Market-Frankford Line
Encyclopedia
The Market–Frankford Line (MFL) (also called the Market–Frankford Subway–Elevated Line (MFSE), El, or Blue Line) is a rapid transit
line in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, United States, operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority
(SEPTA).
over Market Street until 46th Street, where it curves north and descends underground via a portal at 44th Street. At 42nd Street, the tunnel returns to the alignment of Market Street.
At 32nd Street, the tunnel carrying the Subway-Surface lines
joins the MFL tunnel. The MFL tracks are in the center and the trolley tracks are on the outside. 30th Street station consists of an island platform between the two innermost tracks for Market–Frankford Line trains, and outboard "wall" platforms for Subway–Surface route 10, 11, 13, 34, and 36 trolley
s. After passing beneath the Schuylkill River, the next stop to the east for Market–Frankford Line trains is at 15th Street; Subway-Surface trolleys also have stations at 22nd Street and 19th Street. 15th Street is the central interchange station for the MFL, Subway-Surface trolleys, and Broad Street Line
. The Subway-Surface tracks end in a loop
beneath 13th Street at Market just after crossing above the Broad Street Line.
Though it now tunnels in a straight line directly beneath Philadelphia City Hall
, prior to 1936, the original MFL trackage between 15th and 13th Street stations separated and looped around the foundation of City Hall (eastbound trains around the south side returning to be westbound trains from the north side). Parts of that original alignment can still be seen from subway-surface cars as they pass south of City Hall en route to 13th Street station (as well as the bridgework in the ceiling of the southbound platform of the City Hall stop on the Broad Street line). The Market Street tunnel continues east to Front Street and then turns north, where it rises in the median of I-95
. The rail line and freeway share an elevated embankment for about ½ mile (0.8 km), including Spring Garden station (which replaced Fairmount station on the Frankford Elevated). The line then heads under the southbound lanes and over Front Street on an elevated structure that turns northeast onto Kensington Avenue, which merges with Frankford Avenue, which the line follows to its end. Just North of Pratt Street, a curve to the north brings the line to its current terminus at the Frankford Transportation Center, which replaced the original Bridge-Pratt Sts. terminal.
, just north of Market Street, were built from April 1903 to August 1905. Construction on the Market Street Elevated west from this point began In April 1904, and the line opened on March 4, 1907, from 69th Street Terminal to a loop around City Hall at 15th Street. The line was elevated west of the river and underground east of the river. The tunnel was also used by streetcar lines, now SEPTA's Subway-Surface lines
, that entered the line just east of the river and turned around at the City Hall loop. Philadelphia was fairly unique in that construction of its initial downtown subway was undertaken using PTC private capital only, with no contribution from public funds.
Extensions took the subway east to 2nd Street on August 3, 1908, and via a portal at 2nd street and several elevated curves it reached the Delaware River
between Market Street and Chestnut Street on September 7, 1908. The Delaware Avenue Elevated (also called the Ferry Line, because of the multiple ferries across the river) opened on October 4, 1908, as a further extension south along the river to South Street. The only two stations on this extension were Market–Chestnut and South Street.
The Frankford Elevated opened on November 5, 1922, with trains from 69th alternating between Frankford and the Ferry Line. Following the opening of the Delaware River Bridge
in 1926, traffic on the Ferries line declined sharply. Beginning on January 24, 1937, operations were changed to use the Ferry Line only during the day and not at all on Sundays and holidays, though Sunday and holiday service was temporarily resumed during the summers of 1937 and 1938. On May 7, 1939 the line to the ferries was closed temporarily, although PRT was forced to return service in 1943. Service was finally ended permanently in 1953, and the structure was demolished. The old interlocking tower and stub remains of the junction with the Ferry Line survived until the realignment into the median of I-95 in 1977.
As part of a program of railroad improvements undertaken by the City of Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania Railroad, a new section of tunnel from 22nd Street to 46th Street was started in 1930, which would allow for removal of the elevated structure east of 46th Street and the old Schuylkill River Bridge. Coinciding with this project, a new bridge was also to be built across the river for automobile traffic; this raised the level of the street to permit the roadway to pass over the underground tracks of the Pennsylvania Railroad
near their new 30th Street Station. This resulted in a reduction of vertical clearance under the old elevated structure from 20' to only 8', which was expected to be only a temporary problem until the new subway tunnel was complete. Unfortunately, funding ran out before the subway extension could be finished. Although streetcar tracks were installed in the new Market Street Bridge, there was insufficient clearance to pass any cars under the elevated, and no service would ever be provided over the new tracks. Subway construction resumed in 1947, and the current configuration opened on November 6, 1955. The old elevated structure was removed by June 20, 1956. While the track was redirected into the new subway, a short stub of the old elevated structure remained at 45th Street until the reconstruction of the Market Street Elevated in 2008.
In addition to extending the Market Street subway tunnel west to 46th Street, with new stations at 30th, 34th and 40th streets, a new trolley tunnel was built under Market, Ludlow and 36th streets and the former Woodland Avenue, leading to a new western portal at 40th Street for routes 11, 13, 34 and 36 (route 10 trolleys use a portal at 36th and Ludlow). New stations for the trolleys were constructed at 22nd, 30th, 33rd (between Market and Ludlow), 36th (at Sansom), and 37th (at Spruce) streets. The 24th Street trolley station and tunnel portal was abandoned. The tunnel mouth was visible from Market Street until the Philadelphia Gas and Electric Company (now PECO
) built an office building on the site in 1969.
Skip-stop
operation began on January 30, 1956. In the original skip-stop configuration, in addition to the A and B stops shown on the map above, 2nd and 34th Street were "A" stations, and Fairmount (replaced by Spring Garden) was a "B" station; the A and B designations at these stations were changed to "All-Stop" because of increased patronage in the 1990s. As I-95
was built through Center City Philadelphia in the late 1970s, part of the Frankford El was relocated to I-95's median, and the Fairmount station was replaced by Spring Garden, on May 16, 1977.
