I-95 collapse to test SEPTA regional rails post-COVID in Bucks County

JD Mullane and Peg Quann, Bucks County Courier Times
Updated ·4 min read

All along SEPTA’s Trenton Line, train platforms were crowded Tuesday with commuters, many who usually drive into town for work, appointments and other business in Philadelphia.

At the Cornwells Heights Park and Ride, the biggest and busiest station on the Trenton Line in Bucks Count, Bill Lawson stood among some 200 commuters waiting for the 6:47 a.m. train to Center City. Lawson is head of SEPTA’s regional rail service and director of planning.

He wanted a ground view of how well the transit system is handling the additional passengers in the wake of the collapse of a portion on Interstate 95 near Cottman Avenue. Rebuilding the road is expected to take months and SEPTA has added capacity to handle what could be an influx of commuters looking for alternatives to driving the long and slow-moving details around the closed section of I-95.

SEPTA parking lots at the Yardley and Woodbourne train stations were packed with vehicles Tuesday morning as more Bucks County commuters who may have tried to drive to work Monday decided to take rail service on Tuesday instead.

“It’s definitely more crowded,” said Suzanne Parke, a SEPTA information technology employee who was volunteering as an ambassador at the Woodbourne station to help assist people not used to taking the train into the city. “I did speak to a couple of people here for that reason.”

SEPTA employee Pat Darragh who had been at the station both days helping people said he too thought that many more people were riding the rails Tuesday. He said it could be both due to more motorists deciding to try the train as well as the normal increase in train ridership on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays than on Mondays and Fridays when more people take time off from work or work from home.

But how will the closure of I-95 affect daily commuters?

“We really don’t know,” he said. And the suburban rail system has not yet recovered from its pre-pandemic ridership. On Monday, there were few crowds at the SEPTA stations in Bucks County, but officials said Tuesday would be a better test.

Passengers board a southbound train on SEPTA's West Trenton regional rail line at the Yardley station on Monday, June 12, 2023.
Passengers board a southbound train on SEPTA's West Trenton regional rail line at the Yardley station on Monday, June 12, 2023.

SEPTA Trenton and West Trenton lines: Driving or taking SEPTA from Philly? What Bucks County commuters can expect heading home

“We used to carry 120,000 (commuters) a day,” he said. “Post-COVID, we’re at 55 percent of that.”

And that’s on good days. SEPTA rail carries 40 percent of its pre-COVID numbers on Mondays, 65 percent Wednesday to Thursday, and 35 percent on Fridays.

“So it’s a remarkably different pattern of commuting than it was pre-COVID,” said Lawson, in his position for the last seven years.

Navigate round I-95 collapse: Additional detours, closures put in place by Philadelphia Police in wake of I-95 collapse

“We’re watching whatever new patterns emerge and make the necessary adjustments,” he said.

Even with I-95’s closure, parking was easy Tuesday, and SEPTA has deployed people at each station to help new commuters, and old ones who haven’t taken rail into Philadelphia in years.

“I was sitting in a station just listening to the questions people ask, and you can tell who hasn’t been on one of our trains in awhile because they say, ‘I’d like a round trip to Center City.’ We don’t sell those anymore."

Pre-paid key cards is how you pay for trips now.

It’s unclear if the closure of I-95 in Northeast Philadelphia will bring back SEPTA regional rail numbers.

A 1996 bridge collapse from a tire fire saw commuters packing the Cornwells Heights station, which at the time was tiny compared its huge platform and parking lots for some 2,000 vehicles.

“Ironically, it was that issue (the 1996 bridge collapse) prompted the construction of this place,” Lawson said.

As he spoke, the long, sunlit platform grew crowded.

“SEPTA and the city are waiting for people to return,” he said.

Riders prepare to board a SEPTA train at the Woodbourne station in Middletown Tuesday morning. SEPTA ambassadors who were helping people at the station said there were more riders Tuesday than Monday.
Riders prepare to board a SEPTA train at the Woodbourne station in Middletown Tuesday morning. SEPTA ambassadors who were helping people at the station said there were more riders Tuesday than Monday.

SEPTA adds capacity due to I-95 collapse

More: Just how will I-95 collapse impact summer travel? Plan ahead for Fourth of July in region

  • AM: 6:40 AM and 8:03 AM from Trenton, along with 8:25 AM from Holmesburg Juncton.

  • PM: Trains will run at 3:05 PM from Suburban Station to Holmesburg Junction, along with 4:30 PM and 5:20 PM to Trenton.

  • These trains are additions to regularly scheduled trips.

  • SEPTA will increase capacity on the Trenton, West Trenton and Fox Chase Regional Rail Lines by adding rail cars to scheduled peak service trains. This means adding rail cars to regularly scheduled trains.

  • Parking continues to be free at Regional Rail Stations and SEPTA will be deploying Operations personnel and ambassadors to assist customers Philadelphia Parking Authority parking lots near SEPTA stations at Fern Rock, Torresdale, and Fox Chase will also be free.

  • SEPTA is also bolstering staffing to ensure reliable and frequent service is available on the Market-Frankford Line, buses and other transit service.

  • Bus Routes 70, 78, & 84 were detoured and will be until further notice

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Philadelphia I-95 collapse to test SEPTA Trenton, West Trenton lines