WEST CHESTER, Pa. — A third county has approved formation of a new agency to lead efforts to restore rail passenger service between Reading, Pa., and Philadelphia, making official the organization’s creation.
WFMZ-TV reports commissioners in Chester County unanimously approved a resolution on Wednesday to form the Schuylkill River Passenger Rail Authority, following similar approvals by Berks and Montgomery counties [see “Two counties back agency …,” Trains News Wire, April 22, 2022]. Each county will have three members on the nine-member board for the authority, which will pursue grant funding and work with Amtrak to develop the service
Amtrak has included the Philadelphia-Reading route on its “Connects US” map of proposals for new state-supported corridor service.
Board member Jim Gerlach, CEO of the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance, said the board will “undertake the exploration in a very serious way if this can become a reality.” The authority’s first meeting could come as soon as June.
Given the proposal to have the Commonwealth take control over the Harrisburg-Pittsburg corridor, increase frequencies, and have SEPTA operate, it only makes operational and financial sense to keep all Commonwealth passenger services under one roof/management group.
Run Thru/connecting schedules must be embraced; Amtrak prevented from breaking the continuity and inhibiting the growth opportunity.
First, there is currently NO bus service between Philadelphia and Reading. You can put together a connection via Easton and Wescosville PA (near Allentown) using two intercity busses and a local LANTA bus. Elapsed town is over 7 hours, from 6.30 AM to 1.17 PM or 11.25 AM to 11.02 PM. Service is not daily.
In 1964, Reading 91 left Reading Terminal at 7.30 AM weekdays, arrived Reading (Franklin St.) 8.51 AM with RDC equipment. There were 7 trains to Reading on weekdays, 6 on Saturdays and 4 on Sundays.
I notice the new Rail Authority does not include Philadelphia County, so trains will run from Norristown to Reading, instead of Philadelphia. SEPTA train 3208 leaves 30th St. Upper Level 7.38 AM, arrives Norristown Transportation Center 8.26 AM. The bus would have to leave after that. To match the 1964 train time, the bus would have 33 minutes to go the 40.9 rail miles to Franklin St. including 5 local stops. The local stops were important sources of traffic for RDG trains.
Perhaps RBMN can run the train. There are wyes in both Norristown and Reading that can handle a T-1.
David Klepper: “More logic to have it run by SEPTA than Amtrak in my opinion.”
John Laszek: Might BARTA (Berks County’s public transit agency) be expected to chip in under that arrangement? Maybe even PART (Pottstown’s transit agency), since the trains would stop in Pottstown?
I rode quite a bit of SEPTA regional rail (for Center City shopping, Olde City sightseeing, and BSL and MFL recreational riding) when I was growing up in Delco (I live outside the Philly area now). Even one time rode the ex-Red Arrow bus to Darby and a transfer to the Route 11 subway surface downtown.
I showed my age when I mentioned Red Arrow in the previous ‘graph. Now I’ll show more of my age 🙂 as I bring this back towards the topic. As a freshman at then-Kutztown State College, I came home riding diesel-pulled SEPTA from Franklin St. to RDG Terminal, lugged three pieces of baggage 5 blocks to Suburban (the CCCC was under construction), then rode the Media/West Chester line to Media and a car lift home. It was my only time using Reading Terminal (RIP) in its original function, and my only ride to date on SEPTA RR’s ex-RDG side (except on Retired Railfan’s YT channel).
It’s the nostalgia factor that drives me to hope that someday it will be possible to once again “take a ride on the Reading” to… Reading.
More logic to have it run by SEPTA than Amtrak in my opinion.
Yep, but think it one more example of locals lining up in pursuit of infrastructure dollars for a limited Amtrak “Connect” service. Unfortunately the more I read of these projects the only conclusion is Amtrak created a political driven map in Connect instead of what would grow frequency, maximize trainset utilization and drive ridership gains. As you can’t help think that driving investment to increase frequency and times on existing service to Harrisburg onto Pittsburgh and points east would give PA and taxpayers a much better bang for the buck. Where as Reading as well as SEPTA would benefit from a more robust and frequent regional commuter service.