Wilmington/Newark Line

Wilmington/Newark Line
Map of Wilmington/Newark Line with current stops
Overview
Type	Commuter rail line
System	SEPTA
Status	Operating
Termini	Newark Temple University
Stations	22
Daily ridership	9,689[1]
Website	septa.org
Operation
Operator(s)	SEPTA Regional Rail
Rolling stock	Electric Multiple Units
Technical
Track gauge	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Electrification	Overhead Catenary 12.5kV 25 Hz AC
Route map Legend Amtrak to Washington, D.C. and points south Newark Churchmans Crossing Wilmington Claymont Fare Zone 4 Delaware/Pennsylvania border Marcus Hook formerly Linwood Trainer closed Thurlow replaced by Highland Avenue Highland Avenue Lamokin Street closed July 1, 2003 Chester Transportation Center Eddystone Baldwin closed July 29, 1981 Crum Lynne Ridley Park Fare Zone 3 Prospect Park name changed from Moore April 1, 1932 Norwood Glenolden Folcroft Sharon Hill Academy closed April 1949 and replaced by Curtis Park, 550 feet to the north Curtis Park opened April 1949, replacing Academy, 550 feet to the south Darby Paschall 72nd Street, closed April 5,1903 Bonaffon 68th Street, closed Mount Moriah 62nd Street, closed 58th Street closed Grays Ferry closed 42nd Street closed Fare Zone 2 Airport Line, Media/Elwyn Line University City South Street closed April 5, 1903 (was on opposite side of South Street from University City) 30th Street Station Suburban Station Jefferson Station Temple University

The Wilmington/Newark is a route of the SEPTA Regional Rail commuter rail system in the Philadelphia area. The line serves southeastern Pennsylvania and northern Delaware, with stations in Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania, Wilmington, Delaware, and Newark, Delaware.

Route

The Wilmington/Newark Line runs on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor, making local stops along the way.

The line north of Wilmington was originally built by the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad. The original alignment was opened January 17, 1838, and on November 18, 1872 a realignment opened north of Chester (part of the old route is now used for the Airport Line). South of Wilmington the line was built by the Wilmington and Susquehanna Railroad and opened July 31, 1837. The Pennsylvania Railroad obtained control in the early 1880s, and kept it until 1968, when it merged into Penn Central. In 1976 Conrail took over, and SEPTA took over in 1983.

Electrified service was opened between Philadelphia and Wilmington on September 30, 1928. Electrified operation was extended to Newark and beyond to Washington, D.C. on February 10, 1935.

Only weekday peak trains run to Newark. One morning train to Newark runs as an express service from University City to Chester before turning into a local serving Marcus Hook and the Delaware stations. About half the trains on weekends terminate at Marcus Hook. Service in Delaware is funded in part by the Delaware Department of Transportation.

Most weekday Marcus Hook/Wilmington/Newark trains operate through the Center City tunnel to and from the Temple University (a few continue to/from Norristown). On weekends Marcus Hook/Wilmington trains run through to and from Norristown line points.

Name change

On July 25, 2010 SEPTA renamed the service from the R2 Newark to the Wilmington/Newark 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 R2 Newark/R2 Warminster service.

Station list

A train seen at Prospect Park Station

Map showing also former stops of the line in light red.

The Wilmington/Newark Line trains make the following station stops, after leaving 30th Street Station:

Fare zone	Milepost	Station name	Boardings	County	City	Notes
C	0.9	University City	3,091	Philadelphia		Splits from Airport Line and Media/Elwyn Line
2	6.1	Darby	102	Delaware	Darby
2	6.8	Curtis Park	118		Sharon Hill
2	7.2	Sharon Hill	127			Near Sharon Hill Route 102 station
2	7.7	Folcroft	193		Folcroft
2	8.3	Glenolden	210		Glenolden
2	9.0	Norwood	308		Norwood
2	9.5	Prospect Park	196		Prospect Park	The station was named Moore until April 1, 1932[2]
3	10.4	Ridley Park	291		Ridley Park
3	11.2	Crum Lynne	80
3	12.3	Eddystone	63		Eddystone	Included site of former Baldwin Locomotive Works factory
3	13.4	Chester	314		Chester
3	15.5	Highland Avenue	83
3	17.1	Marcus Hook	605		Marcus Hook
4	19.6	Claymont	572	New Castle	Claymont, DE	Station closed from 1982–1990; reopened 1991.[3]
4	26.8	Wilmington	790		Wilmington, DE	Amtrak station
4	32.5	Churchmans Crossing	467		Newark, DE	Also known as Fairplay, rush hour service only; station opened in 2000.[3]
4	38.7	Newark	358			Limited Northeast Regional service, rush hour service only

A midday weekday shuttle bus is run by DART First State between Wilmington and Newark, charging train fares.

Ridership

Fiscal year	Average weekday	Annual passengers
FY 2013	9,689	2,709,934[4]
FY 2013	9,654	2,700,254[5]
FY 2012	9,636	2,695,065[6]
FY 2011	9,322	2,607,330[7]
FY 2010	9,274	2,541,095[8]
FY 2009	9,230	2,529,112[9]
FY 2008	9,856	2,700,500[10]
FY 2005	6,681	1,842,696
FY 2004	7,146	2,005,818
FY 2003	7,519	1,767,700
FY 2001	n/a	1,843,000
FY 2000	n/a	1,872,000
FY 1999	n/a	1,674,000
FY 1997	n/a	1,736,322
FY 1996	n/a	1,781,775
FY 1995	6,878	1,848,873
FY 1994	6,435	1,694,315
FY 1993	6,261	1,701,754
Note: n/a = not available

See also

• Bell Tower (PRR)
• Lamokin Tower

References

1. SEPTA (June 2015). Fiscal Year 2016 Annual Service Plan. p. 98 PDF
2. Baer, Christopher T. "A General Chronology of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company It's Predecessors and Successors and Its Historical Context: 1932" (PDF). Pennsylvania Railroad Technical Historical Society. Retrieved December 7, 2015.
3. "Delaware State Rail Plan" (PDF). Delaware Department of Transportation. 2011. p. 4-6, 4-8. Retrieved December 7, 2015.
4. SEPTA (June 2015). Fiscal Year 2016 Annual Service Plan. p. 98 PDF
5. SEPTA (May 2014). Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Service Plan. p. 60 PDF
6. SEPTA (May 2013). Fiscal Year 2014 Annual Service Plan. p. 44 PDF
7. SEPTA (May 2012). Fiscal Year 2013 Annual Service Plan. p. 55 PDF
8. http://www.septa.org/reports/pdf/asp12.pdf
9. http://www.septa.org/reports/pdf/asp11.pdf
10. http://www.septa.org/reports/pdf/asp10.pdf

External links

• SEPTA – Marcus Hook/Wilmington/Newark line schedule PDF
• The Pennsylvania Railroad Technical and Historical Society