History UsefulNotes / PhiladelphiaSubways

* The Broad Street Line is sometimes called in to [[CaliforniaDoubling double]] for the New York City Subway, to which its stations bear a passing resemblance,[[note]]The interior style is similar and the BSL has express tracks akin to the ones on the NYC subway[[/note]] but which is easier to film in both bureaucratically (SEPTA's Film Office is less overwhelmed than the MTA's) and logistically (BSL stations are a bit roomier than the ones in NYC). Films that have done this include ''Film/{{SAFE}}'' and ''Film/{{Limitless}}'' (which, Philadelphians are likely to note, stars Philly native Bradley Cooper).

** The '''Norristown High-Speed Line''', also called the "Purple Line" (again, only non-Philadelphians use the map colors as names, at least in English[[note]]The Philly area's not-insubstantial Spanish-speaking population is known to refer to the lines by color when speaking Spanish. So the BSL is commonly ''La Línea Naranja'' and the MFL is commonly ''La Línea Azul'' to the substantial Latino communities in the city (particularly the heavily Dominican and Puerto Rican neighborhood between Broad St. and Frankford Ave. in North Philly, but the more Mexican community in South Philly and highly heterogeneous Hispanic community in West Philly are known to use the same names). Whether the large Mexican community of Norristown calls the NHSL ''La Línea Púrpura'' isn't well recorded but distinctly possible.[[/note]]) or the Route 100 (it's old route designation), runs from The 69th Street Transit Center just over the city line in Upper Darby to the suburb of Norristown using a somewhat curving path that actually crosses into Philly briefly. A weird line that doesn't quite fit any into a specific mode of rail. It was originally intended as the beginning of the Philadelphia & Western (P&W, a name still used by some old timers), an intercity line all the way to Chicago, but never went further than suburban Strafford. The current line consists of the main line to Villanova and a branch to Norristown, the portion to Strafford having been abandoned in the 1950s. For years it was run like an interurban trolley (and is still called "the Interurban" by some old timers), but the NHSL is completely grade separated, and uses third rail, not overhead wire. However, the vehicles are only one car, and are too small to be true rapid transit. It's considered "light metro" by some.

** The '''Norristown High-Speed Line''', also called the "Purple Line" (again, only non-Philadelphians use the map colors as names, at least in English[[note]]The Philly area's not-insubstantial Spanish-speaking population is known to refer to the lines by color when speaking Spanish. So the BSL is commonly ''La Línea Naranja'' and the MFL is commonly ''La Línea Azul'' to the substantial Latino communities that exist between Broad St. and Frankford Ave. in North Philly. Whether the large Mexican community of Norristown calls the NHSL ''La Línea Púrpura'' isn't well recorded but distinctly possible.[[/note]]) or the Route 100 (it's old route designation), runs from The 69th Street Transit Center just over the city line in Upper Darby to the suburb of Norristown using a somewhat curving path that actually crosses into Philly briefly. A weird line that doesn't quite fit any into a specific mode of rail. It was originally intended as the beginning of the Philadelphia & Western (P&W, a name still used by some old timers), an intercity line all the way to Chicago, but never went further than suburban Strafford. The current line consists of the main line to Villanova and a branch to Norristown, the portion to Strafford having been abandoned in the 1950s. For years it was run like an interurban trolley (and is still called "the Interurban" by some old timers), but the NHSL is completely grade separated, and uses third rail, not overhead wire. However, the vehicles are only one car, and are too small to be true rapid transit. It's considered "light metro" by some.

** The '''Norristown High-Speed Line''', also called the "Purple Line" (again, only non-Philadelphians use the map colors as names) or the Route 100 (it's old route designation), runs from The 69th Street Transit Center just over the city line in Upper Darby to the suburb of Norristown using a somewhat curving path that actually crosses into Philly briefly. A weird line that doesn't quite fit any into a specific mode of rail. It was originally intended as the beginning of the Philadelphia & Western (P&W, a name still used by some old timers), an intercity line all the way to Chicago, but never went further than suburban Strafford. The current line consists of the main line to Villanova and a branch to Norristown, the portion to Strafford having been abandoned in the 1950s. For years it was run like an interurban trolley (and is still called "the Interurban" by some old timers), but the NHSL is completely grade separated, and uses third rail, not overhead wire. However, the vehicles are only one car, and are too small to be true rapid transit. It's considered "light metro" by some.