As with many other rail lines, the signal system on the Market–Frankford Line has progressed from the original lineside block signals using semaphores, to three-aspect Type D color light (green, over yellow, over red) signals, to cab signalling, eliminating the lineside block signals.
The Market-Frankford line is fairly unique as subway-elevated systems go. Notable features include being built with broad gauge
of , and in its use of bottom-contact third rail
. As such, any possible future physical connection to other rapid-transit lines in Philadelphia is limited to cross-platform transfer only, as both the Broad Street Subway and the Norristown High-Speed Line are both standard gauge
with top-contact third rail. The Market–Frankford Line and Metro-North Railroad
are the only railroads in North America that use bottom-contact third rail, known as the Wilgus-Sprague system. Its advantages include a reduced risk of electrocution for track workers and fewer disruptions due to icing conditions during winter weather.
The Market-Frankford Elevated's original construction also had some marked differences from that of other US elevated systems (such as Chicago or New York City). While those systems' elevated lines were built with rails laid on ties (sleepers) that were bolted directly to large steel girders, the Market-Frankford's structure consisted of steel girders supporting a concrete trough deck, which then supported the more conventional railroad construction of rails laid on floating ties with loose rock ballast. This was done in an attempt to reduce noise and vibration, as well as protect the streets below from rain and "operational fluids."
In November 2011, the Federal Transit Administration
(FTA), through its competitive Fiscal Year 2011 Sustainability Initiative, awarded $1.4 million to SEPTA to install a "wayside energy storage system" on the Market-Frankford line. The system stores energy from braking trains in a battery that may be used later.
In 2003, SEPTA also completed replacement of the old Bridge-Pratt terminal with a new $160,000,000 Frankford Transportation Center
located on private right-of-way.
Between 1999 and 2009, SEPTA then undertook a $567,000,000 complete reconstruction of the Market Street Elevated between 69th Street Terminal and the 44th Street portal. The new Market Street Elevated, which utilizes single-pillar supports in place of the old-style dual pillar design, will allow the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
(PennDOT) to undertake a planned widening project on Market Street to four lanes between 63rd Street and 44th Street. In addition to the new Elevated structure, all of the stations (including Millbourne) were again replaced with new stations having higher boarding platforms and elevators, allowing customers with disabilities to easily board and depart from trains. The reconstruction of the Market St. Elevated superstructure was completed in 2008, and the last station, 63rd Street, was completed and reopened on May 4, 2009. The Market St. Elevated is not of the same design as the Frankford Elevated, so it does not share any of the Frankford design flaws.
s (trains beginning from about 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.), SEPTA uses skip-stop
operation. Trains marked "A" stop only at the stations marked "A" and "All Trains" on system maps, and "B" trains stop only at "B" and "All Trains" stations. Trains run on the line from about 5 a.m. to 12:30 a.m., and buses provide night service every 15 minutes from midnight to 5:30 a.m.
Fare for riding the line is $2.00 cash or single-ride tokens, which sell for $1.55 each. Tokens can be bought either at vending machines in most stations, or in multi-packs available at the cashier's booth in major stations such as 69th Street Terminal
or Frankford Transportation Center
. Payment of base fare includes free transfer to the Subway-Surface Lines
at 30th
, 15th
, and 13th Street
stations, as well as to the Broad Street Line
at 15th street
. However, while the Broad-Ridge Spur connects at 8th St. Station
, there is no longer a free-transfer passageway between the lines. Transfers requiring a paper transfer slip are available for $1.00 at any station.
SEPTA's "TransPass" and "TrailPass" weekly/monthly zone-based passcards are also accepted as fares. Use of these passcards is unlimited during their valid dates, making paid transfers unnecessary.
In FY 2005, 25,220,523 passengers rode the Market–Frankford Line. Weekday average ridership of 178,715 made it the busiest line in the entire SEPTA system. The Market–Frankford Line required 142 vehicles at peak hours, cost $
86,644,614 in fully allocated expenses, and collected $54,309,344 in passenger revenues, for an impressive farebox recovery ratio
of 63 percent.
On February 11, 2008, SEPTA expanded morning and afternoon weekday service with off-peak trains running every six minutes instead of eight. It represents a 12% increase in MFL Service through the day.
, but persistent political and economic obstacles are likely to prevent the implementation of any such extension.
The SEPTA fleet for the Market–Frankford line consists of 220 M-4 rail cars, with seating for 49 and standing room for 55, each costing $1.29 million.
The M-4 cars, manufactured by AdTranz
, were brought into service in 1997 to replace the M-3 "Almond Joy" stock, so called because of their distinctive ventilation fan housings, which resembled the almonds atop the Peter Paul (now Hershey's
) Almond Joy
bar. The M-3 cars, manufactured in 1960 by the Budd Company
, were replaced a few years before their expected lifespan because of their lack of air conditioning(the fan housings had provisions for air conditioning units, though these were never utilized) and generally shaky ride quality. Early in their service lives, some M-3 cars had fareboxes by their center side doors; these were necessary for collecting fares during the hours after midnight, when SEPTA closed cashier's booths at many stations during the era of 24-hour rapid transit service. "Night Owl" service (midnight–5:00 AM) trains operated on a twenty-minute headway (interval between trains) at that time. Since the 1990s, SEPTA has operated (along with the Broad Street Subway) all "Owl" service using buses, but similar to the old "Owl" trains, they run between 69th Street and Frankford Transportation Center on a slightly more frequent 15-minute interval.
