SEPTA announced on Thursday it is reducing on Regional Rail services beginning Sunday amid drop offs in use of the transportation services
SEPTA will reduce Regional Rail to an “Essential Service Schedule” beginning this Sunday (March 29). The move follows previous Regional Rail schedule adjustments implemented last week aimed at providing essential service during the COVID-19 pandemic a spokesperson said. Service on Transit modes, including buses, subways and trolleys, will continue to operate on reduced Saturday schedules, SEPTA said ever mindful of reminding the public about service reductions.
“Based on sharp ridership reductions of 94 percent on Regional Rail this week, the Essential Service Schedule will allow SEPTA to continue to provide service for those who need to travel. It also allows SEPTA to follow stepped-up cleaning protocols aimed at providing a safe and healthy environment for customers and employees,” SEPTA officials said.
Regional Rail has been operating on a Saturday schedule for the last two weeks, and Transit services including subways, buses and trolleys moved to a similar level of service this past week. Ridership is down significantly on all modes, however, the losses on Regional Rail have been larger than Transit. Transit ridership is down over 70 percent this week, making the decision to reduce schedules easier, officials said.
SEPTA will continue to closely monitor all services to try to ensure that there is enough space on-board vehicles for customers to practice social distancing.
“We are pleading with our customers – if you don’t have to ride, please don’t,” said SEPTA General Manager Leslie S. Richards. “We need to reserve space on our buses, trains and trolleys for those who need to get to essential jobs, or access life-sustaining services.”
Regional Rail schedules effective on Sunday are posted on SEPTA’s website.
Here is a summary of the changes:
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- Service on most lines will run every two hours
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- Airport Line service will run every hour
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- Twelve of the 13 Regional Rail lines will operate seven days a week; Cynwyd Line service will operate Monday through Friday
For customers who need to travel during this crisis, SEPTA has added an interactive Essential Services Map to its website. This interactive tool maps the locations of hospitals, grocery stores and other essential services, and shows the SEPTA services that connect to them. The map is available here.
During the COVID-19 crisis, SEPTA will streamline its social media communications on Twitter through the @SEPTAPHILLY account. Please follow and look for ongoing updates.
In addition, SEPTA will continue to post the latest information on its website, and in announcements to the local news media.
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