-->''*[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1nVhwY6CzM 69th Street train making all stops...Doors are closing.]]*''

*** There is repeated talk of a Roosevelt Boulevard branch of the Subway, which would split north of Hunting Park station onto a line along Roosevelt Boulevard up through Northeast Philadelphia. This route was actually about to be built in the 1970s, but local opposition from (predominantly white working- and middle-class) Northeast Philadelphia kiboshed the plan, essentially because they associated public transportation with "criminals" (by which they meant "poor black people"), and the money was spent building the Regional Rail commuter tunnel in Center City instead. Since then, [[DevelopmentHell the plan has languished for lack of funds]], even as people in Northeast Philadelphia have come around to the idea again. To this day, it remains the highest-potential-ridership transit proposal in the United States outside New York City, but pushes to actually do it have all gone nowhere. A renewed effort to get the project started began in late 2022; while nothing concrete is decided, it does seem to stand a better chance due to support from local state legislators in the Northeast.

*** There is repeated talk of a Roosevelt Boulevard branch of the Subway, which would split north of Hunting Park station onto a line along Roosevelt Boulevard up through Northeast Philadelphia. This route was actually about to be built in the 1970s, but local opposition from (predominantly white working- and middle-class) Northeast Philadelphia kiboshed the plan, essentially because they associated public transportation with "criminals" (by which they meant "poor black people"), and the money was spent building the Regional Rail commuter tunnel in Center City instead. Since then, [[DevelopmentHell the plan has languished for lack of funds]], even as people in Northeast Philadelphia have come around to the idea again. To this day, it remains the highest-potential-ridership transit proposal in the United States outside New York City, but pushes to actually do it have all gone nowhere. A renewed effort to get the project started began in late 2022; while nothing concrete is decided, it does seem to stand a better chance due to support from local state legislators.

*** There is repeated talk of a Roosevelt Boulevard branch of the Subway, which would split north of Hunting Park station onto a line along Roosevelt Boulevard up through Northeast Philadelphia. This route was actually about to be built in the 1970s, but local opposition from (predominantly white working- and middle-class) Northeast Philadelphia kiboshed the plan, essentially because they associated public transportation with "criminals" (by which they meant "poor black people"), and the money was spent building the Regional Rail commuter tunnel in Center City instead. Since then, [[DevelopmentHell the plan has languished for lack of funds]], even as people in Northeast Philadelphia have come around to the idea again. To this day, it remains the highest-potential-ridership transit proposal in the United States outside New York City, but the only inkling of any interest is improved bus service along the Boulevard, with SEPTA promising to "look into higher-capacity options" if the buses see high enough ridership.

* The Broad Street Line is sometimes called in to [[CaliforniaDoubling double]] for the New York City Subway, to which its stations bear a passing resemblance, but which is easier to film in both bureaucratically (SEPTA's Film Office is less overwhelmed than the MTA's) and logistically (BSL stations are a bit roomier than the ones in NYC). Films that have done this include ''Film/{{SAFE}}'' and ''Film/{{Limitless}}'' (which, Philadelphians are likely to note, stars Philly native Bradley Cooper).

** The '''PATCO High-Speedline''', or simply PATCO (the Speedline by those in the know), is not run by SEPTA, but rather by the Delaware River Port Authority; PATCO stands for "Port Authority Transit Corporation." This line is akin to the UsefulNotes/PortAuthorityTransHudson in that it is basically a rapid transit system but it also operates a bit like a commuter rail system (indeed, both run on old Pennsylvania Railroad track: the PATH is the former Hudson and Manhattan, which was owned briefly by the Pennsy, and the PATCO on the former Camden and Atlantic City), stopping at various towns in Philadelphia's [[UsefulNotes/NewJersey South Jersey]] suburbs (including [[{{Gangsterland}} Camden]]) much as the PATH goes to New York's North Jersey ones (including [[{{Gangsterland}} Newark]]). It features the other "ghost station" in Philly, at Franklin Square. (Which is currently being renovated and will reopen sometime in 2024) It also hadn't seen an upgrade in its rolling stock in years; the trains were mostly built in TheSixties, and you can tell from everything from the exterior styling to the interior decor (if that's the right word),[[note]]It's not ''quite'' so bad as all that, though; the actual motors get repaired or upgraded with reasonable frequency[[/note]] although they've begun complete refurbishment and modernization of the interiors (refurbished cars entered service in spring 2015, and most cars were refurbished by year end 2018). In the city, it goes under Vine Street from the Ben Franklin Bridge and then under 8th Street before turning west at Locust Street and terminating at 16th Street. It meets the MFL and Broad-Ridge Spur at 8th & Market and the BSL via a pedestrian tunnel that connects the BSL Walnut-Locust Station to 15th/16th and 12/13th Stations, but since the payment systems are totally separate there is no free transfer (there is talk of free or reduced-fare transfer after SEPTA fully implements the new "SEPTA Key" contactless fare system, but as of now it's just talk--although it ''is'' more or less certain that the SEPTA Key will work to pay fares on PATCO). The line took its current form in the 60s, having previously been the Bridge Line of the Philly subway when it was run by SEPTA predecessor the Philadelphia Transit Company. The shift to a new interstate operator (and extension into Jersey via the former commuter rail tracks) resulted in the Bridge Line tracks being severed from the rest of the subway, whereas before trains on the Broad-Ridge Spur shared the 8th Street and Locust Street tunnels.

