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Fox Chase (SEPTA station)
Encyclopedia
Fox Chase is the current terminus of SEPTA's Fox Chase Line
. It is located just west of the intersection of Rhawn Street and Rockwell Avenue in the Fox Chase
section of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
. Fox Chase Station, which has the largest number of parking spaces of any on the line (342), is the closest regional rail
stop to the neighborhoods of Fox Chase, Bustleton, and Pine Valley, and Rockledge
and Huntingdon Valley
in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
. In the fall of 2009, SEPTA began work on rebuilding the station area and ticket office. Work is expected to be completed by summer 2010.
, using funds supplied by both Montgomery
and Bucks Counties
. Had the electrification plans come to fruition, the Walnut Hill Station
would have been closed, and trains would have operated non-stop from Fox Chase to Huntingdon Valley
. Unfortunately, Bucks County was unable to come up with the needed funds, and electrification was put on hold indefinitely.
passenger trains to a terminus in Newtown, Pennsylvania
. The crossing at Rhawn Street still exists, but bumpers prevent trains from crossing.
Service in the diesel-only territory north of Fox Chase was discontinued on January 13, 1983, due to failing diesel train equipment
that SEPTA had no desire to repair. Although rail service beyond Fox Chase was initially replaced with a Fox Chase-Newtown shuttle bus, patronage remained light. The traveling public never saw a bus service as a suitable replacement for a rail service, and the Fox Chase-Newtown shuttle bus service ended in 1999. There are no plans to reinstate service, and Fox Chase remains the official end of the Newtown line.
In the ensuing years, there has been interest in resuming the long-dormant passenger service. In September 2009, the Southampton-based
Pennsylvania Transit Expansion Coalition (PA-TEC) began discussions with township officials along the railway, as well as SEPTA officials, about the realistic possibility of resuming even minimal passenger service to relieve traffic congestion in the region. Plans call for completing the electrification to Newtown, as originally planned in the late 1970s.
PA-TEC's efforts have received overwhelming bipartisan support by both Bucks and Montgomery County officials, as well as at the state level, despite SEPTA's overall reservations. However, SEPTA has also confirmed that they are indeed open to revisiting the line if there is strong political support in both counties.
Fox Chase Line
The Fox Chase Line is a route of the SEPTA Regional Rail system.Originally known as the Fox Chase/Newtown Branch, service was truncated in January 1983 from Newtown to its current terminus in Philadelphia at Fox Chase due to unreliable train equipment and low ridership...
. It is located just west of the intersection of Rhawn Street and Rockwell Avenue in the Fox Chase
Fox Chase, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Fox Chase is a neighborhood in the Northeast Philadelphia section of the United States city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The origin of the name comes from The "Fox Chase Inn" which opened in 1705...
section of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
-History:Tribes of Lenape were the first known occupants in the area which became Philadelphia County. The first European settlers were Swedes and Finns who arrived in 1638. The Netherlands seized the area in 1655, but permanently lost control to England in 1674...
. Fox Chase Station, which has the largest number of parking spaces of any on the line (342), is the closest regional rail
SEPTA Regional Rail
The SEPTA Regional Rail system consists of commuter rail service on thirteen branches to over 150 active stations in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States and its suburbs. Service on most lines runs from 5:30 AM to midnight...
stop to the neighborhoods of Fox Chase, Bustleton, and Pine Valley, and Rockledge
Rockledge, Pennsylvania
Rockledge is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,543 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Rockledge is located at ....
and Huntingdon Valley
Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania
Huntingdon Valley is a village, as well as a suburban mailing address located in Lower Moreland Township, Upper Moreland and Abington Township all in Montgomery County, and in a small section of Upper Southampton Township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania bordering the Fox Chase section of...
in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Montgomery County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010, the population was 799,874, making it the third most populous county in Pennsylvania . The county seat is Norristown.The county was created on September 10, 1784, out of land originally part...
. In the fall of 2009, SEPTA began work on rebuilding the station area and ticket office. Work is expected to be completed by summer 2010.
