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Southampton (SEPTA station)
Encyclopedia
Southampton is a derelict station located along SEPTA's Fox Chase/Newtown Line located on Second Street Pike (PA-232
) near Knowles Avenue in Upper Southampton
, Pennsylvania
.
's Newtown Line. It later became a part of SEPTA's Fox Chase Rapid Transit Line. The station, and all of those north of Fox Chase
, was closed on January 14, 1983, due to failing diesel train equipment (RDCs)
that SEPTA had no desire to rehabilitate.
In addition, a labor dispute began within the SEPTA organization when the transit operator inherited 1,700 displaced employees from Conrail
. SEPTA insisted on utilizing transit operators from the Broad Street Subway to operate Fox Chase-Newtown diesel trains, while Conrail requested that railroad motormen run the service. When a federal court ruled that SEPTA had to use Conrail employees in order to offer job assurance, SEPTA cancelled Fox Chase-Newtown trains. Service in the diesel-only territory north of Fox Chase was cancelled at that time, and Southampton Station still appears in publicly posted tariffs.
Although rail service 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.
ordered additional safety precautions, but service ceased just over a year after the accident.
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 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 they are willing to resume regular commuter service if political support exists in both counties.
, other townships have questioned SEPTA's motives.
The township of Upper Southampton is one of several that pleaded with SEPTA to restore service to the derelict Fox Chase-Newtown corridor since trains ceased operating in 1983. In October 2010, SEPTA told public officials that there was no chance of train service returning, as the Newtown Line Improvement Project was deleted from its from the Fiscal Years 2009-2020. The 2010 Upper Southampton Township Comprehensive Plan Update states that "SEPTA has suggested that the Township make use of the rail right-of-way for a 'Rails-to-Trails' project tailoring an agreement with SEPTA patterned after a similar agreement with Montgomery County (the Pennypack Trail Extension
) for the same purpose."
Pennsylvania Route 232
Pennsylvania Route 232 is a long state highway located in southeastern Pennsylvania. The southern terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 1 and US 13 at the Oxford Circle in Philadelphia. The northern terminus is at PA 32 in the borough of New Hope, Bucks County, on the banks of the Delaware River...
) near Knowles Avenue in Upper Southampton
Upper Southampton Township, Pennsylvania
Upper Southampton Township is a township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 15,152 at the 2010 census.-Geography:...
, 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...
.
History
Built in 1892, Southampton Station was a stop on the Reading RailroadReading Company
The Reading Company , usually called the Reading Railroad, officially the Philadelphia and Reading Rail Road and then the Philadelphia and Reading Railway until 1924, operated in southeast Pennsylvania and neighboring states...
's Newtown Line. It later became a part of SEPTA's Fox Chase Rapid Transit Line. The station, and all of those north of Fox Chase
Fox Chase (SEPTA station)
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...
, was closed on January 14, 1983, due to failing diesel train equipment (RDCs)
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 rehabilitate.
In addition, a labor dispute began within the SEPTA organization when the transit operator inherited 1,700 displaced employees from Conrail
Consolidated Rail Corporation
The Consolidated Rail Corporation, commonly known as Conrail , was the primary Class I railroad in the Northeast U.S. between 1976 and 1999. The federal government created it to take over the potentially profitable lines of bankrupt carriers, including the Penn Central Transportation Company and...
. SEPTA insisted on utilizing transit operators from the Broad Street Subway to operate Fox Chase-Newtown diesel trains, while Conrail requested that railroad motormen run the service. When a federal court ruled that SEPTA had to use Conrail employees in order to offer job assurance, SEPTA cancelled Fox Chase-Newtown trains. Service in the diesel-only territory north of Fox Chase was cancelled at that time, and Southampton Station still appears in publicly posted tariffs.
Although rail service was initially replaced with a Fox Chase-Newtown shuttle bus
Bustitution
The word bustitution is a neologism sometimes used to describe the practice of replacing a passenger train service with a bus service either on a temporary or permanent basis. The word is a portmanteau of the words "bus" and "substitution"...
, 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.
Fire
Three months after SEPTA assumed operations, on January 2, 1982, the crossing at Second Street Pike just south of Southampton Station was the site of a fiery crash between a train, a gasoline truck, and a car. Five people were injured and the accident caused flames to rise fifty feet in the air and created a plume of black smoke visible for miles. Photographs from the fire indicate the crossing signal equipment was working properly, with warning lights continuing to warn motorists after the collision occurred. SEPTA general manager David L. GunnDavid L. Gunn
David L. Gunn is a transportation system administrator who has headed several significant railroads and transit systems in North America....
ordered additional safety precautions, but service ceased just over a year after the accident.
Resumption of train service
In the ensuing years, there has been interest in resuming passenger service by Bucks County officials, including the Upper Southampton Board of Supervisors.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
Pennsylvania Transit Expansion Coalition
The Pennsylvania Transit Expansion Coalition is a network of transit advocates who promote responsible investment in transit expansion. The organization's goal is to work with local transit organizations to redirect limited transportation funding to investment in expanding rail-based transit in...
(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 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 they are willing to resume regular commuter service if political support exists in both counties.
SEPTA promotes trails
Beginning in 2008, SEPTA began an aggressive campaign to convert their derelict commuter lines into rail trails. Though embraced by some townships like AbingtonWalnut 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:...
, other townships have questioned SEPTA's motives.
The township of Upper Southampton is one of several that pleaded with SEPTA to restore service to the derelict Fox Chase-Newtown corridor since trains ceased operating in 1983. In October 2010, SEPTA told public officials that there was no chance of train service returning, as the Newtown Line Improvement Project was deleted from its from the Fiscal Years 2009-2020. The 2010 Upper Southampton Township Comprehensive Plan Update states that "SEPTA has suggested that the Township make use of the rail right-of-way for a 'Rails-to-Trails' project tailoring an agreement with SEPTA patterned after a similar agreement with Montgomery County (the Pennypack Trail Extension
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:...
) for the same purpose."