The West Trenton Line is a SEPTA Regional Rail

SEPTA Regional Rail

The SEPTA Regional Rail system consists of commuter rail service on thirteen branches to over 150 active stations in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States and its suburbs. Service on most lines runs from 5:30 AM to midnight...

 line connecting Center City Philadelphia to West Trenton, New Jersey

West Trenton, New Jersey

West Trenton, New Jersey is a section of the Trenton suburb of Ewing Township, located just northwest of the capital's city limits.It is home to the New Jersey State Police Headquarters, Trenton-Mercer Airport, Trenton Country Club , New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Company, The Homasote Company,...

.

Route

The West Trenton Line connects Center City, Philadelphia

Center City, Philadelphia

Center City, or Downtown Philadelphia includes the central business district and central neighborhoods of the City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. As of 2005, its population of over 88,000 made it the third most populous downtown in the United States, after New York City's and Chicago's...

 with the West Trenton section of Ewing, New Jersey. Like all of the Reading Company

Reading Company

The Reading Company , usually called the Reading Railroad, officially the Philadelphia and Reading Rail Road and then the Philadelphia and Reading Railway until 1924, operated in southeast Pennsylvania and neighboring states...

's commuter lines, the West Trenton Line was electrified in the early 1930s and has a mix of at-grade and grade separated crossings. Electrified service to West Trenton was opened on July 26, 1931. The line splits from the SEPTA Main Line

SEPTA Main Line

The SEPTA Main Line is the section of the SEPTA Regional Rail system from the Zoo Interlocking in West Philadelphia to Lansdale Station in Lansdale, Pennsylvania...

 at Jenkintown

Jenkintown, Pennsylvania

Jenkintown is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, about 10 miles north of downtown Philadelphia. "Jenkintown" is also used to describe a number of neighborhoods surrounding the borough, which also are known by names such as Rydal, Jenkintown Manor and Noble...

, running northeast. At Bethayres

Bethayres, Pennsylvania

Bethayres is an unincorporated community in Lower Moreland Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is named for Elizabeth Ayres, who lived at 2410 Huntingdon Pike, in a house now owned by Huntingdon Valley Presbyterian Church...

, it crosses over the remnants of the former Philadelphia, Newtown and New York Railroad

Philadelphia, Newtown and New York Railroad

The Philadelphia, Newtown and New York Railroad was a railroad in southeastern Pennsylvania that is now a part of the SEPTA commuter rail system...

, which once connected with the Fox Chase 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...

. At Oakford

Oakford, Pennsylvania

Oakford is a neighborhood within the boundaries of both Bensalem Township and Lower Southampton Township. It is located in the northwestern section of Bensalem Township and in the south central section of Lower Southampton Township. The zip code is 19053....

, the former New York Short Line Railroad, once part of the Reading's main line to West Trenton and Jersey City, merges. The West Trenton Railroad Bridge

West Trenton Railroad Bridge

The West Trenton Railroad Bridge is a concrete arch bridge carrying the CSX and SEPTA West Trenton rail lines across the Delaware River between Yardley, Pennsylvania and Ewing Township, New Jersey. It was originally designed by the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad and was constructed from 1911 -...

, a concrete arch bridge

Arch bridge

An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either side...

, crosses the Delaware River

Delaware River

The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...

 to the final stop at West Trenton.
Prior to 1983, the line continued north to Newark, New Jersey

Newark, New Jersey

Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...

 (Jersey City

Jersey City, New Jersey

Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...

 prior to the Aldene Plan of the 1960's), using Budd Company

Budd Company

The Budd Company is a metal fabricator and major supplier of body components to the automobile industry, and was formerly a manufacturer of stainless steel passenger rail cars during the 20th century....

-built Diesel multiple unit

Diesel multiple unit

A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...

s, but was dropped in 1983. Currently, New Jersey Transit

New Jersey Transit

The New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the United States state of New Jersey, and New York, Orange, and Rockland counties in New York State...

 is looking at starting a commuter service between West Trenton and Newark, allowing an alternative to the SEPTA and NJ Transit service on the nearby 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...

 line, as well as expanding rail service to currently unserved areas of Central New Jersey.

