What to Know About SEPTA’s Big Regional Rail Construction Project
Don’t plan on a quick commute to the airport throughout the next few weeks — SEPTA will run shuttle buses along its Airport Line through August. Here’s info on that and what else to expect.
SEPTA’s Regional Rail Airport Line. | Photo by Dough4872 via Wikimedia Commons
Your commute — or ride to the airport — might look a little different over the next few weeks.
SEPTA is beginning the next phase of a major construction project on Saturday, July 20th, to improve tracks along its Airport, Wilmington/Newark, and Media/Elwyn railroad lines. That means you can expect some changes to service.
Work on this segment of the $71 million project (which will take three years total to complete) will run through August 4th. To help prepare you for any commute adjustments, we’ve broken down what to expect along all three lines and outlined other minor Regional Rail changes.
The Airport Line
Trains will not operate along the Airport Line during construction. Instead, shuttle buses will run between 30th Street Station, airport terminals, and Eastwick. SEPTA has posted the schedule on its website.
You can board shuttle buses at the airport at temporary shuttle bus stops. Look for signs that will guide you to their locations. At 30th Street Station, buses will wait at the intersection of JFK Boulevard and 30th Street, facing toward 32nd Street.
If you’re looking to get to the University City area, you can find schedules for shuttle buses between 30th Street Station, the University City Regional Rail station, and 49th Street (or along the Media/Elwyn line) right here.
The Media/Elwyn Line
Train service will operate on a special timetable between Elwyn and 49th Street Station during construction.
Shuttle buses will substitute for train service between 49th and 30th Street stations. Buses will board from 49th Street on Chester Avenue and from 30th Street Station on JFK Boulevard. (Again, buses will face toward 32nd Street.)
There will be additional Regional Rail service between University City and 30th Street during construction.
The Wilmington/Newark Line
Train service will also run between Newark and 30th Street Station on a special timetable.
All trains will arrive and depart 30th Street Station from the lower level platform at Amtrak’s main terminal. There will be no service to or from Suburban, Jefferson or Temple University stations along the Wilmingtown/Newark line, but you can board any other Regional Rail train toward Suburban Station (or use the MFL or trolleys) to get to and beyond Center City.
Other Regional Rail Changes
Eight other Regional Rail lines will experience relatively minor service adjustments during the construction period. You can find changes to the following lines here:
- Chestnut Hill East
- Fox Chase
- Glenside Combined
- Lansdale/Doylestown
- Manayunk/Norristown
- Paoli/Thorndale
- Warminster
- West Trenton
A Handy Map
If you’re having trouble wrapping your head around all the small(ish) service changes, you might want to check out this map. And, as always, for more information on SEPTA services, visit the organization’s website.
