How do I figure out which platform a SEPTA regional rail arrives at for a particular station?
I am beyond frustrated at this point. We even called SEPTA's support number, and the person outright lied and said that they have no information about which platform a train will arrive at. (This is a lie because there are signs at the platforms which give this information - if you're already at the station, that is.)
My mom wants to take SEPTA Regional Rail from Yardley to the airport. This involves changing trains in center city. My mom has trouble walking and cannot use escalators. Thus, the 15 minutes between the Yardley train's arrival and the airport train's departure is enough only if either the two trains arrive/depart from the same platform (or rather, from either side of the same platform level), or if both trains stop nearest the end where the elevators (NOT escalators) are.
I simply cannot seem to find any information about which tracks/platforms any given train will use. I've looked at TrainView - it's useless for scheduled trains, and doesn't seem to give useful information for already-in-motion trains, either. I've seen something called "Next To Arrive" mentioned, but I can't find an actual website for it.
Is there a way to find out which platform a train will use at a specific station? (Jefferson Station, in particular - both of the other center city options are problematic even without the accessibility concerns.)
(SEPTA = SouthEastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority, a.k.a. Philadelphia area.)
Best Answer
This is Kevin from SEPTA Customer Service. We are sorry to hear of your experience. Please know that it can be difficult to accurately predict the correct track number for every single train. TrainView at SEPTA.org (http://trainview.septa.org/ ) does list the track numbers for Jefferson, Suburban and 30th Street stations for trains if you select the train number. However, please know that these track numbers are subject to change. As a result, we always recommend checking the monitors at the station before heading to the platform as track changes can occur shortly before the departure time. We are aware that the signs at the Center City stations do indicate which lines arrive at which tracks. Please know that these signs are in a general sense and not all trains on each line follows this due to multiple factors. Also, these signs do not take into account any last minute changes. Again, this is why we always recommend checking the monitors before approaching the platforms.
In regards to the “Next To Arrive” feature that you mentioned, this is a feature found on the Official SEPTA app (Link: http://www.septa.org/service/new-app.html ). This feature does not typically provide track information for trains. We do recommend using the app for alerts and to track status information for all of our services.
We would like to look more into the call you made to us. Please send us an email at cservice@septa.org with your name and phone number.
If you ever need assistance online you can always reach out to us on Twitter (@SEPTA_SOCIAL), Facebook (Link: https://www.facebook.com/septaphilly/ ) or send us an email.
Kevin G.
Pictures about "How do I figure out which platform a SEPTA regional rail arrives at for a particular station?"
Can SEPTA Key be used on regional rail?
The SEPTA Key card can be used for travel on ALL SEPTA modes including: Regional Rail, Buses, Trolleys, Trackless Trolleys, Market-Frankford Line, Broad Street Line/Broad Ridge Spur, and Norristown High Speed Line.What is regional rail in Philadelphia?
The SEPTA Regional Rail system is a commuter rail network serving the Philadelphia Metropolitan area. The system has 13 branches and more than 150 active stations in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, its suburbs and satellite towns and cities. Service on most lines operates from 5:30am to midnight.Why are SEPTA trains always late?
The reasons are myriad and include outdated equipment, a lack of funding and manpower, growing ridership and a complicated relationship with Amtrak. None come with easy solutions. Stuck in the middle: Passengers packed into a SEPTA train car at Jefferson Station.Are SEPTA and Amtrak the same?
Yes, same station but different section. Yes, you will be able to buy tickets there. AMTRAK trains are underneath the main hall of the station. SEPTA trains are on an elevated platform.SEPTA How To Ride the Regional Rail
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Answer 2
I don't know how accurate it is but Wikipedia shows a track layout for most major stations: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_Station_(SEPTA) showing which routes call at which platform, unfortunately I'm not familiar enough with the question to answer if it would be suitable, do edit if you have more familiarity with the system and can work it out.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Elena Saharova, Ellie Burgin, 39422Studio, Andrea Piacquadio