The line north of the split at Jenkintown was originally built as the National Railway

National Railway

The National Railway or National Air Line Railroad was a planned railroad between New York City and Washington, D.C. in the United States around 1870...

 project, opened on May 1, 1876, to provide an alternate to the United New Jersey Railroad and Canal Companies' monopoly

Monopoly

A monopoly exists when a specific person or enterprise is the only supplier of a particular commodity...

 over Philadelphia-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...

 travel. From Jenkintown to the Delaware River it was built by the North Pennsylvania Railroad

North Pennsylvania Railroad

North Pennsylvania Railroad was a railroad company formed in 1855, and served Philadelphia, Montgomery County, Bucks County and Northampton County, Pennsylvania.-History:...

 as a branch, while the New Jersey

New Jersey

New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

 section was built by the Delaware and Bound Brook Railroad, merging with the Central Railroad of New Jersey

Central Railroad of New Jersey

The Central Railroad of New Jersey , commonly known as the Jersey Central Lines or CNJ, was a Class I railroad with origins in the 1830s, lasting until 1976 when it was absorbed into Conrail with the other bankrupt railroads of the Northeastern United States...

 at Bound Brook

Bound Brook, New Jersey

Bound Brook is a borough in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. At the United States 2010 Census, the population was 10,402.Bound Brook was originally incorporated as a town by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 24, 1869, within portions of Bridgewater Township...

. In addition to the Reading Company, which leased the North Pennsylvania Railroad in 1879, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad

Baltimore and Ohio Railroad

The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was one of the oldest railroads in the United States and the first common carrier railroad. It came into being mostly because the city of Baltimore wanted to compete with the newly constructed Erie Canal and another canal being proposed by Pennsylvania, which...

 also used the line for passenger and freight service to New York City, including its famed Royal Blue service. In 1976 the Reading merged into Conrail, and in 1983 SEPTA took over operations.

North of Neshaminy, track operations are controlled using CSX radio frequencies.

Currently, most weekday West Trenton trains continue through downtown to Media/Elwyn, while almost all weekend trains are paired with Airport Line service.

Name change

On July 25, 2010 SEPTA renamed the service from the R3 West Trenton to simply the West Trenton Line as part of system-wide service change that drops the R-number naming and makes the Center City stations the terminus for all lines. This also ended the combined R3 West Trenton/R3 Elwyn service.

Station list

All stations have low level platforms unless otherwise noted. Boldface indicates a major station.

