SEPTA to increase Regional Rail service

SEPTA is increasing Regional Rail service next month by adding 99 weekend trains and 24 weekday trains to the schedule. New timetables for all lines will go into effect on Sunday, Sept. 8. 

The service additions will restore 80% of pre-COVID service on weekdays and 84% on weekends. 

According to SEPTA officials, there will be additional crews on hand to provide more consistent service. With 189 engineers, SEPTA is on track to meet its budgeted headcount of 213 by next spring. 

“As we continue to rebuild ridership, SEPTA is still facing a $240 million annual budget deficit, and the need for a permanent solution grows more urgent by the day,” said SEPTA CEO and General Manager Leslie S. Richards in a statement. “Despite this funding crisis, we can not put critical investments in our system on hold. We must move forward with efforts to make our service more reliable for our riders who depend on us  to get where they need to go.” 

Some of the upcoming service changes include full restoration of hourly weekend service on most lines and full restoration of 30-minute weekend service to the Philadelphia International Airport. There will also be additional off-peak (late-night and mid-day) and reverse peak service on most lines, and additional railcars on select trains to mitigate overcrowding, particularly mid-week when ridership is highest. 

SEPTA is reinstating parking fees with a phased approach beginning Sept. 23. Daily parking rates at SEPTA-owned surface lots will increase to $2 and to $4 at the three garages: Frankford Transportation Center, Norristown, and Lansdale. Parking at surface lots will remain free on weekends and major holidays. 

For more information, visit septa.org, follow @SEPTA, or download the official SEPTA app.