The M-3 cars, designated Class A-49 for Cars #601-646, and Classes A-50, and A-51 for Cars #701, through 924, by SEPTA's predecessor, the Philadelphia Transportation Company (PTC); were themselves replacements for both the original "Market Street" cars, designated Class A-8 by SEPTA's predecessor, the Philadelphia Transportation Company (PTC), and built by the Pressed Steel Car Co. of Pittsburgh, Pa. (Cars #1-135, 1906–1911), the J.G. Brill Co. of Philadelphia, Pa. (Cars #136-215, 1911–1913), and the second series "Frankford" cars, designated Class A-15 and built by the J.G. Brill Co. (Cars #501-600, 1922). Though two of the "Market" cars (cars 69 and 163) and six of the "Frankford" cars survived retirement in 1960 as work train cars (Cars #532, 551, 559, 583, 585, and 589), none lasted as work cars until 2000, nor were any reported to have been saved for museums. The M-3 cars totaled a fleet of 270 cars, which replaced the combined fleet of 315 cars (215 Market Street cars, 100 Frankford cars), the oldest in operation at the time, was 56 years for a Market Street car, and the youngest was 38 years for a Frankford car. No class of subway-elevated car in Philadelphia has surpassed the lifespan record held by the Market Street cars, although the first cars built for the Broad Street subway have come very close with 54 years of operation. (The Broad Street cars were built in 1928, and phased out in 1982.)
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
line in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, United States, operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority
Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority is a metropolitan transportation authority that operates various forms of public transit—bus, subway and elevated rail, commuter rail, light rail, and electric trolley bus—that serve 3.9 million people in and around Philadelphia,...
(SEPTA).
Route
The Market–Frankford Line begins at 69th Street Transportation Center, in Upper Darby. From there it is elevatedElevated railway
An elevated railway is a form of rapid transit railway with the tracks built above street level on some form of viaduct or other steel or concrete structure. The railway concerned may be constructed according to the standard gauge, narrow gauge, light rail, monorail or suspension railway system...
over Market Street until 46th Street, where it curves north and descends underground via a portal at 44th Street. At 42nd Street, the tunnel returns to the alignment of Market Street.
At 32nd Street, the tunnel carrying the Subway-Surface lines
SEPTA Subway-Surface Trolley Lines
The Subway–Surface Trolley Lines or Green Lines are five SEPTA trolley lines that operate on street-level tracks in West Philadelphia and Delaware County, Pennsylvania, and in a shared subway with rapid transit trains in Philadelphia's Center City....
joins the MFL tunnel. The MFL tracks are in the center and the trolley tracks are on the outside. 30th Street station consists of an island platform between the two innermost tracks for Market–Frankford Line trains, and outboard "wall" platforms for Subway–Surface route 10, 11, 13, 34, and 36 trolley
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
s. After passing beneath the Schuylkill River, the next stop to the east for Market–Frankford Line trains is at 15th Street; Subway-Surface trolleys also have stations at 22nd Street and 19th Street. 15th Street is the central interchange station for the MFL, Subway-Surface trolleys, and Broad Street Line
Broad Street Line
The Broad Street Line is a rapid transit line operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority that runs from Fern Rock Transportation Center in North Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Pattison Avenue in South Philadelphia...
. The Subway-Surface tracks end in a loop
Balloon loop
A balloon loop or turning loop allows a rail vehicle or train to reverse direction without having to shunt or even stop. Balloon loops can be useful for passenger trains and unit freight trains, such as coal trains....
beneath 13th Street at Market just after crossing above the Broad Street Line.
Though it now tunnels in a straight line directly beneath Philadelphia City Hall
Philadelphia City Hall
Philadelphia City Hall is the house of government for the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At , including the statue, it is the world's second-tallest masonry building, only shorter than Mole Antonelliana in Turin...
, prior to 1936, the original MFL trackage between 15th and 13th Street stations separated and looped around the foundation of City Hall (eastbound trains around the south side returning to be westbound trains from the north side). Parts of that original alignment can still be seen from subway-surface cars as they pass south of City Hall en route to 13th Street station (as well as the bridgework in the ceiling of the southbound platform of the City Hall stop on the Broad Street line). The Market Street tunnel continues east to Front Street and then turns north, where it rises in the median of I-95
Interstate 95 in Pennsylvania
Interstate 95 is an Interstate highway running from Miami, Florida north to Houlton, Maine. In the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, the route is known by many as the Delaware Expressway, but is officially named The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway. and locally known as "95"...
. The rail line and freeway share an elevated embankment for about ½ mile (0.8 km), including Spring Garden station (which replaced Fairmount station on the Frankford Elevated). The line then heads under the southbound lanes and over Front Street on an elevated structure that turns northeast onto Kensington Avenue, which merges with Frankford Avenue, which the line follows to its end. Just North of Pratt Street, a curve to the north brings the line to its current terminus at the Frankford Transportation Center, which replaced the original Bridge-Pratt Sts. terminal.
History
The original subway tunnel from City Hall to the portal at 22nd Street, as well as the bridge to carry the line across the Schuylkill RiverSchuylkill River
The Schuylkill River is a river in Pennsylvania. It is a designated Pennsylvania Scenic River.The river is about long. Its watershed of about lies entirely within the state of Pennsylvania. The source of its eastern branch is in the Appalachian Mountains at Tuscarora Springs, near Tamaqua in...
, just north of Market Street, were built from April 1903 to August 1905. Construction on the Market Street Elevated west from this point began In April 1904, and the line opened on March 4, 1907, from 69th Street Terminal to a loop around City Hall at 15th Street. The line was elevated west of the river and underground east of the river. The tunnel was also used by streetcar lines, now SEPTA's Subway-Surface lines
SEPTA Subway-Surface Trolley Lines
The Subway–Surface Trolley Lines or Green Lines are five SEPTA trolley lines that operate on street-level tracks in West Philadelphia and Delaware County, Pennsylvania, and in a shared subway with rapid transit trains in Philadelphia's Center City....
, that entered the line just east of the river and turned around at the City Hall loop. Philadelphia was fairly unique in that construction of its initial downtown subway was undertaken using PTC private capital only, with no contribution from public funds.
