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: 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