widened or a bicycle trail is built over the
existing right-of-way, the political will would never be strong enough to
revert the property back to NJ Transit for rail public transportation use.
Some have argued that the residents of Ocean City do not desire rail
passenger service and that NJ Transit should abide by these wishes. What
should be remembered, however, is that NJT is a statewide authority which
should be concerned with meeting the needs of the whole state. The voters
of New Jersey let their opinion be known on preservation and acquisition of
railroad right-of-ways for future needs. In a 1989 statewide referendum,
New Jersey voters approved the spending of $25 million to acquire unused
railroad right-of-ways so that these strategic properties would remain
physically and politically accessible for future rail service. The sale or
lease of the Ocean City right-of-way would go directly against the
electorate's wishes. Ocean City and its distant approaching highways need
relief from the summer weekend traffic crush. NJ Transit should be
planning service and positioning itself to meet these present and future
needs. The sale or lease of the right-of-way, regardless of any reverter
clauses, would work decisively against this. -DN
--Forced Privatization Dies in Trenton
A bill mandating that NJ Transit turn
over a singificant portion of its services to the private sector failed to
make it out of committee.
--NJT Gets Bucks Yard OK- Strings Attached
Legislators from Trenton cut a deal to permit New Jersey Transit to build
its much wanted $37 million car service and storage yard in Morrisville,
PA. The proviso, which the NJT Board approved, is that NJT will never serve
any out-of-state train station located within ten miles of Trenton. That
city's mayor was quoted as saying that keeping the yard in the city would
not provide as much benefit as originally believed. NJT said that
immediately it would resume engineering work and negotiate to buy the
30-acre site from Conrail. The property is south of the Bridge Street-US 1
interchange at the northeast corner of Morrisville Yard. Naturally,
speculation is rife. One hypothesis links a plan to build a parking garage
and later a convention and civic center at Trenton station. The prospective
garage owners are viewed as protecting their parking monopoly by forcing
Bucks Countians to continue using the Trenton station. Another belief is
that New Jersey officials fear that commuters and their taxes may move
across the river where living costs are cheaper. The restriction was
specifically aimed at preventing others from building a passenger station
near the NJT yard location. Along the Morrisville Line, the ten-mile limit
covers sites like Oxford Valley Mall, the crossing of SEPTA R3 line at
Woodbourne station, and possibly the railroad's crossing of Route 413,
which connects Langhorne and Newtown. Points west would be fair game for
the trains. It's a highly unusual restriction. Someday, someone with an
interest in overturning it may find a legal way to do so. In the meantime,
it tends to discourage any merger of NJT's New York-Trenton service with
SEPTA's Trenton-Philadelphia R7 service. Presumably, NJT could not carry
within its state any passengers boarding or detraining at Levittown or
Bristol stations, which are located within the ten-mile limit. However, the
restriction would not cover passengers at Croydon and stations closer to
Philadelphia. It all shows how public transport passengers have become
pawns in New Jersey's game of politics!-JRP
Planners Mull South Jersey Rail Expansion by Donald Nigro
The Burlington-Gloucester Corridor Assessment
Study commissioned by NJ Transit reportedly is nearing completion. DVARP
has a strong interest in its subject matter and final results. Although
the following should not be construed as DVARP positions because important
parameters remain unquantified, here are several thoughts on the matter: *A
"modified PATCO" expansion for Gloucester County using ground level tracks
and overhead power lines is very desirable. This service would feed
directly into the existing PATCO system providing a one-seat-ride into
Center City Philadelphia. *Service for this line should extend at least as
far as densely populated downtown Glassboro rather than a park-and-ride
station north of the city. This
would accommodate reverse and transit-dependent commuters and permit a
significant percentage of Glassboro residents to avoid using their
automobiles for any portion of their daily commutes. Just as Haddonfield,
with its ideally located PATCO station, has become a community center for
South Jersey, so could Glassboro if service for the corridor would extend
to its downtown. *Although exceeding the scope of the study, in addition to
the above, peak-hour commuter trains on a route from Millville to Vineland,
Glassboro, Camden (PATCO interchange), Burlington, Bordentown, Trenton,
Newark, to Hoboken or New York should be considered. *Currently, during the
morning rush hour, three minute headways on the Benjamin Franklin Bridge
towards Philadelphia are common. If a Gloucester County extension to PATCO
were added, the frequency of the Lindenwold Line would have to be reduced.