Extensions took the subway east to 2nd Street on August 3, 1908, and via a portal at 2nd street and several elevated curves it reached the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
between Market Street and Chestnut Street on September 7, 1908. The Delaware Avenue Elevated (also called the Ferry Line, because of the multiple ferries across the river) opened on October 4, 1908, as a further extension south along the river to South Street. The only two stations on this extension were Market–Chestnut and South Street.
Benjamin Franklin Bridge
The Benjamin Franklin Bridge , originally named the Delaware River Bridge, is a suspension bridge across the Delaware River connecting Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Camden, New Jersey...
in 1926, traffic on the Ferries line declined sharply. Beginning on January 24, 1937, operations were changed to use the Ferry Line only during the day and not at all on Sundays and holidays, though Sunday and holiday service was temporarily resumed during the summers of 1937 and 1938. On May 7, 1939 the line to the ferries was closed temporarily, although PRT was forced to return service in 1943. Service was finally ended permanently in 1953, and the structure was demolished. The old interlocking tower and stub remains of the junction with the Ferry Line survived until the realignment into the median of I-95 in 1977.
As part of a program of railroad improvements undertaken by the City of Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania Railroad, a new section of tunnel from 22nd Street to 46th Street was started in 1930, which would allow for removal of the elevated structure east of 46th Street and the old Schuylkill River Bridge. Coinciding with this project, a new bridge was also to be built across the river for automobile traffic; this raised the level of the street to permit the roadway to pass over the underground tracks of the Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
near their new 30th Street Station. This resulted in a reduction of vertical clearance under the old elevated structure from 20' to only 8', which was expected to be only a temporary problem until the new subway tunnel was complete. Unfortunately, funding ran out before the subway extension could be finished. Although streetcar tracks were installed in the new Market Street Bridge, there was insufficient clearance to pass any cars under the elevated, and no service would ever be provided over the new tracks. Subway construction resumed in 1947, and the current configuration opened on November 6, 1955. The old elevated structure was removed by June 20, 1956. While the track was redirected into the new subway, a short stub of the old elevated structure remained at 45th Street until the reconstruction of the Market Street Elevated in 2008.
In addition to extending the Market Street subway tunnel west to 46th Street, with new stations at 30th, 34th and 40th streets, a new trolley tunnel was built under Market, Ludlow and 36th streets and the former Woodland Avenue, leading to a new western portal at 40th Street for routes 11, 13, 34 and 36 (route 10 trolleys use a portal at 36th and Ludlow). New stations for the trolleys were constructed at 22nd, 30th, 33rd (between Market and Ludlow), 36th (at Sansom), and 37th (at Spruce) streets. The 24th Street trolley station and tunnel portal was abandoned. The tunnel mouth was visible from Market Street until the Philadelphia Gas and Electric Company (now PECO
Peco
Peco is a UK-based manufacturer of model railway accessories, especially trackwork, based at Pecorama, Beer in South Devon.Peco is the collective name for the Pritchard Patent Product Company Ltd, Peco Publications and Publicity Ltd, and Pecorama...
) built an office building on the site in 1969.
Skip-stop
Skip-stop
Skip-stop is a public transit service pattern which reduces travel times and increases capacity by not having all vehicles make all designated stops along a route. Skip-stops are used in both rail transit and bus transit operations.-Rail operation:...
operation began on January 30, 1956. In the original skip-stop configuration, in addition to the A and B stops shown on the map above, 2nd and 34th Street were "A" stations, and Fairmount (replaced by Spring Garden) was a "B" station; the A and B designations at these stations were changed to "All-Stop" because of increased patronage in the 1990s. As I-95
Interstate 95 in Pennsylvania
Interstate 95 is an Interstate highway running from Miami, Florida north to Houlton, Maine. In the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, the route is known by many as the Delaware Expressway, but is officially named The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway. and locally known as "95"...
was built through Center City Philadelphia in the late 1970s, part of the Frankford El was relocated to I-95's median, and the Fairmount station was replaced by Spring Garden, on May 16, 1977.
As with many other rail lines, the signal system on the Market–Frankford Line has progressed from the original lineside block signals using semaphores, to three-aspect Type D color light (green, over yellow, over red) signals, to cab signalling, eliminating the lineside block signals.
The Market-Frankford line is fairly unique as subway-elevated systems go. Notable features include being built with broad gauge
Pennsylvania trolley gauge
A number of North American streetcar lines intentionally varied from standard gauge. This may have been to make the streetcar companies less-tempting targets for takeovers by the steam railroads , which would be unable to run their trains over the streetcar tracks...
of , and in its use of bottom-contact third rail
Third rail
A third rail is a method of providing electric power to a railway train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway track. It is used typically in a mass transit or rapid transit system, which has alignments in its own corridors, fully or almost...
. As such, any possible future physical connection to other rapid-transit lines in Philadelphia is limited to cross-platform transfer only, as both the Broad Street Subway and the Norristown High-Speed Line are both standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
with top-contact third rail. The Market–Frankford Line and Metro-North Railroad
Metro-North Railroad
The Metro-North Commuter Railroad , trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, or, more commonly, Metro-North, is a suburban commuter rail service that is run and managed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority , an authority of New York State. It is the busiest commuter railroad in the United...
are the only railroads in North America that use bottom-contact third rail, known as the Wilgus-Sprague system. Its advantages include a reduced risk of electrocution for track workers and fewer disruptions due to icing conditions during winter weather.
The Market-Frankford Elevated's original construction also had some marked differences from that of other US elevated systems (such as Chicago or New York City). While those systems' elevated lines were built with rails laid on ties (sleepers) that were bolted directly to large steel girders, the Market-Frankford's structure consisted of steel girders supporting a concrete trough deck, which then supported the more conventional railroad construction of rails laid on floating ties with loose rock ballast. This was done in an attempt to reduce noise and vibration, as well as protect the streets below from rain and "operational fluids."
