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Chestnut Hill West Line

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The Chestnut Hill West Line is a commuter rail line in the SEPTA Regional Rail network. It connects Northwest Philadelphia, including the eponymous neighborhood of Chestnut Hill, West Mount Airy, and Germantown, to Center City.

Chestnut Hill West Line
Shelter at the terminal station in Chestnut Hill
Overview
StatusOperating
Termini
Stations10
Websitesepta.org
Service
TypeCommuter rail
SystemSEPTA Regional Rail
Operator(s)SEPTA
Rolling stockElectric Multiple Units
Daily ridership2,768 (FY 2023)[1]
History
Opened1884
Technical
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
ElectrificationOverhead line, 12 kV 25 Hz AC
Operating speed50 mph (80 km/h) (Chestnut Hill West to North Philadelphia)
50 mph (80 km/h) (North Philadelphia to Zoo Junction)
Route map
Map
Legend
11.3 mi
18.2 km
 Chestnut Hill West
10.7 mi
17.2 km
 Highland
10.2 mi
16.4 km
 St. Martins
Fort Washington Branch
to Fort Hill
9.4 mi
15.1 km
 Richard Allen Lane
9.8 mi
15.8 km
 Carpenter
9.1 mi
14.6 km
 Upsal
7.9 mi
12.7 km
 Tulpehocken
Zone
 2 
1
7.4 mi
11.9 km
 Chelten Avenue
6.8 mi
10.9 km
 Queen Lane
Westmoreland (closed)
Zone
 1 
C
4.5 mi
7.2 km
 North Philadelphia Amtrak
NEC & TRE
to Trenton & Boston
0.9 mi
1.4 km
 30th Street
NJ Transit Amtrak
0 mi
0 km
 Suburban
0.5 mi
0.8 km
 Jefferson
2.1 mi
3.4 km
 Temple University
This diagram:

Route description

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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 Chestnut Hill East Line (a competing line of the Reading Company until 1976, when SEPTA assumed operations). 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 Chestnut Hill East, and the two terminals are rather close. The line is fully grade-separated.

History

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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.[citation needed] Electrified service began on March 30, 1918.[2] The Penn Central operated it until 1976, turning operations over to Conrail until 1983, when SEPTA took over.[citation needed]

Between 1984–2010 the route was designated R8 Chestnut Hill West as part of SEPTA's diametrical reorganization of its lines. Chestnut Hill West trains operated through the city center to the Fox Chase Line.[3] Plans had called for the line to be paired with West Chester/Elwyn Line and designated R3, but this depended on a never-built Swampoodle Connection from the Chestnut Hill West Line to the Norristown Line; this would have connected it to the former Reading Company side of the Center City Commuter Connection.[4] As of 2022, most weekday Chestnut Hill West Line trains pass through Center City and terminate at Temple University while most weekend trains continue through Center City to the West Trenton Line.[5] While the line runs generally northbound between 30th Street and Chestnut Hill West, it is considered to run timetable south. This anomaly exists because SEPTA considers ex-Reading lines (including the Fox Chase Line) to run timetable north and ex-Pennsylvania lines to run timetable south.

Between June 26, 1987 – December 17, 1989 service terminated at Allen Lane with shuttle buses serving St. Martin's, Highland and Chestnut Hill West because of unsafe conditions on the Cresheim Valley bridge. The original iron bridge dated to 1884 and was replaced with a $7.6 million steel structure financed by the Urban Mass Transportation Administration.[6]

SEPTA activated positive train control on the Chestnut Hill West Line on August 22, 2016.[7]

On April 9, 2020, the line was suspended indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic,[8] though North Philadelphia station was still being served by other rail services.[9] In addition to reduced ridership from the COVID-19 pandemic, service on the Chestnut Hill West Line was also suspended due to Amtrak construction along the Northeast Corridor that the line uses for part of its route. Service on the Chestnut Hill West Line resumed on March 8, 2021 on a limited schedule, with service running Monday through Friday.[8][10] Weekend service was restored on December 19, 2021.[11]

As of 2024, SEPTA has made considerations to discontinue service on the line due to low ridership and systemwide budget cuts. [12]

Stations

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The Pennsylvania Railroad opened St. Martins in 1883
 
Queen Lane station

The Chestnut Hill West makes the following station stops after leaving 30th Street Station; stations indicated with gray background are closed.[5] The entirety of the route is located within Philadelphia city limits.

