SEPTA Key fares expanding Regional Rail service in May

Starting in May, the SEPTA Key is expanding its range for Regional Rail riders. 

Monthly TrailPasses will be available on the Key Cards for riders who use Zone 1 and 2 stations starting on April 20. They will be activated on May 1. 

Weekly Zone 1 and 2 TrailPasses will be available on May 1, and will be active starting May 6. 

A Key card goes for $4.95, plus an additional minimum $5 that goes toward fares. Riders can purchase them at SEPTA’s headquarters at 1234 Market St. or to stops along the Broad Street or Market-Frankford Lines, or at about 400 local private businesses that sell the cards.

According to the Philly Patch, the SEPTA Key Mobile Fare Kiosk will make stops at Zones 1 and 2 stations, giving customers another option to purchase a TrailPass on a Key Card. Monthly and Weekly TrailPass customers can also set up auto-load for new pass purchases every week or month online or through the mobile app. 

According to Philly.com, the Key card was designed in 2016 to create a unified, modern fare system, but snags and other setbacks have plagued the system. The original Key fare contract was bid at $122 million, but delays and technical problems have raised the cost by roughly $50 million as of December. As the Key cards have become the more common transit currency, Philly has stopped relying on the token system. This makes it the last of the American cities to use the classic coin operated system. 

Cards can be registered or by calling the SEPTA Key Customer Service Center at (855) 567-3782. The Regional Rail Travel Wallet will not be available on SEPTA Key Cards during the initial rollout phase.