SEPTA Metro

SEPTA Metro is an urban rail transit network in and around Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA). The network includes two rapid transit lines, a light metro line, a surface-running trolley line, and a subway–surface trolley line, totaling 78 miles (126 km) of rail service.

SEPTA Metro
Clockwise from top left: Trains on the L, B, T, G, D, and M.
Overview
Owner	SEPTA
Area served	Philadelphia, Delaware, and Montgomery Counties, Pennsylvania
Locale	Delaware Valley
Transit type	Rapid transit (L, B) Trolley (G, D) Subway–surface trolley (T) Light metro (M)
Number of lines	6
Daily ridership	232,092 (FY 2023)
Headquarters	1234 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Website	wwww.septa.org/metro/
Operation
Infrastructure manager(s)	SEPTA City of Philadelphia
Technical
System length	78 mi (126 km)
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge 5 ft 2+1⁄2 in (1,588 mm) Pennsylvania trolley gauge
System map Orange Street/​Media Olive Street Jackson Street Monroe Street Edgemont Street Manchester Avenue Providence Road/​Media Beatty Road Pine Ridge Chester Pike/Sharon Hill Paper Mill Road MacDade Boulevard Springfield Mall Andrews Avenue Thomson Avenue Bartram Avenue Woodland Avenue North Street Leamy Avenue Magnolia Avenue Saxer Avenue Woodland–Providence Brookside–Springfield Clifton–Aldan Scenic Road Springfield–Madison Drexeline Penn Street Baltimore Avenue Norristown T.C. Drexelbrook Bridgeport Creek Road DeKalb Street Anderson Avenue Hughes Park Marshall Road Gulph Mills Aronimink Matsonford Drexel Manor County Line School Lane Radnor South Garrettford Villanova South Huey Avenue Stadium Garrett Hill Drexel Hill Junction Roberts Road Irvington Road Bryn Mawr South Drexel Park Haverford South Lansdowne Avenue Ardmore Avenue Congress Avenue Ardmore Junction Beverly Boulevard Wynnewood Road Hilltop Road Beechwood–Brookline Avon Road Penfield Walnut Street Township Line Road Fairfield Avenue Parkview 69th Street T.C. Millbourne 80th/​Eastwick 63rd Street 63rd–Girard 60th Street Darby T.C. 49th/Woodland 56th Street Yeadon Loop 52nd Street 46th Street 61st–Baltimore/​Angora 40th Street 40th Street Portal 63rd–Malvern/​Overbrook 37th–Spruce NRG Lancaster-Girard 36th–Sansom Oregon 36th Street Portal 34th Street Snyder 33rd Street Tasker–Morris Drexel Ellsworth–Federal 22nd Street Lombard–South 19th Street Walnut–Locust 15th St/​City Hall 15th St/​City Hall 13th Street Race–Vine 11th Street Broad–Spring Garden 8th–Market 40th St/Parkside Chinatown 5th Street/​Independence Hall 34th St/Zoo 2nd Street Fairmount Spring Garden Broad–Girard Front–Girard Cecil B. Moore Frankford–Delaware Berks Susquehanna–Dauphin York–Dauphin Richmond–Westmoreland Huntingdon North Philadelphia Somerset Broad–Allegheny Kensington–Allegheny Erie Tioga Hunting Park Erie–Torresdale Wyoming Church Logan Arrott T.C. Olney T.C. Frankford T.C. Fern Rock T.C. Only major T and G surface stations shown Key Market–Frankford Line Route 15 Trolley Broad Street Line Media–Sharon Hill Line Subway–Surface Trolleys Norristown High Speed Line

Although some of Philadelphia's transit lines date to the 19th century and the SEPTA agency began operations in 1965, the transit network itself had no formal name until 2024, when it was named "SEPTA Metro" as part of an effort to make the system easier to navigate. The effort is also replacing each line's name with a single letter, plus a number to denote various service patterns. After a two-year transition that will replace signage throughout the system, the Market–Frankford Line, Broad Street Line, subway–surface trolley lines, Route 15 trolley, Media–Sharon Hill Line, and Norristown High Speed Line will be referred to as the L, B, T, G, D, and M, respectively.

History

In September 2021, SEPTA officials proposed to rebrand its rail transit services to make the system easier to navigate. The lines included the Market–Frankford Line, Broad Street Line, subway–surface trolley lines, Norristown High Speed Line, Route 15 trolley, and Media–Sharon Hill Line .

Under this proposal, new maps, station signage, and line designations would be created. Under the proposed nomenclature, trunk lines would receive a letter and a color, with services having a numeric suffix and service name, to make wayfinding easier. Services on the current Market–Frankford Line, for instance, would be called the "L Lines" and colored blue, with local service becoming the "L1 Market–Frankford Local".

Services along the current Broad Street Line would become the "B Lines" and colored orange, with local service becoming the "B1 Broad Street Local". The express service would become the "B2 Broad Street Express", the special service would become the "B2 Express Sports Special", and spur service would become the "B3 Broad–Ridge Express". Services along the current subway–surface, Norristown High-Speed Line, Route 15 trolley, and Routes 101 and 102 suburban trolley trunk would become the "T Lines", "M Lines", "G Lines", and "D Lines" respectively. SEPTA budgeted $40 million to June 2023 for the rebranding.

In March 2022, SEPTA revised the SEPTA Metro proposal based on community feedback collected during September and October 2021. Under the amended proposal, each lettered service will be known as "Line" rather than "Lines". Special service along the Broad Street Line would become part of the "B2 Broad Street Express", with service being differentiated by their end terminals. Real-time information will be presented at stations on screens. Stations with shared names would be renamed to avoid confusion. SEPTA upgraded its website in late 2023, before the planned rollout of SEPTA Metro in 2024.

The first updated signs were installed at Drexel Station at 30th Street in February 2024.

Lines

SEPTA Metro lines

Line name	Type	Service patterns	Terminal stations		Avg. weekday ridership (FY 2023)
			South/West	North/East
Market–Frankford Line	Rapid transit	All Stops	69th Street	Frankford	107,651
Broad Street Line	Rapid transit	Local	NRG	Fern Rock	79,155
		Express	Walnut–Locust NRG (limited)
		Spur	8th–Market
Subway–Surface Trolleys	Subway/surface	Route 10	63rd–Malvern/​Overbrook	13th Street	5,396
		Route 34	61st–Baltimore/​Angora		6,225
		Route 13	Yeadon Darby (limited)		6,503
		Route 11	Darby		6,669
		Route 36	80th Street–Eastwick		7,101
Route 15 Trolley	Trolley	All Stops	63rd–Girard	Richmond–Westmoreland	4,762
Media–Sharon Hill Line	Trolley	Route 101	Orange Street/​Media	69th Street	2,023
		Route 102	Chester Pike / Sharon Hill		2,097
Norristown High Speed Line	Light metro	Local	69th Street	Norristown	4,510

References

External links

• Official website