SEPTA Reports Progress After Leasing Additional Train Cars
by Kim Glovas
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- SEPTA is reporting some progress in the ongoing saga of reduced service on the regional rail lines.
SEPTA says with the additional leased cars and locomotives, train trips were up to 574 Monday morning, compared to 549 last week. A normal day sees 788 train trips.
Assistant General Manager of Operations Ron Hopkins says 9 pass-ups happened in the morning, and there is room for improvement.
"We continue to have most of our delays on the Lansdale-Doylestown line, and that's where we have most of, of the 9 trains that were expressed in, 4 of them were from that line. Which is why, when we have these trains that we add, it will come from Glenside because that's where we are starting to see our pass-ups start," said Hopkins.
SEPTA General Manager Jeff Knueppel says clean up trains are also being used to circle back and pick up commuters who have been passed up.
"We've added that cleanup train, to keep coming back out to Glenside, we've added one that goes out to Bryn Mawr and keeps cycling back, and really the pass-ups are not as bad a situation as the other day," said Knueppel.
SEPTA is considering express busing from some train stations.
As for the leased trains, Knueppel says two of the three were in service Monday, the third will be put into service for the morning rush on the Wilmington line.