** The '''PATCO High-Speedline''', or simply PATCO (the Speedline by those in the know), is not run by SEPTA, but rather by the Delaware River Port Authority; PATCO stands for "Port Authority Transit Corporation." This line is akin to the UsefulNotes/PortAuthorityTransHudson in that it is basically a rapid transit system but it also operates a bit like a commuter rail system (indeed, both run on old Pennsylvania Railroad track: the PATH is the former Hudson and Manhattan, which was owned briefly by the Pennsy, and the PATCO on the former Camden and Atlantic City), stopping at various towns in Philadelphia's [[UsefulNotes/NewJersey South Jersey]] suburbs (including [[{{Gangsterland}} Camden]]) much as the PATH goes to New York's North Jersey ones (including [[{{Gangsterland}} Newark]]). It features the other "ghost station" in Philly, at Franklin Square. (There's been some talk of restoring it; a plan was floated in 2012, dropped, and then suddenly taken up again in late 2014, but no action has of yet been taken.) It also hadn't seen an upgrade in its rolling stock in years; the trains were mostly built in TheSixties, and you can tell from everything from the exterior styling to the interior decor (if that's the right word),[[note]]It's not ''quite'' so bad as all that, though; the actual motors get repaired or upgraded with reasonable frequency[[/note]] although they've begun complete refurbishment and modernization of the interiors (refurbished cars entered service in spring 2015, and most cars were refurbished by year end 2018). In the city, it goes under Vine Street from the Ben Franklin Bridge and then under 8th Street before turning west at Locust Street and terminating at 16th Street. It meets the MFL and Broad-Ridge Spur at 8th & Market and the BSL via a pedestrian tunnel that connects the BSL Walnut-Locust Station to 15th/16th and 12/13th Stations, but since the payment systems are totally separate there is no free transfer (there is talk of free or reduced-fare transfer after SEPTA fully implements the new "SEPTA Key" contactless fare system, but as of now it's just talk--although it ''is'' more or less certain that the SEPTA Key will work to pay fares on PATCO). The line took its current form in the 60s, having previously been the Bridge Line of the Philly subway when it was run by SEPTA predecessor the Philadelphia Transit Company. The shift to a new interstate operator (and extension into Jersey via the former commuter rail tracks) resulted in the Bridge Line tracks being severed from the rest of the subway, whereas before trains on the Broad-Ridge Spur shared the 8th Street and Locust Street tunnels.

* '''Underground but not rapid transit''': The '''Subway-Surface Trolley Lines''', sometimes called the '''Green Line(s)''', are single-car tram lines running underground parallel to the MFL under Market Street starting at 13th Street and then diverging at 36th Street to various points in West and Southwest Philadelphia. The Green Lines have free transfer from both the BSL and MFL at City Hall/15th Street and also have free transfer from the MFL at 13th Street and 30th Street. While they do not have rapid-transit capacity, they generally do run at rapid-transit (or at least near-rapid-transit) frequency; on any given route, you'll rarely have to wait more than 20 minutes for a trolley absent delays, and wait times are usually more like the 10-15 minute range (less during rush hour). If your journey is strictly within the area of shared track (from Center City to [=UPenn=]), you're probably not going to wait more than 10 minutes even if you're seriously off-peak.

* '''Underground but not rapid transit''': The '''Subway-Surface Trolley Lines''', sometimes called the '''Green Line(s)''', are single-car tram lines running underground parallel to the MFL under Market Street starting at 13th Street and then diverging at 36th Street to various points in West and Southwest Philadelphia. The Green Lines have free transfer from both the BSL and MFL at City Hall/15th Street and also have free transfer from the MFL at 13th Street and 30th Street. While they do not have rapid-transit capacity, they generally do run at rapid-transit (or at least near-rapid-transit) frequency; you'll rarely have to wait more than 20 minutes for a trolley absent delays, and wait times are usually more like the 10-15 minute range (less during rush hour).

* '''Underground but not rapid transit''': The '''Subway-Surface Trolley Lines''', sometimes called the '''Green Line(s)''', are single-car tram lines running underground parallel to the MFL under Market Street starting at 13th Street and then diverging at 36th Street to various points in West and Southwest Philadelphia. The Green Lines have free transfer from both the BSL and MFL at City Hall/15th Street and also have free transfer from the MFL at 13th Street and 30th Street.