Zone Location Station Miles (km)
from
Center City 		Date opened Connections / notes
C Mantua Zoological Garden 1.9 (3.1) 1874 Closed November 24, 1901[13]
Brewerytown Engleside 2.8 (4.5) Closed April 5, 1903[14]
Strawberry
Mansion 		Ridge Avenue 3.2 (5.1) Closed April 5, 1903.[14]
22nd Street 3.9 (6.3)
1 Glenwood North Philadelphia 4.5 (7.2)
Nicetown–Tioga Westmoreland 5.5 (8.9) Closed October 29, 1994[15]
Germantown Queen Lane   6.8 (10.9)   SEPTA City Bus: K
Chelten Avenue 7.4 (11.9) June 11, 1884[16]   SEPTA City Bus: 26, J
2 Tulpehocken 7.9 (12.7) June 11, 1884[16]   SEPTA City Bus: 53, 65
Mount Airy Upsal 8.4 (13.5)   SEPTA City Bus: H
Carpenter 9.0 (14.5) June 11, 1884[16]
Richard Allen Lane   9.4 (15.1)
Chestnut Hill St. Martins 10.2 (16.4)
Highland 10.7 (17.2) June 11, 1884[16]
Chestnut Hill West   11.3 (18.2) June 11, 1884[16]

Ridership

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Yearly ridership on the Chestnut Hill West Line between FY 2013–FY 2019 remained steady around 1.3–1.6 million before collapsing during the COVID-19 pandemic.[note 1]

500,000
1,000,000
1,500,000
2,000,000
FY 2013
FY 2014
FY 2015
FY 2016
FY 2017
FY 2018
FY 2019
FY 2020
FY 2021
FY 2022
FY 2023

Notes

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  1. ^ Data for individual lines is not available for FY 2020.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b SEPTA Data Group. "Route Operating Statistics". Retrieved March 22, 2024.
  2. ^ Williams, Gerry (1998). Trains, Trolleys & Transit: A Guide to Philadelphia Area Rail Transit. Piscataway, New Jersey: Railpace Company. p. 95. ISBN 978-0-9621541-7-1.
  3. ^ Lustig, David (November 2010). "SEPTA makeover". Trains Magazine. Kalmbach Publishing: 26.
  4. ^ Vuchic, Vukan; Kikuchi, Shinya (1984). General Operations Plan for the SEPTA Regional High Speed System. Philadelphia: SEPTA. pp. 2–8.
  5. ^ a b "Chestnut Hill West Line schedule" (PDF). SEPTA. January 7, 2024. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  6. ^ Hollman, Laurie (December 17, 1989). "A Bridge Is Rebuilt With Clout". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on December 30, 2015. Retrieved August 13, 2016.
  7. ^ "Positive Train Control Update". SEPTA. May 1, 2017. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
  8. ^ a b "Service Information". SEPTA. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
  9. ^ "SEPTA Regional Rail & Rail Transit Lifeline Service" (PDF). SEPTA. 2020. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
  10. ^ Madej, Patricia (January 28, 2021). "SEPTA Chestnut Hill West Line will return with 'restricted service' in March". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  11. ^ "Regional Rail Select Schedule Changes – New Timetables Effective Sunday, December 19, 2021". SEPTA. Archived from the original on December 12, 2021. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
  12. ^ Robinson, Carla (July 17, 2024). "State budget shorts SEPTA; NW braces for transit cuts". Chestnut Hill Local.
  13. ^ Baer, Christopher T. (April 2015). "A General Chronology of the Successors of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company and Their Historical Context: 1901" (PDF). Pennsylvania Railroad Technical Historical Society. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
  14. ^ a b "Discontinuing All Stops of Trains at Paschal, South Street, Engelside and Ridge Avenue". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. April 3, 1903. p. 2. Retrieved October 17, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.  
  15. ^ Rider, Phantom (October 26, 1994). "Eulogy for an R8 Station". The Philadelphia Daily News. p. 8. Retrieved November 4, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.  
  16. ^ a b c d e "Steam Roads: Opening of Pennsylvania's New Branch Line". The Philadelphia Inquirer. June 11, 1884. p. 2. Retrieved November 10, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.  
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