The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) has implemented a package of improvements to help enhance service and adapt to growing ridership on the Market-Frankford Line.
As part of this initiative, SEPTA has eliminated A/B skip-stop service during peak travel times - meaning all trains will always stop at all stations. SEPTA says the decision to eliminate skip-stop service was made based on a successful pilot program in 2018 and helps address ridership growth.
In addition to the elimination of skip-stop service during peak travel, SEPTA has also increased service frequencies during weekday evening hours. SEPTA says it has seen demand during this period increase due to several factors, particularly changes in work schedules for customers who are commuting outside of the traditional nine-to-five window.
"The Market-Frankford Line is the backbone of the SEPTA system, and we are excited to deliver these service improvements to our riders," said SEPTA General Manager Leslie S. Richards. "Coupled with the increase in frequencies in the evening, we think these enhancements better position SEPTA to meet the changing needs of our riders."
A/B skip-stop service was in place from 7:00 to 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays at stations Berks, York-Dauphin, Huntingdon, Somerset, Tioga and Church on the east end of the line, and Millbourne and 63rd Street on the west end.
With the elimination of skip-stop service during peak travel, and higher frequencies in the evenings, customers are seeing the following improvements:
- At former A/B stations, the elimination of skip-stops will increase service from a train every eight minutes to a train every four minutes during peak hours.
- The Market-Frankford Line will continue to operate with peak frequencies of four minutes across the peak travel periods from 7:00 to 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.
- From 6:00-7:00 p.m., frequencies will increase from a train every 10 minutes to a train every six minutes.
- From 7:00-8:00 p.m., frequencies will increase from a train every 10 minutes to a train every eight minutes.