In November 2011, the Federal Transit Administration
Federal Transit Administration
The Federal Transit Administration is an agency within the United States Department of Transportation that provides financial and technical assistance to local public transit systems. The FTA is one of ten modal administrations within the DOT...
(FTA), through its competitive Fiscal Year 2011 Sustainability Initiative, awarded $1.4 million to SEPTA to install a "wayside energy storage system" on the Market-Frankford line. The system stores energy from braking trains in a battery that may be used later.
Reconstruction
Between 1988 and 2003, SEPTA undertook a $493,300,000 complete reconstruction of the Frankford Elevated between Bridge-Pratt Terminal and the 2nd Street portal. The new Frankford Elevated was built with new stringers and deck installed on the original columns, thus giving not only a reduction in cost, but also reducing the street-level impact on adjoining neighborhoods. The old ballasted trackage was replaced with direct fixation, where the rails are now directly affixed to concrete blocks or a concrete slab, with no need for ties or ballast. These blocks or slabs are placed on neoprene padding on a concrete deck, in what is known as a "floating slab," which significantly reduces noise and vibrations created by the trains. Many subway systems built from the 1970s onwards, such as BART and the DC Metro employ this method on their bridges and tunnels. In addition to the new Elevated structure, all of the stations were replaced with new stations with higher boarding platforms and elevators, allowing customers with disabilities to easily board and depart from Market-Frankford trains. Unfortunately, the basic design of the reconstructed Frankford elevated did not allow the structure to expand and contract with seasonal temperature changes; and the concrete has started to fracture and drop onto the street below. The problem was first discovered in 1997, but at that time was simply attributed to faulty construction, without evaluation of the root cause. As built, the concrete beams in the underside of the deck cannot move properly over the supporting steel girders, causing chipping and breaks, with pieces falling into the street. As a temporary fix, SEPTA has installed 8,000 metal mesh belts on the underside of the structure, and plans to install 2,000 more. Estimates for a permanent fix place the cost at about $20 million, and SEPTA has filed suit against the engineering companies that contributed to the design flaw to recover part of the repair cost.In 2003, SEPTA also completed replacement of the old Bridge-Pratt terminal with a new $160,000,000 Frankford Transportation Center
Frankford Transportation Center
The Frankford Transportation Center is a transportation terminal in Frankford, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It was once known as the Bridge Street terminal before a complete reconstruction in 2003...
located on private right-of-way.
Between 1999 and 2009, SEPTA then undertook a $567,000,000 complete reconstruction of the Market Street Elevated between 69th Street Terminal and the 44th Street portal. The new Market Street Elevated, which utilizes single-pillar supports in place of the old-style dual pillar design, will allow the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation oversees transportation issues in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The administrator of PennDOT is the Pennsylvania Secretary of Transportation, currently Barry Schoch Presently, PennDOT supports over of state roads and highways, about 25,000...
(PennDOT) to undertake a planned widening project on Market Street to four lanes between 63rd Street and 44th Street. In addition to the new Elevated structure, all of the stations (including Millbourne) were again replaced with new stations having higher boarding platforms and elevators, allowing customers with disabilities to easily board and depart from trains. The reconstruction of the Market St. Elevated superstructure was completed in 2008, and the last station, 63rd Street, was completed and reopened on May 4, 2009. The Market St. Elevated is not of the same design as the Frankford Elevated, so it does not share any of the Frankford design flaws.
Operation
During rush hourRush hour
A rush hour or peak hour is a part of the day during which traffic congestion on roads and crowding on public transport is at its highest. Normally, this happens twice a day—once in the morning and once in the evening, the times during when the most people commute...
s (trains beginning from about 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.), SEPTA uses skip-stop
Skip-stop
Skip-stop is a public transit service pattern which reduces travel times and increases capacity by not having all vehicles make all designated stops along a route. Skip-stops are used in both rail transit and bus transit operations.-Rail operation:...
operation. Trains marked "A" stop only at the stations marked "A" and "All Trains" on system maps, and "B" trains stop only at "B" and "All Trains" stations. Trains run on the line from about 5 a.m. to 12:30 a.m., and buses provide night service every 15 minutes from midnight to 5:30 a.m.
Fare for riding the line is $2.00 cash or single-ride tokens, which sell for $1.55 each. Tokens can be bought either at vending machines in most stations, or in multi-packs available at the cashier's booth in major stations such as 69th Street Terminal
69th Street Terminal
69th Street Transportation Center is a SEPTA terminal in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania. It is also the southwestern terminus of Philadelphia's EL, the Market-Frankford Line ....
or Frankford Transportation Center
Frankford Transportation Center
The Frankford Transportation Center is a transportation terminal in Frankford, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It was once known as the Bridge Street terminal before a complete reconstruction in 2003...
. Payment of base fare includes free transfer to the Subway-Surface Lines
SEPTA Subway-Surface Trolley Lines
The Subway–Surface Trolley Lines or Green Lines are five SEPTA trolley lines that operate on street-level tracks in West Philadelphia and Delaware County, Pennsylvania, and in a shared subway with rapid transit trains in Philadelphia's Center City....
at 30th
30th Street (SEPTA station)
30th Street is a rapid transit and trolley station on SEPTA's Market–Frankford and Subway–Surface lines in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The station is located on Market Street between 30th and 31st Streets in the University City neighborhood near Drexel University, and is the first station located...
, 15th
15th Street (SEPTA station)
15th Street is a rapid transit station on the SEPTA Market–Frankford Line and all routes of the Subway–Surface trolley lines in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A free interchange is available between all of the rapid transit lines here, including the Broad Street Line at City Hall, which is connected...
