Lansdale/Doylestown Line

The Lansdale/Doylestown Line utilizes what is known as the SEPTA Main Line, a four-track line that has been owned by SEPTA since 1983 (prior to that, by Conrail between 1976 and 1983 and by the Reading Railroad before 1976), and the former Reading Railroad (RDG) Doylestown Branch. Historically, the main part of the line, from Philadelphia north to Lansdale, was part of the Reading Railroad's route from Philadelphia to Bethlehem, and then to Wilkes-Barre and Scranton.

A Reading Company Silverliner II at Doylestown in 1970

Originally arriving and departing at the former Reading Terminal, now part of the Pennsylvania Convention Center, the line has, since 1985, been directly connected to the ex-PRR/Penn Central side by the Center City Commuter Rail Tunnel. Unlike the ex-PRR/Penn Central Paoli/Thorndale Line it is often paired with for through-service, the ex-RDG line was not as heavily built, as the RDG segregated its through-freight and passenger movements. While the four-track section between the tunnel and Wayne Junction and the two-track section from Wayne Junction to Jenkintown are grade-separated, the two-track section from Jenkintown to Lansdale and the single track from Lansdale to Doylestown has both at-grade railroad crossings and over- and underpasses.[2]

Electrified service between Philadelphia and Hatboro, Lansdale, Doylestown and West Trenton was opened on July 26, 1931. Equipment consisted of dark green painted electric multiple unit cars built at the Reading's own shops. Some of the cars were rebuilt during the 1960s receiving air conditioning, refreshed interior and a new blue paint scheme resulting in their being referred to as "Blueliners". Today, the line uses the Silverliner family of EMU cars which operate throughout SEPTA's Regional Rail system.[2]

Service to Bethlehem and the Lehigh Valley languished due to the post-World War II surge of the automobile as well as the opening of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension in 1957. Service north of Lansdale in the non-electrified territory was terminated by SEPTA on July 29, 1981.[2] Trackage north of Quakertown was dismantled after the railbed was leased for use as the interim Saucon Rail Trail.

Between 1984–2010 the route was designated R5 Doylestown and R5 Lansdale as part of SEPTA's diametrical reorganization of its lines. Lansdale and Doylestown trains operated through the city center to the Paoli Line on the ex-Pennsylvania side of the system.[3] The R-number naming system was dropped on July 25, 2010.[4] As of 2019, most Lansdale/Doylestown Line trains continue through Center City to Malvern or Thorndale on the Paoli/Thorndale Line on weekdays and to Marcus Hook or Wilmington on the Wilmington/Newark Line on weekends.[5]

On August 29, 2011, SEPTA adjusted the midday service pattern to encourage ridership at Colmar station, which had available parking capacity immediately adjacent to Pennsylvania Route 309. Previously, every other train turned back at Lansdale; those trains now call at Colmar before terminating at Link Belt, providing half-hourly service at Colmar between the morning and afternoon rush hours.[6]

On December 18, 2011, SEPTA eliminated weekend service at Link Belt and New Britain due to low ridership. In the fall of 2012, New Britain was added back to the weekend schedule as a flag stop.

A large parking garage is to be built at Lansdale station. 9th Street station opened nearby on November 15, 2015 as an alternate parking location during construction; it will remain open afterwards to as part of planned transit-oriented development.[7]

SEPTA activated positive train control on the Lansdale/Doylestown Line from Doylestown to Glenside on June 13, 2016. Positive train control was activated from Glenside to Fern Rock on December 12, 2016 and from Fern Rock to 30th Street on January 9, 2017.[8]

On April 9, 2020, service on the line was truncated to Lansdale due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Service to Doylestown resumed on June 22, 2020.[9][10]

The Reading Company constructed the current building at Jenkintown–Wyncote station in 1932

Penllyn station opened in 1930

Lansdale station, a major station along the line

Colmar station in 2006

Doylestown station, which serves as the terminus of the Lansdale/Doylestown Line

The Lansdale/Doylestown Line makes the following station stops after leaving the Center City Commuter Connection; stations indicated with a gray background are closed.

