Delaware needs high-speed express trains to Philly. Claymont-Penn Medicine in 15mins | Wilmington-30th St in 30 mins | Newark-Suburban Station in 45mins
SEPTA transit times to/from Philly can be brutal for Delaware commuters, especially when traveling south of Wilmington. Here's one way we could cut travel times in half: Delaware buys its own fleet of express trains that connect directly to Center City.
https://t.co/k91ioVyyQj
IMO Delaware should score lower because the stretch from Claymont to Wilmington is janky as hell, especially for commuter trains. This junction is the worst, a relic from when freight trains used the inner tracks. From here to Wilmington, all passenger trains are on 2 tracks.
Grading the Northeast Corridor states (and DC) based on how good their sections of the line are (track speed, infrastructure, etc.)
DC: B
MD: B+
DE: A-
PA: B-
NJ: A
NY: C
CT: F
RI: A-
MA: A+
SEPTA Wilmington-Newark train 3231 today was standing room only until Marcus Hook. Delaware and the Hook really anchor that line, so it's a shame 9 trains stop at the state line because @DelawareDOT refuses to fund more service to Claymont and Wilmington. We deserve better.
While we're at it, Delaware should partner with SEPTA and the state of Pennsylvania to add a Delco connection to the Airport Line at Darby / 61st Street, and also start running express trains to Delaware. So much untapped potential on this section of the Northeast Corridor.
Imagine how much higher ridership would be on the Wilmington/Newark line would be if there is higher frequency and has more housing around their stations, specifically the busiest stations on the line in Pennsylvania: Especially Marcus Hook and Chester TC
My favorite thing about riding @Amtrak is how the crew reserves half the seats in the cafe car for their bags. That's so awesome. More of that, please!
Just saw five old Acelas lined up in the rail yard next to the University of Delaware, probably waiting to be towed somewhere for decommissioning. Was too slow to grab a pic but someone should before they're gone.
Feel like we could fit several thousand housing units around Delaware's SEPTA stations, and express service would make travel times competitive with driving.
https://t.co/RcAQtM9MEK
SEPTA is looking to recruit development partners near Regional Rail stations, aiming to help create walkable communities and grow ridership.
🔗 https://t.co/TTHUBMxpaX
The string of cities between Pontiac, Detroit, and Chicago, currently served by only three Wolverine roundtrips a day, form a perfect corridor for hourly regional rail.
Learn more about next steps and sign our petition to support this vision: https://t.co/Mlema5Ovg8
I hope that in my lifetime we'll see a proposal to create an integrated North Philadelphia station complex, linking the majority of regional rail lines with a modern Amtrak station that actually gets service.
Would cut 30 mins off of trips to NYC for riders north of Philly.
North Philadelphia needs a proper union station connecting Amtrak, SEPTA Metro, and Regional Rail all in one complex. All those stations are within a few hundred feet of each other anyway.
Temple University is joining a pair of developers who plan to create a mixed-use district near Amtrak's North Philadelphia station. https://t.co/lcoivNHaJR
Gotta love that s-curve in the Northeast Corridor going through Wilmington, Delaware. Wouldn't have Acela service without it because there's basically zero time saved bypassing the station. In fact, all the trains stop here. We get 30+ Amtrak trains daily in each direction.