Cynwyd Line
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The Cynwyd Line is a
Track between Cynwyd and
Route
The Cynwyd Line runs from Suburban Station to the 52nd Street Junction, where it diverges from Amtrak's Philadelphia-to-Harrisburg line. It makes station stops at Wynnefield Avenue, Bala, and Cynwyd before stopping just short of the Schuylkill River.
History
The Cynwyd Line is the truncated remnant of the Pennsylvania Railroad's Schuylkill Branch, which ran from Philadelphia to Pottsville, Pennsylvania.[3] Electrified service was opened between Philadelphia and Norristown (Haws Avenue) on June 20, 1930. Plans for electrification beyond Norristown, to Phoenixville, were not carried out. Passenger service ended between Manayunk and Norristown on October 29, 1960 and the line beyond Manayunk was de-electrified, although the pylons remain.[citation needed]
In 1980 SEPTA extended service from Manayunk to a new park-and-ride station at Ivy Ridge.[citation needed][4]
Service beyond Cynwyd was suspended on May 27, 1986, because of poor track conditions[5] and concerns about the Manayunk Bridge over the Schuylkill River.[citation needed][6]
Between 1984–2010, the route was designated R6 Ivy Ridge (later R6 Cynwyd) as part of SEPTA's diametrical reorganization of its lines. Ivy Ridge Line trains operated through the city center to the Manayunk/Norristown Line on the ex-Reading side of the system.[7] The R-number naming system was dropped on July 25, 2010.[8]
In the late 1990s and up to 2003, SEPTA funded a study called the
Though there have been repeated calls to restore the "temporarily" discontinued service between Cynwyd and Ivy Ridge, SEPTA permanently dropped plans for restoration in 2008 when all trackage north of Cynwyd to Ivy Ridge was removed between 2008 and June 2010 to make way for the Cynwyd Heritage Trail[10] and Ivy Ridge Trail.[11]
On October 29, 2010, the Cynwyd Line was where the Silverliner V rail cars made their first run in revenue service,[12] and, on June 29, 2012, where the final Silverliner IIs and IIIs ran in revenue service before being fully retired.[citation needed][13]
SEPTA activated positive train control on the Cynwyd Line on November 21, 2016.[14]
On April 9, 2020, the line was suspended indefinitely due to a staff shortage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.[15] Limited service resumed on September 7, 2021.[16]
Following the
Stations
The Cynwyd Line includes the following stations north of 30th Street Station; stations indicated with gray background are closed.[20]
Zone | Location | Station | Connections / notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
C | Parkside, Philadelphia | 52nd Street | 4.0 (6.4) | Closed August 23, 1980[5] |
1 | Wynnefield, Philadelphia | Wynnefield Avenue | 4.9 (7.9) | 40
|
2 | Bala Cynwyd | Bala | 5.7 (9.2) | 65
|
Cynwyd | 6.1 (9.8) | |||
Barmouth | 6.8 (10.9) | Closed May 27, 1986[5] | ||
Manayunk, Philadelphia | Manayunk West | 7.8 (12.6) | Closed May 27, 1986[5] | |
Roxborough, Philadelphia | Ivy Ridge | 8.5 (13.7) | Closed May 27, 1986[5] |
Ridership
Between FY 2013–FY 2019, yearly ridership on the Cynwyd Line ranged from 120,000 to 180,000, peaking at 184,138 in FY 2014. Ridership collapsed during the COVID-19 pandemic.[note 1]
Notes
References
- ^ a b SEPTA Data Group. "Route Operating Statistics". Retrieved February 22, 2024.
- ^ "Ivy Ridge line closed, May 18, 1986 - Newspapers.com". Archived from the original on July 5, 2020.
- ^ "Eastern Region, Philadelphia Terminal Division, Schuylkill Branch Map Showing Switching Districts As Shown On General Notice No. 503 2-14-1950" (PDF). 1950. Retrieved August 14, 2016.
- ISBN 978-0-9621541-7-1.
- ^ a b c d e Baer, Christopher T. (April 2015). "A GENERAL CHRONOLOGY OF THE SUCCESSORS OF THE PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD COMPANY AND THEIR HISTORICAL CONTEXT: 1980-1989" (PDF). Pennsylvania Railroad Technical and Historical Society. Retrieved October 29, 2017.
- ^ "Starting the Second Life of a Manayunk Icon". July 16, 2014.
- Vuchic, Vukan; Kikuchi, Shinya (1984). General Operations Plan for the SEPTA Regional High Speed System. Philadelphia: SEPTA. pp. 2–8.
- ^ Lustig, David (November 2010). "SEPTA makeover". Trains Magazine. Kalmbach Publishing: 26.
- ^ "fta.dot.gov". Archived from the original on May 28, 2010. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
- ^ cynwydtrail.org/
- ^ "Ivy Ridge Green". Archived from the original on July 26, 2011. Retrieved October 21, 2010.
- ^ Geringer, Dan (October 30, 2010). "Mass appeal for SEPTA's new Silverliner V train". Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved November 1, 2010.
- ^ "SEPTA to scrap the last 'Silverliner II'". June 29, 2012.
- ^ "Positive Train Control Update". SEPTA. May 1, 2017. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
- ^ "Service Information". SEPTA. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
- ^ "Regional Rail Select Schedule Changes". SEPTA. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
- ^ "I-95 Philadelphia collapse: SEPTA adds, modifies lines and service to ease commuting troubles". Fox 29 Philadelphia. June 11, 2023.
- ^ "Until Further Notice: SEPTA Is Adding Extra Capacity And Service Due To I-95 Bridge Collapse". SEPTA. June 6, 2023. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
- ^ "Beginning Monday, June 26: SEPTA Is Adjusting Capacity And Service Due To I-95 Reopening". SEPTA. June 6, 2023. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority. January 7, 2024. Retrieved June 18, 2024.