Manayunk/Norristown Line

Route

Main article: Norristown Branch

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

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

History

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

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

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

Proposed extensions beyond Norristown

Main article: Schuylkill River Passenger Rail

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

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

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

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

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

Stations

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

Former diesel service

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

Ridership

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

Notes

References

References

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