Chestnut Hill West Line

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, as well as West Mount Airy and Germantown, to Center City.

Chestnut Hill West Line
A Penn Central Silverliner at Chestnut Hill West station in May 1974.
Overview
Type	Commuter rail
System	SEPTA Regional Rail
Status	Suspended[1]
Termini	Chestnut Hill West Temple University
Stations	10
Daily ridership	4,968 (FY 2018)[2]
Website	septa.org
Operation
Operator(s)	SEPTA
Rolling stock	Electric Multiple Units
Technical
Track gauge	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Electrification	Catenary
Operating speed	50 mph (Chestnut Hill West to North Philadelphia) 70 mph (North Philadelphia to Zoo Interlocking)
Route map 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 Allen Lane 9.0 mi 14.5 km Carpenter 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 NEC & TRE to Trenton & Boston 0.9 mi 1.4 km 30th Street MFL 0 mi 0 km Suburban BSL MFL 0.5 mi 0.8 km Jefferson MFL 2.1 mi 3.4 km Temple University

Since April 9, 2020, the line has been suspended indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic,[1] though North Philadelphia station is still being served by other rail services.[3]

Route description

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

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. Electrified service began on March 30, 1918.[4] The Penn Central operated it until 1976, turning operations over to Conrail until 1983, when SEPTA took over.

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.[5] Plans had called for the line to be paired with West Chester/Elwyn Line and designated R3, but this depended on a never-built connection from the Chestnut Hill West Line to the ex-Reading near Wayne Junction.[6] As of 2018, most Chestnut Hill West Line trains continue through Center City to the Fox Chase Line.[7]

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.[8]

SEPTA activated positive train control on the Chestnut Hill West Line on August 22, 2016.[9]

Stations

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.

Zone[10]	Location	Station	Miles (km) from Center City	Date opened	Connections / notes
C	Mantua, Philadelphia	Zoological Garden	1.9 miles (3.1 km)	1874	Closed November 24, 1901[11]
	Brewerytown, Philadelphia	Engleside	2.8 (4.5)		Closed April 5, 1903[12]
	Strawberry Mansion, Philadelphia	Ridge Avenue	3.2 (5.1)		Closed April 5, 1903.[12]
		22nd Street	3.9 miles (6.3 km)
1	Glenwood, Philadelphia	North Philadelphia	4.5 (7.2)		Amtrak: Keystone Service, Northeast Regional SEPTA Regional Rail: Trenton Line SEPTA City Transit: Broad Street Line SEPTA City Bus: 4, 16
	Nicetown–Tioga, Philadelphia	Westmoreland	5.5 (8.9)		Closed October 29, 1994[13]
	Germantown, Philadelphia	Queen Lane	6.8 (10.9)		SEPTA City Bus: K
		Chelten Avenue	7.4 (11.9)	June 11, 1884[14]	SEPTA City Bus: 26, J
2		Tulpehocken	7.9 (12.7)	June 11, 1884[14]	SEPTA City Bus: 53, 65
	Mount Airy, Philadelphia	Upsal	8.4 (13.5)		SEPTA City Bus: H
		Carpenter	9.0 (14.5)	June 11, 1884[14]
		Allen Lane	9.4 (15.1)
	Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia	St. Martins	10.2 (16.4)
		Highland	10.7 (17.2)	June 11, 1884[14]
		Chestnut Hill West	11.3 (18.2)	June 11, 1884[14]	SEPTA City Bus: 23, 77, L SEPTA Suburban Bus: 94, 97

Ridership

Yearly ridership on the Chestnut Hill West Line between FY 2008–FY 2018 has remained steady around 1.5–1.6 million:[note 1]

500,000

1,000,000

1,500,000

2,000,000

FY 2008

FY 2009

FY 2010

FY 2011

FY 2012

FY 2013

FY 2014

FY 2015

FY 2016

FY 2017

FY 2018

Notes

1. Annual ridership statistics compiled from SEPTA's Annual Service Plans.[2][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24]

References

1. "Service Information". SEPTA. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
2. "Fiscal Year 2020 Annual Service Plan" (PDF). SEPTA. June 2019. p. 42. Retrieved December 14, 2019.
3. "SEPTA Regional Rail & Rail Transit Lifeline Service" (PDF). SEPTA. 2020. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
4. 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.
5. Lustig, David (November 2010). "SEPTA makeover". Trains Magazine. Kalmbach Publishing: 26.
6. Vuchic, Vukan; Kikuchi, Shinya (1984). General Operations Plan for the SEPTA Regional High Speed System. Philadelphia: SEPTA. pp. 2–8.
7. "Chestnut Hill West Line schedule" (PDF). SEPTA. December 16, 2018. Retrieved December 24, 2018.
8. Hollman, Laurie (December 17, 1989). "A Bridge Is Rebuilt With Clout". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved August 13, 2016.
9. "Positive Train Control Update". SEPTA. May 1, 2017. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
10. "Trenton Line Timetable" (PDF). Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority. September 10, 2017. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
11. 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.
12. "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.
13. Rider, Phantom (October 26, 1994). "Eulogy for an R8 Station". The Philadelphia Daily News. p. 8. Retrieved November 4, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
14. "Steam Roads: Opening of Pennsylvania's New Branch Line". The Philadelphia Inquirer. June 11, 1884. p. 2. Retrieved November 10, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
15. "Fiscal Year 2019 Annual Service Plan" (PDF). SEPTA. June 2018. p. 74. Retrieved December 14, 2019.
16. "Fiscal Year 2018 Annual Service Plan" (PDF). SEPTA. June 2017. p. 44. Retrieved December 14, 2019.
17. "Fiscal Year 2017 Annual Service Plan" (PDF). SEPTA. October 2016. p. 70. Retrieved December 14, 2019.
18. "Fiscal Year 2016 Annual Service Plan" (PDF). SEPTA. June 2015. p. 94. Retrieved December 14, 2019.
19. "Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Service Plan" (PDF). SEPTA. May 2014. p. 60. Retrieved December 14, 2019.
20. "Fiscal Year 2014 Annual Service Plan" (PDF). SEPTA. May 2013. p. 44. Retrieved December 14, 2019.
21. "Fiscal Year 2013 Annual Service Plan" (PDF). SEPTA. May 2012. p. 55. Retrieved December 14, 2019.
22. "Fiscal Year 2012 Annual Service Plan" (PDF). SEPTA. July 2011. p. 94. Retrieved December 14, 2019.
23. "Fiscal Year 2011 Annual Service Plan" (PDF). SEPTA. June 2010. p. 70. Retrieved December 14, 2019.
24. "Fiscal Year 2010 Annual Service Plan" (PDF). SEPTA. June 2009. p. 63. Retrieved December 14, 2019.

External links

• "SEPTA – Chestnut Hill West line schedule" (PDF).