NJ: SEPTA starts service cuts that will eventually kill this N.J. rail line

The threatened cuts to Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority service started Sunday and will continue to be phased in this week, with a 21% fare hike coming next week.

The first SEPTA service reductions started Sunday and continued into Monday with bus and subway service cuts that eliminates 32 routes and reduces service on 88 others.

Those will be followed by a Sept. 1 fare increase and regional rail service cuts on Sept. 2 that include two SEPTA lines that serve New Jersey — the Trenton and West Trenton lines.

Weekday Trenton Line service will be reduced to hourly, starting on Sept. 2, with select half-hour service levels during peak periods, officials say.

No limited-stop trains will operate, and early morning and late-night service hours also will be adjusted. Weekend service will be reduced from hourly to every two hours.

Weekday West Trenton Line peak service is reduced to hourly only on the West Trenton Line, and no express or limited-stop trains will operate. In addition, weekend service will operate every two hours.

Ultimately, plans call for the Trenton line to be eliminated in January 2026 along with four other rail lines that use Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor tracks. That will save SEPTA $65 million in rent to Amtrak, officials said.

West Trenton line service will continue after January, with no regional rail service available after 9 p.m.

In addition, sports express service to football games and other events also will be eliminated.

Monday’s service cuts took effect as Philadelphia public schools reopened. About 50,000 students use SEPTA for transportation and commuters faced their first day with more crowded buses and fewer options due to service cuts, 6ABC in Philadelphia reported.

While the state legislature in Pennsylvania hasn’t agreed to allocate additional funding for the state’s mass transit agencies, SEPTA officials said they had to begin cost cutting measures to close a $213 million budget gap.

That led to harsh criticism from Brian Pollitt, president of Transport Workers Union Local 234 that represents 5,000 SEPTA workers, who said hundreds are facing layoffs.

“This is a black eye for the Commonwealth. When international guests at the World Cup are left stranded, they will tell their friends around the globe how backward Pennsylvania is,” he said in a statement. “The same is true for NFL fans who won’t be able to find transportation after night games because of newly imposed curfews.”

He predicted mobility problems when visitors come to the city for the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence next year.

“When visitors to Philadelphia’s historic district find that they can’t get around due to a lack of public transit options and gridlocked streets, they won’t celebrate 250 years of our proud history,” Pollitt said.

He also expressed concern that passengers who are angered about overcrowded buses and trains will take their frustration out on drivers and crew members.

“The inaction by the senate is placing my members in harm’s way,” he said.

Authority officials said state lawmakers are still negotiating a state budget, and funding for SEPTA is still on the table. However the state senate is not scheduled to reconvene until Sept. 8 and the house is not in session until Sept. 22.