New Regional Rail schedules will improve performance during rush hour in Philadelphia area, SEPTA says
About 73,000 passengers around the Philadelphia area ride SEPTA Regional Rail every weekday. Many of them are adjusting to schedule changes that went into effect this weekend.
Some lines, like the Airport Line, didn't have any time adjustments, but others did, including the Media/Wawa line.
SEPTA said it regularly adjusts its Regional Rail schedule, but some of the changes were specifically designed to improve on-time performance. For example, the transit agency has added 31 assistant train conductors to peak trains so passengers can board faster.
"If there are more conductors, it's easy because they open all the doors," passenger Vaidyanathan Mathrubootham from Glen Mills said. "Sometimes they don't open all the doors."
SEPTA adjusted train schedules on 20% of its service to reduce the likelihood that delays will spread. It also increased the time between SEPTA and Amtrak trains to reduce the impact of Amtrak delays on the Paoli-Thorndale line.
SEPTA is using the newest vehicles in its fleet during peak service and deploying maintenance crews strategically to get service restored in the event of a disruption.
"I think it's important because we rely on these to get to work every day and on time, and as of recently, you know, a lot of trains are late, so I think it will be helpful with that because we gotta get to work on time," Paul Barth, from Willow Grove, said.
SEPTA said travelers should check individual schedules for details because train times may not change at all stations on the affected lines.
SEPTA recently changed the names of some bus lines and city train lines in an effort to make the system easier to navigate as well.
