R8 (SEPTA)

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The R8 is a route of the SEPTA Regional Rail commuter rail system. The Pennsylvania Railroad end of the route terminates in the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia, while the Reading Company end terminates in the Fox Chase section of Philadelphia. The R8 number was applied after the original plan was cancelled due to problems including the Swampoodle Connection never being built.

As of 2005, the majority of R8 trains run through the Center City Commuter Tunnel, although some trains from either direction terminate in Center City.

Contents

[edit] R8 Chestnut Hill West

The Chestnut Hill West Line branches off from Amtrak's Northeast Corridor at North Philadelphia station and runs entirely within the City of Philadelphia. Its terminal is named Chestnut Hill West to distinguish it from the end of the R7 Chestnut Hill East (a competing line of the Reading Company until 1976). Some stations are less than half a mile apart, a characteristic more commonly seen in an urban rapid transit system rather than a commuter rail line. The line runs roughly parallel to the R7 Chestnut Hill East, and the two terminals are rather close.

The line was originally opened June 11, 1884 by the Philadelphia, Germantown and Chestnut Hill Railroad, and was operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad until 1968. Penn Central operated it until 1976, turning operations over to Conrail until 1983, when SEPTA took over. The Chestnut Hill West Line was originally to be numbered the R3 due to the proposed Swampoodle Connection bringing it into the Reading Company side of the Center City Commuter Connection.

Electrified service was opened on March 30, 1918.

The R8 Chestnut Hill West makes the following station stops, after leaving 30th Street Station:

Zone Milepost Station Boardings City Notes
C 4.7 North Philadelphia 216 Philadelphia flag stop; also R7 Trenton
1 5.5 Westmoreland 0 station closed
6.5 Midvale interlocking reverse crossover
6.8 Queen Lane 470
7.4 Chelten Avenue 441 high-level platforms
2 7.9 Tulpehocken 176
8.4 Upsal 357
8.6 Clive interlocking reverse crossover
9.0 Carpenter 305
9.4 Allen Lane 263
9.6 Cresheim interlocking reverse crossover
10.2 St. Martins 215
10.7 Highland 32
11.3 Chestnut Hill West 432 high-level platforms

Boardings are for fiscal year 2004.

Ridership on the Chestnut Hill West line has increased 36% between 1995 and 2005, possibly reflecting a change in commuting patterns for Chestnut Hill residents towards jobs on the west side of Market Street in Center City Philadelphia from the jobs on the east, and therefore more riders are using the Chestnut Hill West line instead of the Chestnut Hill East line. From SEPTA Annual Service Plans:

Fiscal year Average weekday Annual passengers
FY 2005 5,216 1,470,921
FY 2004 4,965 1,393,701
FY 2003 5,437 1,459,000
FY 2001 n/a 1,556,000
FY 2000 n/a 1,631,000
FY 1999 n/a 1,474,000
FY 1997 n/a 1,576,059
FY 1996 n/a 1,568,560
FY 1995 4,968 1,513,926
FY 1994 5,623 1,592,462
FY 1993 3,990 1,564,842
Note: n/a = not available

[edit] R8 Fox Chase

Fox Chase station
Fox Chase station

The Fox Chase Line branches from the SEPTA Main Line at Newtown Junction, north of the Wayne Junction station. It runs entirely within the city of Philadelphia except for a section between Olney and Cheltenham, Pennsylvania which runs along the city border.

The line beyond Newtown Junction was originally opened February 2, 1878 to Newtown as the Philadelphia, Newtown and New York Railroad. The line was built by the Pennsylvania Railroad to block the building of the parallel National Railway (later the Reading Company's main line to New York City). After that failed, it was taken over by the North Pennsylvania Railroad (which had built the National Railway) on November 22, 1879. By then the Philadelphia and Reading Railway, later the Reading Company, had leased the North Pennsylvania Railroad. In 1976 the Reading was merged into Conrail, and in 1983 SEPTA took over commuter rail operations.

Electrified service between Newtown Junction and Fox Chase was opened on 25 September 1966.

The Fox Chase Line was originally intended to be the R4, which would have continued as the Bryn Mawr local, while the R5 would have run express to Bryn Mawr and local to points west.

The R8 Fox Chase makes the following station stops, after leaving Market East Station:

Zone Milepost Station Boardings City/Township County Notes
C 2.1 Temple University 1988 Philadelphia all lines
1 5.1 Wayne Junction 749 R1, R2, R3, R5, R7 and R8
7.3 Olney 207
8.3 Crescentville 0 station closed
2 9.0 Lawndale 238
9.7 Cheltenham 272
10.1 Ryers 311 Cottman Ave.
11.1 Fox Chase 1139 terminus since 1983; end of electrification
12.8 Walnut Hill Abington Montgomery
14.4 Huntingdon Valley Lower Moreland
15.1 Bryn Athyn Bryn Athyn
18.0 County Line Upper Southampton Bucks
18.9 Southampton
20.8 Churchville Northampton
22.4 Holland
25.0 George School Middletown
26.3 Newtown Newtown

Boardings are for fiscal year 2004. Until 1983, Fox Chase trains continued to Newtown along non-electrified track, crossing the R3 West Trenton near Bethayres.

Former Bryn Athyn station
Former Bryn Athyn station

Ridership on the Fox Chase line increased 13% from 1995 to 2005. From SEPTA Annual Service Plans:

Fiscal year Average weekday Annual passengers
FY 2005 4,646 1,245,763
FY 2004 4,130 1,159,397
FY 2003 4,621 1,150,400
FY 2001 n/a 1,221,000
FY 2000 n/a 1,273,000
FY 1999 n/a 1,186,000
FY 1997 n/a 1,218,268
FY 1996 n/a 1,184,561
FY 1995 3,922 1,099,953
FY 1994 3,574 732,733
FY 1993 2,813 442,155
Note: n/a = not available

[edit] External links

[edit] References

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