Zone [11]	Station	Miles (km) from Center City	Date opened	Connections / notes
C	Temple University	2.1 miles (3.4 km)		SEPTA Regional Rail: all lines
1	North Broad	2.9 miles (4.7 km)		SEPTA Regional Rail:      Manayunk/​Norristown Line SEPTA Rapid Transit: BSL Broad Street Line SEPTA City Bus: 4, 16, 54
	Wayne Junction	5.1 miles (8.2 km)		SEPTA Regional Rail:      Chestnut Hill East Line,      Fox Chase Line,      Warminster Line,      West Trenton Line SEPTA City Bus: 2, 23, 53 SEPTA Trackless Trolley: 75
	Logan			One of four stations discontinued by SEPTA on October 4, 1992.[12]
	Tabor
	Fern Rock Transportation Center	7.3 miles (11.7 km)	1956	SEPTA Regional Rail:      Warminster Line,      West Trenton Line SEPTA Rapid Transit: BSL Broad Street Line SEPTA City Bus: 4, 28, 57, 70
Philadelphia city line
2	Melrose Park	8.4 miles (13.5 km)		SEPTA Regional Rail:      Warminster Line,      West Trenton Line
	Elkins Park	9.2 miles (14.8 km)	May 14, 1899[13]	SEPTA Regional Rail:      Warminster Line,      West Trenton Line SEPTA City Bus: 28
3	Jenkintown–Wyncote	10.8 miles (17.4 km)		SEPTA Regional Rail:      Warminster Line,      West Trenton Line SEPTA City Bus: 77
	Glenside	11.9 miles (19.2 km)		SEPTA Regional Rail:      Warminster Line SEPTA City Bus: 22, 77
	North Hills	13.0 miles (20.9 km)
	Oreland	13.9 miles (22.4 km)
	Fellwick	14.8 miles (23.8 km)	1855[14]	Known as Sandy Run from 1855–March 1884,[15] Camp Hill from March 1884–February 16, 1931,[16] and Sellwick.[16] Closed on November 10, 1996 due to low ridership.[17]
	Fort Washington	15.9 miles (25.6 km)		SEPTA Suburban Bus: 94, 95, 201
	Ambler	17.3 miles (27.8 km)	1855[14]	SEPTA Suburban Bus: 94, 95 The station was known as Wissahickon until 1869, when it was renamed after Mary Johnson Ambler, a local hero in the Great Train Wreck of 1856.[14]
	Penllyn	18.8 miles (30.3 km)		SEPTA Suburban Bus: 94
	Gwynedd Valley	20.0 miles (32.2 km)
4	North Wales	22.4 miles (36.0 km)	1873[18]	SEPTA Suburban Bus: 96
	Pennbrook	23.5 miles (37.8 km)		SEPTA Suburban Bus: 94
	Lansdale	24.4 miles (39.3 km)	February 7, 1903[19]	SEPTA Suburban Bus: 96, 132
	9th Street	25.0 miles (40.2 km)	November 15, 2015[20][21]
	Fortuna	25.9 miles (41.7 km)		SEPTA Suburban Bus: 132
	Colmar	26.8 miles (43.1 km)
	Link Belt	27.5 miles (44.3 km)	December 2, 1952[22]
	Chalfont	29.7 miles (47.8 km)		BCT: DART West
	New Britain	31.5 miles (50.7 km)		BCT: DART West
	Delaware Valley University	32.8 miles (52.8 km)		BCT: Doylestown DART, DART West
	Doylestown	34.4 miles (55.4 km)		SEPTA City Bus: 55 BCT: Doylestown DART Trans-Bridge Lines (to New Hope and New York City)

Between FY 2008–FY 2018 yearly ridership on the Lansdale/Doylestown Line has held steady at 4.6 million, save for dips to 4.3 million in FY 2010–2011 and FY 2017 and a spike to 5 million in FY 2016.[note 1]

• "SEPTA – Lansdale/Doylestown line schedule" (PDF).

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