SEPTA Route 15

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SEPTA Route 15
Girard Avenue Trolley

Locale	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Transit type	Trolley
Began operation	September 2005 (trolley service resumes)
System length	8.2 mi
No. of lines	1
Daily ridership	9,697 (FY 2005)
Track gauge	1588mm, 5ft, 2½in. Pennsylvania Trolley Gauge
Operator	SEPTA

The SEPTA Route 15 is a heritage streetcar line, operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), serving North and West Philadelphia.

1 Route
2 History
3 External links
4 References

[edit] Route

The tracks for 8.2 mile-long Route 15 run along Girard Avenue and Richmond Street. The Western terminus is at the intersection of Girard Avenue and 63rd Street, and the Eastern terminus is at the intersection of Richmond Street and Westmoreland Street. The line provides access to the Market-Frankford Line's Girard Station and to the Broad Street Line's Girard Station.

[edit] History

In 1992, SEPTA replaced trolley service along Routes 15, 23, and 56 with buses. The line has been reopened as a trolley service in September 2005 after having been served by buses for thirteen years. To prepare for the resumption of trolley service, SEPTA spent a total of $88 million, including rehabilitating the tracks and repairs to the overhead wires. The rolling stock for Route 15 consists of PCC II cars, which are 1947 PCC streetcars that had been completely rebuilt by the Brookville Equipment Company as a cost of $1.3 million per trolley. The rebuilt trolley includes the addition of air conditining and regenerative braking.^[1]

Route 15 Trolleys at Richmond and Westmoreland Loop

The restoration of trolley service was delayed because of a long fight with local residents on 59th Street, which the trolleys needed travel down in order to access the Callowhill Depot, over parking on the street.^[2]

[edit] External links

SEPTA press release on resumption of trolley service
SEPTA Schedule for Route 15 Trolley
[2] Net-Gold Posts Regarding the Route 15 Trolley

[edit] References

^ "Philadelphia's PCCs Return to Service." Railway Age. Vol. 205, No. 10, p. 30. October 1, 2005.
^ [1] Amy L. Webb (2004). "Communication Breakdown." Philadelphia City Paper. September 30, 2004.

v • d • e Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority
City Transit Division	Market-Frankford Line - Broad Street Line - Subway-Surface Lines - Girard Avenue Trolley (Route 15) - City surface routes
Suburban Division	Norristown High Speed Line (Route 100) - Suburban Trolley Lines (Routes 101 & 102) - Suburban bus routes
Regional Rail	R1 - R2 - R3 - R5 - R6 - R7 - R8
Major Stations	Frankford Transportation Center - Market East Station - Suburban Station - 30th Street Station - 69th Street Terminal