Zone	Milepost	Station	Boardings	City/Township	County	Notes
C	2.1	Temple University Temple University (SEPTA station) Temple University station is an above-ground SEPTA Regional Rail station located at the eastern edge of the Temple University campus at 915 West Berks Street between 9th and 10th Streets, in North Philadelphia.-Station:...	3122	Philadelphia		boardings include all lines
	2.9	North Broad North Broad (SEPTA station) North Broad is a SEPTA Regional Rail station located at 2601 North Broad Street south of Lehigh Avenue along the SEPTA Main Line. Unlike most stations, such as Wayne Junction, only the Lansdale/Doylestown Line and Manayunk/Norristown Line serve this station, while most trains pass by the station...	176			boardings include Lansdale/Doylestown Line Lansdale/Doylestown Line The Lansdale/Doylestown Line is a SEPTA Regional Rail line connecting Center City Philadelphia to Doylestown in Bucks County.-Route:The Lansdale-Doylestown segment of the R5 line utilizes what is known as the "SEPTA Main Line", a four-track line that has been owned by SEPTA since 1983...  and 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:...
1	5.1	Wayne Junction Wayne Junction (SEPTA station) Wayne Junction is a SEPTA Regional Rail station located at 4481 Wayne Avenue, extending along Windrim Avenue to Germantown Avenue, bordering the Nicetown and Germantown neighborhoods of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-Station:...	628			boardings include Warminster Line Warminster Line The Warminster Line is a route of the SEPTA Regional Rail commuter rail. It serves stations between its namesake town, Warminster, and Center City, Philadelphia... , Lansdale/Doylestown Line, Chestnut Hill East Line Chestnut Hill East Line The Chestnut Hill East 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... , and Fox Chase 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...
	7.3	Fern Rock TC	758			boardings include Warminster Line and Lansdale/Doylestown Line
2	8.4	Melrose Park Melrose Park (SEPTA station) Melrose Park station is a SEPTA Regional Rail station located along the SEPTA Main Line operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority...	443	Cheltenham Township Cheltenham Township, Pennsylvania Cheltenham Township is a home rule municipality in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. Although it retains the word "Township" in its official name, it has been governed by a home rule charter since 1977 and is therefore not subject to the Pennsylvania Township Code. The population was...	Montgomery Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Montgomery County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010, the population was 799,874, making it the third most populous county in Pennsylvania . The county seat is Norristown.The county was created on September 10, 1784, out of land originally part...	boardings include Warminster Line and Lansdale/Doylestown Line
	9.2	Elkins Park Elkins Park (SEPTA station) Elkins Park is a SEPTA Regional Rail located in the Elkins Park neighborhood of Cheltenham Township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, and is along the SEPTA Main Line. The station building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its notable architecture. The station is located...	565			boardings include Warminster Line and Lansdale/Doylestown Line
3	10.8	Jenkintown-Wyncote Jenkintown-Wyncote (SEPTA station) Jenkintown–Wyncote is a SEPTA Regional Rail station along the SEPTA Main Line. It is located at the intersection of Greenwood Avenue and West Avenue in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania.-Station:...	1776	Jenkintown Jenkintown, Pennsylvania Jenkintown is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, about 10 miles north of downtown Philadelphia. "Jenkintown" is also used to describe a number of neighborhoods surrounding the borough, which also are known by names such as Rydal, Jenkintown Manor and Noble...		boardings include Warminster Line and Lansdale/Doylestown Line; Aerial photo
	12.0	Noble Noble (SEPTA station) Noble is a station along the SEPTA West Trenton Line to Ewing, New Jersey. It is located at Old York Road & Rodman Avenue in Abington, Pennsylvania...	232	Abington Township Abington Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Abington Township is a township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 55,310 in as of the 2010 census.Abington Township is one of Montgomery County's oldest communities dating back to before 1700 and being incorporated in 1704. It is home to some of the county's...
	12.8	Rydal Rydal (SEPTA station) Rydal is a station along the SEPTA West Trenton Line to Ewing, New Jersey. It is located at Susquehanna Road and Old Valley Road in the Rydal neighborhood of Abington Township, Pennsylvania. The station has off-street parking and now houses a post office...	107
	13.8	Meadowbrook Meadowbrook (SEPTA station) Meadowbrook is a station along the SEPTA West Trenton Line to Ewing, New Jersey. It is located at Mill Road & Lindsay Lane in Abington, Pennsylvania. The station has off-street parking. The station building was destroyed by a fire in April 1995 and was replaced by the bus shelter type of facility...	130
