SEPTA adds more rail trips to Delaware stations

SEPTA is extending more commuter rail trips to Delaware, starting Monday.

The new train schedule closes a two-hour gap between trains leaving Center City, Philadelphia, and running to Delaware stations after 7:45 p.m. on weekday evenings.

Commuters will also have a new inbound option with Train No. 274 leaving Newark at 9:15 p.m. Previously, it had run from Marcus Hook.

A new afternoon express train will depart Center City shortly after 3 p.m., serving all four stations in Delaware, in addition to Chester and Marcus Hook. A local train leaving Philly at 3:21 p.m. will also terminate in Wilmington, rather than Marcus Hook.

The increase in trips in part resulted from suggestions made by Delaware commuters in a petition, SEPTA spokesman Andrew Busch said.

"When someone has a good suggestion – as long as it's doable on the financial end and will reach the ridership expectations – we're open to making it happen," Busch said.

To date, more than 1,730 people have signed the petition, which was started in July by graduate student David Curtis of Wilmington, urging Delaware to pay to run more SEPTA trains to Wilmington.

"It is simple for transit agencies to accurately assess demand for trains that already run, but it's much harder to gauge demand for trains that don't run. That is why the petition was helpful," Curtis said.

He is keeping the petition going, advocating for an upgrade to hourly train service by July 2015, he said.

Trains only run to Wilmington every two hours off-peak. On weekends, the last train to Wilmington leaves Center City around 7:30 p.m. At least 10 trains a day on the Wilmington/Newark line terminate in Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania, then reverse to Philly.

The Delaware Transit Corp., a division of DelDOT, would likely need $2 million more a year to fund hourly trains to Wilmington, Curtis said.

DelDOT has it's own budget woes, and transit officials have said ridership doesn't justify the expense of running additional trains to Delaware stations. However, ridership is growing incrementally each year.

In Delaware, transit officials are trying to plug some of the gaps between trains by running additional buses between Newark and Wilmington, connecting stops along the SEPTA Wilmington/Newark line, said Julie Theryl, a spokeswoman for the agency.

It's "less expensive than extending a train," Theryl said by email. "We feel that there is increasing demand to take the trains to Fairplay (JP Morgan Chase) and Newark."

Starting Monday, the Route 59 bus will make two northbound, afternoon trips, departing Newark at 2 and 9:15 p.m. and stopping at Churchmans Crossing before arriving at Wilmington Station in time for the north SEPTA trains departing at 2:45 and 9:58 p.m., respectively.

The bus will also make two return runs to serve commuters arriving on the SEPTA trains terminating at Wilmington at 2:28 and 9:38 p.m. The bus will depart Wilmington Station at 2:40 and 9:45 p.m., then make stops at Churchmans Crossing and Newark.

DART has also considered expanding service, including more weekend trips, in conjunction with plans to expand the train station in Newark. Planning for that project, however, is more than a year behind schedule.

Contact Melissa Nann Burke at (302) 324-2329, mburke@delawareonline.com or on Twitter @nannburke.

SEPTA REGIONAL RAIL CHANGES

The following changes go into effect Dec. 15:

•Weekday outbound Train No. 273, which departs Jefferson Station at 8:29 p.m., will now serve Wilmington Station.

•Weekday inbound train No. 74 traveling inbound towards Center City will now originate from Newark, instead of Marcus Hook. Train No. 274 will depart from Newark Station at 9:15 p.m.

•A new, afternoon-express service has been added: Train No. 7239 will depart Jefferson Station at 3:05 p.m. and serve Suburban Station, 30th Street, University City, Chester, Marcus Hook, Claymont, Wilmington, Churchmans Crossing and Newark stations.

•Weekday outbound train No. 7241, which departs Temple University Station at 3:03 p.m., will operate local service to Wilmington.

BUS SERVICE CONNECTING RAIL STATIONS

DART First State is operating an additional bus service, Route 59, between Newark and Wilmington, connecting stops along the SEPTA Wilmington/Newark line:

Bus departs Newark Churchmans Crossing Wilmington NB train departs 2 p.m. 2:15 p.m. 2:35 p.m. 2:45 p.m. 9:15 p.m. 9:30 p.m. 9:45 p.m. 9:58 p.m.

SB train arrives Bus departs Wilmington Churchmans Crossing Newark 2:28 p.m. 2:40 p.m. 2:55 p.m. 3:10 p.m. 9:38 p.m. 9:45 p.m. 10 p.m. 10:15 p.m.

Source: DART First State