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SEPTA may acquire double deck commuter cars
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It’s a great problem to have to solve!
They ought to see if they can have EMU doubledeckers.
What some of you don’t understand is that Philly’s SEPTA is much like New York’s MTA. Both are primarily Subway/Bus operating authorities forced to be in charge of railroad services in each state who don’t understand how to operate railroads as a RAILROAD, so they barely adhere to FRA standards while trying to run their Commuter operations as if they were the same as the rapid transit Subway facilities.
THe major problem here in the northeast is the lines are all built to 1800s standards, and there are few locations where commuter trains run that can handle such equipment.
I’m wondering, will these cars be only used during the rush hours? I’ve only seen one or two car trains during the non rush hours. However, I can see them being used for sporting events or concerts. I hope that SEPTA can find the money to make the adjustments for overpasses and clearances.
Most commuter/regional rail systems world wide use double decker equipment to increase capacity for existing platform lengths. Swiss Inter City and French TGV have been introducing bi-level equipment for many years. Oh wow! SEPTA has discovered this phenomena!
Nice turnaround. SEPTA was preparing to cut service but PA’s recent transportation funding legislation will help head things in the other direction now. We’ll see what happens with fares, too.
Wow! This is a far cry from what SEPTA was planing on doing several years ago; cutting service on what was then R5, and getting rid of the R8 Chestunut Hill West line as they saw it was redundant since the R7 Chestnut Hill East line runs close to it. I believe they have been threating that for years but, I’m glad ridership is up, this means more job security for RR employees. Finally SEPTA has stepped into the light!
Wow! This is a far cry from what SEPTA was planing on doing several years ago; cutting service on what was then R5, and getting rid of the R8 Chestunut Hill West line as they saw it was redundant since the R7 Chestnut Hill East line runs close to it. I believe they have been threating that for years but, I’m glad ridership is up, this means more job security for RR employees. Finally SE
FWIW, I know these lines were built a while go, but so far as I’m aware they all conform to the original passenger rail loading gauge, allowing trains up to 14.5’ high and over 10’ wide.
While that’s a squeeze compared to some other areas of the country, NJT has no problems obtaining and running double decker trains. It even runs them through the tunnel to Penn Station NYC, overhead wires and all.
So I’m having difficulty believing there’ll be even the slightest problem getting trains for SEPTA’s lines, unless something bizarre is going on, and these were built to, say, the subway’s loading gauge or something strange like that.
This is a good idea : double deck cars increase available places. In France we face the same aspects with TGV trains. TGV -Duplex are more and more common throughout french network : as they can run in Multiple Unit (MU) they are a solution for short Platform especially in Western FRANCE;
wth their increased capacity, the company can save money on available slots (for example 6500 E between Paris and Bordeaux). That’s why SNCF order only double deck TGV such as Duplex or Euroduplex that run between France, Germany, Switzerland and Spain.