Extended electrification
Electrified service between Newtown Junction and Fox Chase Station was opened on September 25, 1966. In the late 1970s, there were plans to extend electrification to the line's actual terminus in NewtownNewtown (SEPTA station)
Newtown is a closed station and terminus of SEPTA's Fox Chase/Newtown Line located on Penn Street in Newtown Borough, Pennsylvania.-History:In the railroad's original plans, the line was to continue to the north, but this expansion was never built. Newtown Station was built in 1873 and torn down in...
, using funds supplied by both Montgomery
Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Montgomery County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010, the population was 799,874, making it the third most populous county in Pennsylvania . The county seat is Norristown.The county was created on September 10, 1784, out of land originally part...
and Bucks Counties
Bucks County, Pennsylvania
- Industry and commerce :The boroughs of Bristol and Morrisville were prominent industrial centers along the Northeast Corridor during World War II. Suburban development accelerated in Lower Bucks in the 1950s with the opening of Levittown, Pennsylvania, the second such "Levittown" designed by...
. Had the electrification plans come to fruition, the Walnut Hill Station
Walnut Hill (SEPTA station)
Walnut Hill is a derelict station located along SEPTA's Fox Chase/Newtown Line, located on Moredon Road in Abington Township, Pennsylvania.-History:...
would have been closed, and trains would have operated non-stop from Fox Chase to Huntingdon Valley
Huntingdon Valley (SEPTA station)
Huntingdon Valley is a closed train station located along SEPTA's Fox Chase/Newtown Line, located on Terwood Road near Old Welsh Road in Lower Moreland, Pennsylvania, not far from the Pennypack Creek.-History:...
. Unfortunately, Bucks County was unable to come up with the needed funds, and electrification was put on hold indefinitely.
Newtown extension
Before 1983, service continued northward via RDCBudd Rail Diesel Car
The Budd Rail Diesel Car, RDC or Buddliner is a self-propelled diesel multiple unit railcar. In the period 1949–62, 398 RDCs were built by the Budd Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States...
passenger trains to a terminus in Newtown, Pennsylvania
Newtown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Newtown is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,248 at the 2010 census. It is located just west of the Trenton, New Jersey metropolitan area, and is part of the larger Philadelphia metropolitan area. It is entirely surrounded by Newtown Township, from which...
. The crossing at Rhawn Street still exists, but bumpers prevent trains from crossing.
Service in the diesel-only territory north of Fox Chase was discontinued on January 13, 1983, due to failing diesel train equipment
Budd Rail Diesel Car
The Budd Rail Diesel Car, RDC or Buddliner is a self-propelled diesel multiple unit railcar. In the period 1949–62, 398 RDCs were built by the Budd Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States...
that SEPTA had no desire to repair. Although rail service beyond Fox Chase was initially replaced with a Fox Chase-Newtown shuttle bus, patronage remained light. The traveling public never saw a bus service as a suitable replacement for a rail service, and the Fox Chase-Newtown shuttle bus service ended in 1999. There are no plans to reinstate service, and Fox Chase remains the official end of the Newtown line.
In the ensuing years, there has been interest in resuming the long-dormant passenger service. In September 2009, the Southampton-based
Southampton, Pennsylvania
Southampton, Pennsylvania is an unincorporated community in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, situated in the South-Eastern tip of Bucks County.Southampton is located 18 miles North, from the center of Philadelphia....
Pennsylvania Transit Expansion Coalition (PA-TEC) began discussions with township officials along the railway, as well as SEPTA officials, about the realistic possibility of resuming even minimal passenger service to relieve traffic congestion in the region. Plans call for completing the electrification to Newtown, as originally planned in the late 1970s.
PA-TEC's efforts have received overwhelming bipartisan support by both Bucks and Montgomery County officials, as well as at the state level, despite SEPTA's overall reservations. However, SEPTA has also confirmed that they are indeed open to revisiting the line if there is strong political support in both counties.
