Fox Chase Line


The Fox Chase Line is a route of the SEPTA Regional Rail system. The Fox Chase Line branches from the SEPTA Main Line at Newtown Junction, north of the Wayne Junction station. It runs entirely within the city of Philadelphia. The line is fully grade-separated, except for one grade crossing on Oxford Avenue. Under the Reading Company service continued north to Newtown, but this ended in January 1983. Various proposals to resume this service have failed, and the line within Montgomery County was converted into a rail trail in 2008 and 2014, respectively, ending any chance of resumed passenger service for the foreseeable future.

History

The Fox Chase Line branches from the SEPTA Main Line at Newtown Junction, north of the Wayne Junction station. It runs entirely within the city of Philadelphia.
The line beyond Newtown Junction was originally opened February 2, 1878, to Newtown as the Philadelphia, Newtown and New York Railroad. The line was built by the Pennsylvania Railroad to block the building of the parallel National Railway. After that failed, it was taken over by the North Pennsylvania Railroad on November 22, 1879. By then the Philadelphia and Reading Railway, later the Reading Company, had leased the North Pennsylvania Railroad. In 1976 the Reading was merged into Conrail, and in 1983 SEPTA took over commuter rail operations.
Between 1984 and 2010 the route was designated R8 Fox Chase as part of SEPTA's diametrical reorganization of its lines. Fox Chase trains operated through the city center to the Chestnut Hill West Line. Plans had called for the Fox Chase Line to be paired with a Bryn Mawr local and designated R4, but this depended on a never-built connection from the Chestnut Hill West Line to the ex-Reading near Wayne Junction., most Fox Chase Line trains continue through Center City to the Chestnut Hill West Line.
SEPTA activated positive train control on the Fox Chase Line on May 23, 2016.

Beyond Fox Chase

Under the Reading Company Budd Rail Diesel Cars operated through from the Reading Terminal in downtown Philadelphia to Newtown. The Reading extended electrification to Fox Chase in 1966; limited diesel shuttles from Fox Chase to Newtown continued. SEPTA suspended these shuttles on July 1, 1981, as part of a systemwide discontinuation of non-electrified service. The shuttles returned on October 5 as the Fox Chase Rapid Transit Line. The operation of the line was troubled: the RDCs were in poor mechanical condition, SEPTA's decision to use transit division employees from the Broad Street Subway caused labor issues, and ridership was low. SEPTA suspended service again on January 18, 1983.
Since 1983, there has been interest from Bucks County passengers in resuming service to Newtown. In anticipation of a possible resumption, SEPTA performed extensive track upgrades in 1984. Street crossings in Newtown and Southampton received brand new welded rail, which were secured using sturdy Pandrol clips vs. traditional rail spikes. Though not promoted, this work was done in order to comply with a federal grant.
By March 1985, SEPTA gave into political pressure and made a concerted effort to integrate the non-electrified Fox Chase-Newtown line into the rest of its all-electrified commuter system. A $10 million plan to restore service to Newtown and Pottstown using British Rail-Leyland diesel railbuses was considered, with a test run reaching Newtown on September 3. Though the trial runs were relatively successful, ride quality was lackluster. Burdened with ongoing budgetary problems, SEPTA decided against the purchase of the railbuses.
In March 1987, SEPTA received several bids from private operators interested in running diesel-hauled trains to Newtown. The operators suggested using non-union workers, which SEPTA was against. In addition, funding for these operations was allegedly questionable, and the SEPTA board rejected all offers.
Beginning in 2009, portions on the line within Montgomery County have been converted into a rail trail. By 2015, the Pennypack Trail extended along the former line between Rockledge and Byberry Road near Bryn Athyn. Future plans call for the Pennypack Trail to be extended north to County Line Road. Additional trackage was in Upper Southampton was dismantled in October 2018, though several townships along the line are still hoping for resumption of rail service to alleviate traffic congestion on local roads and highways.

Stations

Fox Chase trains make the following station stops after leaving the Center City Commuter Connection. Stations indicated in gray background are closed. Although SEPTA suspended service to all stations north of Fox Chase in 1983 and has since converted most of the northern portion of the line to a rail trail, it continues to list those stations in its public tariff.
ZoneLocationStationMiles
from Center City		Connections / notes
CTemple University SEPTA Regional Rail: all lines
CNicetown–Tioga, Philadelphia---
CNicetown–Tioga, PhiladelphiaTiogaClosed 1989
CNicetown–Tioga, PhiladelphiaNicetownClosed November 14, 1988 due to fire damage
1Nicetown–Tioga, Philadelphia SEPTA Regional Rail: Chestnut Hill East, Lansdale/Doylestown, Warminster, West Trenton lines
SEPTA City Bus:
1Olney, PhiladelphiaOlney SEPTA City Bus:
2Lawncrest, PhiladelphiaCrescentvilleClosed March 26, 1978
2Lawndale, Philadelphia
2Cheltenham
2Fox Chase, PhiladelphiaRyers SEPTA City Bus:
2Fox Chase, Philadelphia SEPTA City Bus:
3Huntingdon ValleyClosed January 18, 1983
3Huntingdon ValleyClosed January 18, 1983
3Bryn AthynClosed January 18, 1983
4Huntingdon ValleyClosed 1965
4Upper Southampton TownshipClosed January 18, 1983
4Upper Southampton TownshipClosed January 18, 1983
4Upper Southampton TownshipClosed January 18, 1983
4Northampton TownshipClosed January 18, 1983
4Newtown TownshipClosed January 18, 1983
4NewtownClosed January 18, 1983

Ridership

Yearly ridership on the Fox Chase Line between FY 2008–FY 2018 has remained steady around 1.4 million:

Footnotes