	15.1	Bethayres Bethayres (SEPTA station) Bethayres is a station along the SEPTA West Trenton Line to Ewing, New Jersey. It is located at Station Avenue and Old Welsh Road in Lower Moreland Township, Pennsylvania. The station has off-street parking and a ticket office. There is also a handicapped-accessible platform...	636	Lower Moreland Township Lower Moreland Township, Pennsylvania Lower Moreland Township is a township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 12,982 at the 2010 census.-History:...
	16.4	Philmont Philmont (SEPTA station) Philmont is a station along the SEPTA West Trenton Line to Ewing, New Jersey. It is located at Tomlinson Road & Philmont Avenue in Lower Moreland Township, Pennsylvania. The station has off-street parking and a ticket office. Philmont Station was built in 1913 by the Reading Railroad.-External...	653
	17.7	Forest Hills Forest Hills (SEPTA station) Forest Hills is a station along the SEPTA West Trenton Line to Ewing, New Jersey. It is located on Byberry Road near Philmont Avenue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The station has off-street parking and a handicapped-accessible platform.-External links:**...	420	Philadelphia
	18.2	Somerton Somerton (SEPTA station) Somerton is a station along the SEPTA West Trenton Line to Ewing, New Jersey. It is located at Bustleton and Philmont Avenues in the Somerton neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The station has off-street parking and a ticket office. There is also a handicapped-accessible platform.-External...	867
4	19.9	Trevose Trevose (SEPTA station) Trevose is a station along the SEPTA West Trenton Line to Ewing, New Jersey. It is located at Ridge and Boundbrook Avenues in Bensalem Township, Pennsylvania...	275	Bensalem Township Bensalem Township, Pennsylvania Bensalem Township is a township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States which borders the northeast section of Philadelphia. The township is composed of many communities, including Bensalem, Trevose, Oakford, Cornwells Heights, Eddington, and Andalusia...	Bucks Bucks County, Pennsylvania - Industry and commerce :The boroughs of Bristol and Morrisville were prominent industrial centers along the Northeast Corridor during World War II. Suburban development accelerated in Lower Bucks in the 1950s with the opening of Levittown, Pennsylvania, the second such "Levittown" designed by...
	21.1	Neshaminy Falls Neshaminy Falls (SEPTA station) Neshaminy Falls is a station along the SEPTA West Trenton Line to Ewing, New Jersey. It is located at Bristol Road & Linden Street in Bensalem Township, Pennsylvania...	274
	23.9	Langhorne Langhorne (SEPTA station) Langhorne is a station along the SEPTA West Trenton Line to Ewing, New Jersey. It is located at Bellevue & Comly Avenues in Penndel, Pennsylvania...	676	Penndel Penndel, Pennsylvania Penndel is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,328 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Penndel is located at ....
5	26.4	Woodbourne Woodbourne (SEPTA station) Woodbourne is a train station located on Woodbourne Road in Middletown Township, Pennsylvania along the SEPTA West Trenton Line which terminates at West Trenton Station in Ewing, New Jersey.-Woodbourne Reconstruction and Parking Expansion Project:...	514	Middletown Township Middletown Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania Middletown Township is a township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 45,436 at the 2010 census. Many sections of Levittown, Pennsylvania, are located in the southern end of the township...
	30.8	Yardley Yardley (SEPTA station) Yardley is a station along the SEPTA West Trenton Line to Ewing, New Jersey. It is located at Main Street & Reading Avenue in Yardley, Pennsylvania. The station has off-street parking.-External links:**...	405	Yardley Yardley, Pennsylvania Yardley is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The small community of Yardley is bordered by the Delaware River and Ewing, New Jersey on the east, and by Lower Makefield Township on the north, west, and south...
6	32.5	West Trenton West Trenton (SEPTA station) West Trenton is the northern terminus of the SEPTA West Trenton Line. It is officially located at Grand & Railroad Avenues in Ewing, New Jersey, however this address only applies to the southbound station house on the west side of the tracks...	264	Ewing	Mercer Mercer County, New Jersey As of the census of 2000, there were 350,761 people, 125,807 households, and 86,303 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,552 people per square mile . There were 133,280 housing units at an average density of 590 per square mile...	New Jersey New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

Fiscal year	Average weekday	Annual passengers
FY 2010	11,774	3,287,368
FY 2009	12,290	3,431,587
FY 2008	11,851	3,308,800
FY 2005	9,488	2,372,816
FY 2004	9,958	2,795,338
FY 2003	10,604	2,637,500
FY 2001	n/a	2,684,000
FY 2000	n/a	2,706,000
FY 1999	n/a	2,205,000
FY 1997	n/a	2,268,269
FY 1996	n/a	2,215,097
FY 1995	7,498	2,027,012
FY 1994	7,106	1,601,685
FY 1993	6,093	1,350,442
Note: n/a = not available

External links

• SEPTA – West Trenton line schedule (PDF)
• Railroad History Database