Swampoodle Connection
Encyclopedia
The Swampoodle Connection was a proposed connection of the present-day Chestnut Hill West Line
with the Manayunk/Norristown Line
in the Swampoodle neighborhood in Philadelphia
. This connection, proposed by SEPTA in 1983 after taking over commuter rail operations from Conrail (which absorbed, in 1976, the commuter rail operations of the bankrupt Penn Central and Reading Railroads), would have allowed SEPTA trains from the Chestnut Hill West line, a former Penn Central route, to enter the Center City Commuter Connection
on the ex-Reading side of the Regional Rail System without having to use Amtrak
's Northeast Corridor
between 30th Street Station
and North Philadelphia Station
, which routinely delayed Chestnut Hill West and Trenton Line trains due to the need to facilitate the movement of Amtrak services to New York City
.
The location of the connection, where the Manayunk/Norristown Line and Chestnut Hill West Line parallel each other for a short five-block area, would have allowed SEPTA to through-route the rerouted Chestnut Hill West trains to West Chester
on the present-day Media/Elwyn Line
, while at the same time, through-routing the Fox Chase/Newtown Line
onto a new R4 Bryn Mawr
local service and allowing SEPTA to run existing Paoli service in express between 30th Street Station and Bryn Mawr and local between Bryn Mawr and Paoli
. The Airport Line, which was under construction at the time of the proposal, would have run north on the present-day West Trenton Line (which at the time was the R1-West Trenton), while the remaining SEPTA service would have remained unaffected.
Like most SEPTA service upgrade plans, the Swampoodle Connection was dropped due to both a lack of funds (most of it were redirected to its RailWorks Project on the Reading Viaduct
in the mid-1990s), the crippling railroad workers strike in 1983, and from neighborhood opposition.
SEPTA currently has no plans of resurrecting the project, although a continued ridership increase on the Chestnut Hill West Line may have an impact on the future in the need to build the Swampoodle Connection with the Manayunk/Norristown line if such a project is warranted in the future.
Chestnut Hill West Line
The Chestnut Hill West Line , is a route of the SEPTA Regional Rail system. The route serves the northwestern section of Philadelphia with service to Germantown, Mount Airy, and Chestnut Hill...
with the Manayunk/Norristown Line
Manayunk/Norristown Line
The Manayunk/Norristown Line is a SEPTA Regional Rail line running from Center City Philadelphia to the Elm Street station in Norristown, Montgomery County.-Route:...
in the Swampoodle neighborhood in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. This connection, proposed by SEPTA in 1983 after taking over commuter rail operations from Conrail (which absorbed, in 1976, the commuter rail operations of the bankrupt Penn Central and Reading Railroads), would have allowed SEPTA trains from the Chestnut Hill West line, a former Penn Central route, to enter the Center City Commuter Connection
Center City Commuter Connection
The Center City Commuter Connection, commonly referred to as "the commuter tunnel", is a passenger railroad tunnel in Center City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, built to connect the stub ends of the two separate regional commuter rail systems, originally operated by two rival railroad...
on the ex-Reading side of the Regional Rail System without having to use Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
's Northeast Corridor
Northeast Corridor
The Northeast Corridor is a fully electrified railway line owned primarily by Amtrak serving the Northeast megalopolis of the United States from Boston in the north, via New York to Washington, D.C. in the south, with branches serving other cities...
between 30th Street Station
30th Street Station
30th Street Station is the main railroad station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and one of the five stations in SEPTA's Center City fare zone. It is also a major stop on Amtrak's Northeast and Keystone Corridors...
and North Philadelphia Station
North Philadelphia (SEPTA Regional Rail station)
North Philadelphia, formerly Germantown Junction Station, is a railroad station on the Northeast Corridor in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It is an above-ground station at 2900 North Broad Street in the city's North Philadelphia section...
, which routinely delayed Chestnut Hill West and Trenton Line trains due to the need to facilitate the movement of Amtrak services to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
The location of the connection, where the Manayunk/Norristown Line and Chestnut Hill West Line parallel each other for a short five-block area, would have allowed SEPTA to through-route the rerouted Chestnut Hill West trains to West Chester
West Chester, Pennsylvania
The Borough of West Chester is the county seat of Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 18,461 at the 2010 census.Valley Forge, the Brandywine Battlefield, Longwood Gardens, Marsh Creek State Park, and other historical attractions are near West Chester...
on the present-day Media/Elwyn Line
Media/Elwyn Line
The Media/Elwyn Line is a SEPTA Regional Rail line running from Center City Philadelphia west to Elwyn in Delaware County.Originally known as the Media/West Chester Branch, service was truncated on September 19, 1986 from West Chester to its current terminus at Elwyn. Service expansion beyond Elwyn...
, while at the same time, through-routing the Fox Chase/Newtown Line
Fox Chase Line
The Fox Chase Line is a route of the SEPTA Regional Rail system.Originally known as the Fox Chase/Newtown Branch, service was truncated in January 1983 from Newtown to its current terminus in Philadelphia at Fox Chase due to unreliable train equipment and low ridership...
onto a new R4 Bryn Mawr
Paoli/Thorndale Line
The Paoli/Thorndale Line is a SEPTA Regional Rail line running from Center City Philadelphia to Thorndale in Chester County.-Route:This branch utilizes one of the oldest sections of what is now Amtrak's Keystone Corridor, an electrified 104-mile two to four-track high-speed route between Harrisburg...
local service and allowing SEPTA to run existing Paoli service in express between 30th Street Station and Bryn Mawr and local between Bryn Mawr and Paoli
Paoli, Pennsylvania
Paoli is a census-designated place in Chester County near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It is situated in portions of two townships: Tredyffrin and Willistown...
. The Airport Line, which was under construction at the time of the proposal, would have run north on the present-day West Trenton Line (which at the time was the R1-West Trenton), while the remaining SEPTA service would have remained unaffected.
Like most SEPTA service upgrade plans, the Swampoodle Connection was dropped due to both a lack of funds (most of it were redirected to its RailWorks Project on the Reading Viaduct
Reading Viaduct
The Reading Viaduct is the common name for an abandoned railroad viaduct in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, formerly owned by the Philadelphia and Reading Railway...
in the mid-1990s), the crippling railroad workers strike in 1983, and from neighborhood opposition.
SEPTA currently has no plans of resurrecting the project, although a continued ridership increase on the Chestnut Hill West Line may have an impact on the future in the need to build the Swampoodle Connection with the Manayunk/Norristown line if such a project is warranted in the future.