, and 13th Street
13th Street (SEPTA station)
13th Street is a SEPTA Market-Frankford Line and Subway-Surface Lines station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, under Market Street between 13th and Juniper Streets in Center City. The station serves the Market–Frankford Line and as the terminus for all five routes of the Subway–Surface Trolley Lines...
stations, as well as to the Broad Street Line
Broad Street Line
The Broad Street Line is a rapid transit line operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority that runs from Fern Rock Transportation Center in North Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Pattison Avenue in South Philadelphia...
at 15th street
15th Street (SEPTA station)
15th Street is a rapid transit station on the SEPTA Market–Frankford Line and all routes of the Subway–Surface trolley lines in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A free interchange is available between all of the rapid transit lines here, including the Broad Street Line at City Hall, which is connected...
. However, while the Broad-Ridge Spur connects at 8th St. Station
8th Street (SEPTA station)
8th Street is a subway station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at the corner of 8th Street and Market Street. It is served by SEPTA's Market-Frankford Line and Broad–Ridge Spur, and the PATCO Speedline...
, there is no longer a free-transfer passageway between the lines. Transfers requiring a paper transfer slip are available for $1.00 at any station.
SEPTA's "TransPass" and "TrailPass" weekly/monthly zone-based passcards are also accepted as fares. Use of these passcards is unlimited during their valid dates, making paid transfers unnecessary.
In FY 2005, 25,220,523 passengers rode the Market–Frankford Line. Weekday average ridership of 178,715 made it the busiest line in the entire SEPTA system. The Market–Frankford Line required 142 vehicles at peak hours, cost $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
86,644,614 in fully allocated expenses, and collected $54,309,344 in passenger revenues, for an impressive farebox recovery ratio
Farebox recovery ratio
The farebox recovery ratio of a passenger transportation system is the proportion of the amount of revenue generated through fares by its paying customers as a fraction of the cost of its total operating expenses....
of 63 percent.
On February 11, 2008, SEPTA expanded morning and afternoon weekday service with off-peak trains running every six minutes instead of eight. It represents a 12% increase in MFL Service through the day.
Extension proposal
An extension of the Market–Frankford Line from Frankford to Roosevelt Boulevard and Bustleton Avenue has been proposed in conjunction with an extension of the Broad Street SubwayBroad Street Line
The Broad Street Line is a rapid transit line operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority that runs from Fern Rock Transportation Center in North Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Pattison Avenue in South Philadelphia...
, but persistent political and economic obstacles are likely to prevent the implementation of any such extension.
Rolling stock
The M-4 cars, manufactured by AdTranz
Adtranz
ABB Daimler-Benz Transportation , commonly known under its brand Adtranz, was a multi-national rail transport equipment manufacturer with facilities concentrated in Europe and the USA....
, were brought into service in 1997 to replace the M-3 "Almond Joy" stock, so called because of their distinctive ventilation fan housings, which resembled the almonds atop the Peter Paul (now Hershey's
Hershey's
Hershey's may refer to:* Hershey's, a nickname for The Hershey Company* Hershey's Ice Cream produced by Hershey Creamery Company* Hershey's Chocolate World, a theme-park/visitor-center facility...
) Almond Joy
Almond Joy
An Almond Joy is a candy bar manufactured by Hershey's. It consists of a coconut-based center topped with two almonds and enrobed in a layer of milk chocolate...
bar. The M-3 cars, manufactured in 1960 by the Budd Company
Budd Company
The Budd Company is a metal fabricator and major supplier of body components to the automobile industry, and was formerly a manufacturer of stainless steel passenger rail cars during the 20th century....
, were replaced a few years before their expected lifespan because of their lack of air conditioning(the fan housings had provisions for air conditioning units, though these were never utilized) and generally shaky ride quality. Early in their service lives, some M-3 cars had fareboxes by their center side doors; these were necessary for collecting fares during the hours after midnight, when SEPTA closed cashier's booths at many stations during the era of 24-hour rapid transit service. "Night Owl" service (midnight–5:00 AM) trains operated on a twenty-minute headway (interval between trains) at that time. Since the 1990s, SEPTA has operated (along with the Broad Street Subway) all "Owl" service using buses, but similar to the old "Owl" trains, they run between 69th Street and Frankford Transportation Center on a slightly more frequent 15-minute interval.
The M-3 cars, designated Class A-49 for Cars #601-646, and Classes A-50, and A-51 for Cars #701, through 924, by SEPTA's predecessor, the Philadelphia Transportation Company (PTC); were themselves replacements for both the original "Market Street" cars, designated Class A-8 by SEPTA's predecessor, the Philadelphia Transportation Company (PTC), and built by the Pressed Steel Car Co. of Pittsburgh, Pa. (Cars #1-135, 1906–1911), the J.G. Brill Co. of Philadelphia, Pa. (Cars #136-215, 1911–1913), and the second series "Frankford" cars, designated Class A-15 and built by the J.G. Brill Co. (Cars #501-600, 1922). Though two of the "Market" cars (cars 69 and 163) and six of the "Frankford" cars survived retirement in 1960 as work train cars (Cars #532, 551, 559, 583, 585, and 589), none lasted as work cars until 2000, nor were any reported to have been saved for museums. The M-3 cars totaled a fleet of 270 cars, which replaced the combined fleet of 315 cars (215 Market Street cars, 100 Frankford cars), the oldest in operation at the time, was 56 years for a Market Street car, and the youngest was 38 years for a Frankford car. No class of subway-elevated car in Philadelphia has surpassed the lifespan record held by the Market Street cars, although the first cars built for the Broad Street subway have come very close with 54 years of operation. (The Broad Street cars were built in 1928, and phased out in 1982.)