Several measures would need to be taken on the Lindenwold Line to
compensate: a. Express trains would need to be eliminated to maintain
service frequency. b. The maximum operating speed of the trains and
right-of-way would need to be upped from 65 to 75 MPH to compensate for the
loss of express trains. The increased speed will involve greater
maintenance expense, but it is a price necessary to pay to prevent
passengers from migrating to their cars. This should be done even if it
means higher PATCO fares. c. Train consists will need to be increased from
six to eight cars. At some stations, eight car trains will result in
operators being unable to see all of the car doors. This problem will need
to be addressed. d. For better ease of operation, the tunnel west of 16th
St. should be extended from its present 6 car lengths to 8. (Although
funds are currently unavailable, DVARP thinks it should be extended to 30th
Street Station with a stop somewhere around 20th and Market Streets.)
*Although a "modified PATCO" expansion for Burlington Co. (Mt. Holly) is
attractive, diesel commuter rail service to Suburban Station would cost
significantly less. In conjunction with rail service from Mt. Holly,
connecting express bus service could be offered at Pennsauken for Camden,
possibly even going to the Aquarium on the weekends. Plans for a "modified
PATCO" expansion for both Gloucester & Burlington Cos. should be avoided.
The Ben Franklin Bridge does not have the capacity to accommodate trains
from three branches. With its proximity to the Delair Bridge, the Mount
Holly route is the practical one to utilize commuter rail service. *The
exclusion of the commuter rail mode from the present studies is a serious
flaw. The imminent extension of Lindenwold-Atlantic City commuter rail
service to Philadelphia will have major impact on southern New Jersey and
on travel to and from Philadelphia if properly planned. Moreover, the
existence of one South Jersey commuter rail line operating from downtown
Philadelphia will make the addition of branches economically attractive.
Other metropolitan areas have determined this mode to be most suitable for
large-mileage additions to their public transport networks. In all
corridors, the commuter rail mode should be considered along with standard
or modified rapid-transit, light rail transit, and bus-on-busway. *In
implementing Clean Air Act mandates, any provincial attitudes which resist
the effective expansion of service within South Jersey must not prevail.
DVARP will be a strong advocate, eager to directly or indirectly assist
anyone in the useful expansion of service within South Jersey and to act as
a positive force to counterbalance those who would resist efforts that
would significantly benefit our environment, highways and economy.
--Membership Renewal Our new membership year began on the first, so take a
minute to check your membership status. The label on your newsletter lists
a year. If it says 1993, thank you: we have received and processed your
renewal. If it says 1992, please renew now! Choose a category from the
list below and mail a check to DVARP. To help us proces your renewal
faster, please write your member number on your check. Also be sure to
check the address on the label and inform us of any changes. DVARP
Membership categories Regular - $15.00 Family (one mailing, two votes) -
$20.00+ Supporting - $25.00 Sustaining - $50.00 Patron - $75.00 Benefactor
- $100.00 +family membership also available in higher categories Special
rate available for persons who are students, retired, or unemployed: $7.50
-Membership Premium! For the first time ever, and in celebration of the
victories won in our 20th year, DVARP is offering an special gift to
members who join or renew at the supporting ($25.00) level or higher: a
copy of "Car-Free in Philadelphia." Act quickly, this offer expires
January 31. If you already have renewed for 1993, you can still get a copy
of the book. Select one of the qualifying membership categories, then send
us a check for the dollar difference.
--NARP Region III Meeting The National Association of Railroad Passengers
(NARP) Region III Annual Meeting will be held Saturday, March 27 in
Pittsburgh. Keystone Association of Railroad Passengers (KARP) will host
the meeting; representatives from DVARP, New Jersey ARP, and Delaware Rail
Passenger Association are expected to participate. Region III covers New
Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. Keynote speakers at the meeting will
include Rocco Piano, Director of Pittsburgh's light rail system. A guest
speaker from Conrail is expected. The meeting will also feature a
roundtable discussion on trans-portation issues moderated by Joseph Grata
of the former Pittsburgh Press. The day will conclude with a tour of the
PAT light rail system, including the shops. The meeting place is the Grand
Concourse Restaurant at Station Square. (the former P & LE station)
Station Square is located on the South bank of the Mon River, with a PAT
rail stop a block away. The historic site offers a grand view of
Pittsburgh's Golden Triangle. Luncheon at the Grand Concourse is included
in the registration fee, as well as an all-day pass for PAT bus and rail
service. To register for the meeting, send a check for $25.00 (payable to
Robert P. Abraham) to KARP, P.O. Box 126, Pitcairn, PA 15140-0126.