Accidents
March 7, 1990: Three people were killed and another 162 injured when the rear three cars of six-car train #61 derailed leaving 30th Street Station westbound at 8:20AM. It is believed that one of the traction motors dropped out of the rear truck on the third car (M3) somewhere between 15th and 30th street stations, and it became entangled in a switch immediately upon leaving 30th street station. The front truck of the fourth car (M3 #818) followed the third car, while the rear truck of the fourth car took the diverging track, causing the car to shear halfway upon striking the steel pillars separating the tracks beyond the switch.Station list
| Miles | Station | A | B | Photo | Connections | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | 69th Street Transportation Center | A | B | aerial | Norristown High-Speed Line, Media-Sharon Hill Trolley Lines Routes 21, 30, 65, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 116, 120, and 123. | ||
| 0.4 | Millbourne | B | aerial | Originally called 66th Street, rebuilt station opened June 16, 2008 | |||
| 0.8 | 63rd Street 63rd Street (SEPTA station) 63rd Street Station is an elevated stop on the Market-Frankford Line, above the intersection of 63rd St and Market St in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the Haddington neighborhood... |
A | aerial | 21, 31, Previous connection, Route 31 trolley. | |||
| 1.1 | 60th Street 60th Street (SEPTA station) 60th St Station is an elevated stop on the Market-Frankford Line, above the intersection of 60th St and Market St in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Haddington neighborhood lies to the north of the station, while the area to the south is considered to be part of Cobbs Creek.SEPTA bus route 46... |
A | B | aerial | Previous connection, Route 46 trolley | Rebuilt station opened June 18, 2007 | |
| 1.5 | 56th Street 56th Street (SEPTA station) 56th Street Station is an elevated stop on the Market-Frankford Line, above the intersection of 56th Street and Market Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania... |
A | B | aerial | 31, G | Rebuilt station opened February 27, 2006 | |
| 1.9 | 52nd Street 52nd Street (SEPTA station) 52nd Street Station is an elevated stop on the Market-Frankford Line, above the intersection of 52nd Street and Market Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The station lies at the junction of four neighborhoods. Haddington is to the northwest, Dunlap to the northeast, Walnut Hill lies to the... |
A | B | 31, 52 *Previous connection, Route 70 trolley | |||
| 2.5 | 46th Street 46th Street (SEPTA station) 46th Street Station is an elevated stop on the Market-Frankford Line, above the intersection of Farragut and Market Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the Mill Creek neighborhood of West Philadelphia.... |
A | B | 31, 64 | *Rebuilt station opened April 14, 2008.
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| 3.2 | 40th Street | A | B | 30, 40, LUCY Gold, LUCY Green; diverted/nighttime routes of Subway-Surface lines SEPTA Subway-Surface Trolley Lines The Subway–Surface Trolley Lines or Green Lines are five SEPTA trolley lines that operate on street-level tracks in West Philadelphia and Delaware County, Pennsylvania, and in a shared subway with rapid transit trains in Philadelphia's Center City.... |
Original station at 40th Street was elevated. | ||
| 3.7 | 34th Street | A | B | 31, LUCY Gold, LUCY Green | Original station at 36th Street was elevated. Previous connection at 36th St. was Rte. 67 trolley. | ||
| 4.1 | 30th Street 30th Street (SEPTA station) 30th Street is a rapid transit and trolley station on SEPTA's Market–Frankford and Subway–Surface lines in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The station is located on Market Street between 30th and 31st Streets in the University City neighborhood near Drexel University, and is the first station located... |
A | B | 9, 30, 31, 44 SEPTA Route 44 SEPTA Route 44 is a public transportation bus route operated by SEPTA, that operates between Center City Philadelphia and Ardmore in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania.-Route:... , 121, 124, 125, LUCY Gold, LUCY Green, Amtrak Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union... and SEPTA 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... . |
Free transfer to Subway-Surface Lines SEPTA Subway-Surface Trolley Lines The Subway–Surface Trolley Lines or Green Lines are five SEPTA trolley lines that operate on street-level tracks in West Philadelphia and Delaware County, Pennsylvania, and in a shared subway with rapid transit trains in Philadelphia's Center City.... . Original station at 32nd Street was elevated. Previous connections at 32nd St. elevated station were Subway-Surface Routes 10, 11, 31, 34, 37, & 38 Trolley Lines. |
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| 5.1 | 15th Street 15th Street (SEPTA station) 15th Street is a rapid transit station on the SEPTA Market–Frankford Line and all routes of the Subway–Surface trolley lines in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A free interchange is available between all of the rapid transit lines here, including the Broad Street Line at City Hall, which is connected... |
A | B | 17, 27, 31, 32, 33, 38, 44 SEPTA Route 44 SEPTA Route 44 is a public transportation bus route operated by SEPTA, that operates between Center City Philadelphia and Ardmore in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania.-Route:... , 48, 121, C SEPTA Route C SEPTA Route C is a transit bus line in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority.The line operates primarily upon Broad Street... , 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... at Suburban Station. |
Free transfer to Subway-Surface Lines SEPTA Subway-Surface Trolley Lines The Subway–Surface Trolley Lines or Green Lines are five SEPTA trolley lines that operate on street-level tracks in West Philadelphia and Delaware County, Pennsylvania, and in a shared subway with rapid transit trains in Philadelphia's Center City.... and Broad Street Line Broad Street Line The Broad Street Line is a rapid transit line operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority that runs from Fern Rock Transportation Center in North Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Pattison Avenue in South Philadelphia... . |
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| 5.4 | 13th Street 13th Street (SEPTA station) 13th Street is a SEPTA Market-Frankford Line and Subway-Surface Lines station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, under Market Street between 13th and Juniper Streets in Center City. The station serves the Market–Frankford Line and as the terminus for all five routes of the Subway–Surface Trolley Lines... |
A | B | 17, 33, 44 SEPTA Route 44 SEPTA Route 44 is a public transportation bus route operated by SEPTA, that operates between Center City Philadelphia and Ardmore in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania.-Route:... , 48, 124, 125. |