Registration deadline is March 9. The official hotel for the meeting is
the Sheraton Station Square: for reservations call 1-800-255-7488 and
mention the NARP meeting for a special rate.
--Dates of Interest
-IEEE Vehicular Technology Society: Wed., Jan 13, 7:00 pm
at 216 Moore School, Univ. of Penn. 33rd & Walnut Sts., Philadelphia.
Topic: "Allied Jct./Secaucus Transfer"
-SEPTA on Site (RRD): Thursday
mornings: 7:30 to 9:00 am, at Suburban Station or Market East Station.
-DVARP General Meeting: Sat., Jan. 16, 1:00 to 4:00 pm at Temple Univ.
Center City, 1616 Walnut St., Phila.
-SEPTA Citizen Advisory Committee:
Tuesday, Jan. 19, 5:45 pm at SEPTA Board Room, 714 Market St., Phila.
-SEPTA on Site (STD): Wed., Jan. 20, 7:30 to 9:30 am at 69th St. &
Norristown.
-SEPTA Board Meeting: Fri., Jan. 22, 3:00, SEPTA Board Room,
714 Market St., Third Floor, Philadelphia.
-DVARP Transit Committee: Fri.,
Jan. 29, 5:00 at Jefferson Alumni Hall, 1020 Locust St., Philadelphia.
-Delmarva Rail Passenger Association: Thurs., Feb. 4. call for location
Doug Andrews, 302-995-6419.
-DVARP Commuter Rail Committee: Sat., Feb. 13,
12:00 at Chestnut Gourmet, 1614 Chestnut St.,
-Philadelphia. Center for Greater Philadelphia:
Region at the Crossroads Forum: "Where do we go from
here?" Tues., Feb. 16, 8:00 at IBM Commerce Square, 2005 Market St., room
203. Call 215-898-8713 to register.
-DVARP General Meeting: Sat., Feb. 20,
1:00 to 4:00 pm at Temple Univ. Center City, 1616 Walnut St., Phila.
-NARP Region III Meeting: Sat., Mar 27 at Station Square, Pittsburgh.
Listings based on information provided to DVARP. Contact
sponsor to confirm time & place.
--Up and Down the Corridor
-New Trains for New York
The TA held a public exhibition of
its two "new technology trains" last month. The R-110 prototypes, one each
from Kawasaki and Bombardier will be placed in revenue service, and the TA
will actively seek out comments from both rider groups & everyday
customers. The trains include low-maintenance AC motors and the usual
high-tech passenger amenities like automatic destination announcements,
but the more important features are under the hood. Batteries will be used
both for emergency power and to allow regenerative braking. Door upgrades
are also important in the Big Apple. The exhibition was more than a chance
to get rider reaction. The TA made its customers partners in the upgrading
of the system and gave them reason to be optimistic about the future.
SEPTA should do the same.
-Storm Swamps Hoboken, PATH
The big rainstorm
before Christmas caused tidal surges which innundated the river-side
station at Hoboken. The water in the station reached three feet deep! One
of PATH's tunnels was flooded, and closed for several days; NJ Transit used
buses to get its Hoboken passengers into New York. Meanwhile, a new budget
from the Port Authority promises no PATH fare increase until at least 1995.
Upcoming DVARP Meetings:
Saturday, January 16, 1:00 to 4:00 Temple Univ. Center City, 1616 Walnut
please see message board in lobby for room assignment food, drinks, smoking
prohibited in meeting room
Saturday, February 20, 1:00 to 4:00 Temple University Center City
Saturday, March 20, 1:00 to 4:00
Agenda for the January meeting: 1:00 Call to order, introductions, agenda,
minutes 1:15 Issues requiring immediate action: RailWorks NARP Region III
Meeting SEPTA budget gap SEPTA Headquarters
2:15 Other business: SEPTA Operating Budget Atlantic City opening SEPTA
trolley service South Jersey rail extensions Membership building
administrative issues 3:30 Committee Reports
--Committee Meetings: Transit Committee: Fri., Jan. 29, 5:15 pm at Jefferson
Alumni Hall, 1020 Locust St. Topic: Alternatives to the Cross-County Metro
-Commuter Rail Committee: Sat., Feb. 6, 12:00 to 2:00 at Chestnut Gourmet,
1612 Chestnut St. Topics: North Suburbs to North Jersey commuter service,
Newtown, RRD Fare Policies