Free transfer to Subway-Surface Lines SEPTA Subway-Surface Trolley Lines The Subway–Surface Trolley Lines or Green Lines are five SEPTA trolley lines that operate on street-level tracks in West Philadelphia and Delaware County, Pennsylvania, and in a shared subway with rapid transit trains in Philadelphia's Center City.... . |
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| 5.6 | 11th Street 11th Street (SEPTA station) 11th Street is a subway station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at the corner of 11th Street and Market Street in Center City. It is served by SEPTA's Market-Frankford Line and provides a connection to Market East Station.... |
A | B | 23 SEPTA Route 23 SEPTA's Trolley Route 23, the Germantown Avenue-11th & 12th Streets Line is a former streetcar line and currently operated by bus. It is operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States... ; 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... at Market East Station, Greyhound Greyhound Lines Greyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and... , other intercity buses & New Jersey Transit New Jersey Transit The New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the United States state of New Jersey, and New York, Orange, and Rockland counties in New York State... buses at Philadelphia Greyhound Terminal Philadelphia Greyhound Terminal The Philadelphia Greyhound Terminal is the primary intercity bus station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is located at 1001 Filbert Street in Center City Philadelphia, immediately north of The Gallery at Market East shopping mall and the SEPTA Market East Station, a few hundred feet east of the... |
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| 5.8 | 8th Street 8th Street (SEPTA station) 8th Street is a subway station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at the corner of 8th Street and Market Street. It is served by SEPTA's Market-Frankford Line and Broad–Ridge Spur, and the PATCO Speedline... |
A | B | 47, 61, Broad-Ridge Spur, PATCO Speedline; Previous connection, Route 47 trolley, Route 61 trackless trolley | |||
| 6.0 | 5th Street 5th Street (SEPTA station) 5th Street is a subway station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at the corner of 5th Street and Market Street, served by SEPTA's Market-Frankford Line.The station is known as 5th Street on the Market-Frankford Line... |
A | B | Previous connection, Route 50 trolley | Access to Independence Hall Independence Hall Independence Hall is the centerpiece of Independence National Historical Park located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, on Chestnut Street between 5th and 6th Streets... , National Constitution Center National Constitution Center The National Constitution Center is an organization that seeks to expand awareness and understanding of the United States Constitution and operates a museum to advance those purposes.... , and Liberty Bell Liberty Bell The Liberty Bell is an iconic symbol of American Independence, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Formerly placed in the steeple of the Pennsylvania State House , the bell was commissioned from the London firm of Lester and Pack in 1752, and was cast with the lettering "Proclaim LIBERTY... |
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| 6.3 | 2nd Street 2nd Street (SEPTA Station) 2nd Street is a subway station on the Market-Frankford Line, beneath the corner of 2nd Street and Market Street in Center City Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Eastbound trains heading towards Northeast Philadelphia turn north after departing this station and begin to run along Front Street and,... |
A | B | 5 | |||
| 7.1 | Spring Garden | A | B | aerial | 25, 43 | Replaced the Fairmount station when I-95 Interstate 95 in Pennsylvania Interstate 95 is an Interstate highway running from Miami, Florida north to Houlton, Maine. In the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, the route is known by many as the Delaware Expressway, but is officially named The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway. and locally known as "95"... was built |
|
| 7.8 | Girard | A | B | aerial | 5, 15, 25 | ||
| 8.5 | Berks | A | aerial | 3 | |||
| 8.9 | York–Dauphin | B | aerial | 3, 39, 89 | split between York northbound and Dauphin southbound. Original name of station was Dauphin-York. | ||
| 9.3 | Huntingdon | A | aerial | 3, 39 | |||
| 9.6 | Somerset | B | aerial | 3, 54 | |||
| 10.2 | Allegheny | A | B | aerial | 3, 60 SEPTA Route 60 SEPTA's Trolley Route 60, the Allegheny Avenue Line is a former streetcar line and current bus route, operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority in Northwest and Northeast Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States... , 89 |
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| 10.6 | Tioga | A | aerial | 3, 89 | Original station building on NB side (in Harrowgate Park) was preserved, as it was the only octagonal structure on the line. | ||
| 11.3 | Erie–Torresdale | A | B | aerial | 3, 56 SEPTA Route 56 SEPTA's Trolley Route 56, the Erie & Torresdale Avenues Line is a streetcar line and is currently operated by bus, it is operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The line runs between the Tioga and Tacony neighborhoods... , both of which were previously trolley routes. |
Originally called Torresdale. | |
| 11.8 | Church | B | aerial | 3, 5 | Originally called Ruan-Church. | ||
| 12.3 | Margaret–Orthodox | A | B | aerial | 3, 5, 59 SEPTA Route 59 SEPTA Route 59 is a trackless trolley line that runs from the Market–Frankford Line at Margaret-Orthodox Station's Arrott Terminal to Bells Corner in Rhawnhurst, primarily along Oxford and Castor Avenues... , 75 SEPTA Route 75 SEPTA Route 75 is a trolleybus route in North and Northeast Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It connects to the Market–Frankford Line at Margaret-Orthodox Station, and runs primarily along Wyoming Avenue... , 89, J, K Routes 3, 5, previously were Trolley Routes. |
Originally called Margaret–Orthodox–Arrott (for the Arrott Terminal). | |
| 12.9 | Frankford Transportation Center Frankford Transportation Center The Frankford Transportation Center is a transportation terminal in Frankford, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It was once known as the Bridge Street terminal before a complete reconstruction in 2003... |
A | B | aerial | 3, 5, 8, 14, 19, 20, 24, 25, 26, 50 SEPTA Route 50 SEPTA Trolley Route 50 is a former street car line and current bus route, operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.... , 58, 66 SEPTA Route 66 SEPTA Route 66 is a trolleybus route in Northeast Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It connects the Market–Frankford Line at the Frankford Transportation Center to either Morrell Park, Torresdale, or Holmesburg, primarily along Frankford Avenue, which includes and the historic,... , 67, 73, 84, 88, R |
This station replaced Bridge-Pratt (Frankford Terminal) |