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Reimagining Regional Rail

Overview

SEPTA is reimagining Regional Rail to better serve the way people live, work and travel today. Building on North America’s only fully electrified regional rail system, SEPTA’s Regional Rail Master Plan will make train service more frequent, more accessible and easier to use. Developed with input from communities across Southeastern Pennsylvania, this plan will better connect people to jobs, schools, healthcare and other destinations throughout the region, while integrating Regional Rail more closely with the rest of the SEPTA network.

Regional Rail Master Plan Map

The Network Vision carries two types of service:


SEPTA Regional: Trains run every 30-60 minutes or better all day, typically serving longer trips and can include express service.


S Line: Trains run every 15 minutes or better all day, typically serving shorter trips and stopping at every station.

Primary Benefits

  • Strategic improvements and concerted efforts unlock Metro-level frequency and consistency on Regional Rail.
  • Fully accessible stations across the entire network served by a new fleet ensure mobility for every rider while speeding up service.
  • Improved connections with frequent bus and Metro lines widen the benefits of a reimagined Regional Rail.

Project Goals

Icon Sign with Person


Increase and improve access to opportunity

Icon Regional Rail Accessibility


Prioritize an intuitive rider experience through a seamless, welcoming system

Regional Rail Trains on time


Create a reliable, predictable Regional Rail System that people can trust

Regional Rail Master Plan

The Regional Rail Master Plan outlines how investments in accessibility, service and connections improve safety for our riders and offer more mobility options for all people in the region. SEPTA will work towards the Network Vision over five-year phases. We are focused on the Early Action improvements, while we also investigate longer term projects (see Section 6 below).

View Executive Summary (PDF)

The introduction provides an overview of SEPTA’s Regional Rail and the reason for Reimagining Regional Rail. We also highlight the key goals for Reimagining Regional Rail: (1) increase and improve access to opportunity; (2) create a reliable, predictable Regional Rail system that people can trust; and (3) prioritize an intuitive rider experience through a seamless, welcoming system. The primary questions and underlying demand for service guided our process in creating the future Network Vision.

View Section 01: Introduction (PDF)

This existing conditions report provides the context for creating a future vision by describing the system as it operates today. By doing so, we explain what works well with Regional Rail today, what the opportunities are and what the challenges are. It reviews the current state of the service, which includes operations, the fleet, maintenance facilities, infrastructure and interface with passenger and freight railroad service and ridership trends.

View Section 02: State of the System (PDF)

To imagine what is possible in the Philadelphia region, we can look around the United States at SEPTA’s peers and around the world at other commuter rail systems. In the United States, the term “commuter rail” suggests a service operated primarily for 9-to-5 work trips from the suburbs to downtown. In much of the rest of the world, commuter rail has been extensively modernized and reimagined to be more efficient to operate, easier to use and useful for many more kinds of trips. These international examples show us the range of what is possible within the technology of commuter rail.

View Section 03: Peer Review (PDF)

Outreach is at the core of how we reimagine Regional Rail and create a Network Vision. In Phase 1, people provided input about why they ride Regional Rail, why they don’t and what would improve service and the customer experience. In Phase 2, three scenarios were developed in response to the findings from Phase 1 outreach. They address the main challenges in different ways and created an opportunity for people to provide feedback on different network options.

View Section 04: Creating the Vision (PDF)

The Network Vision creates a lifestyle network that will work for all types of trips across the region, providing consistent, integrated and reliable all-day all-week service.

View Section 05: Network Vision (PDF)

The Network Vision will be realized in phases that increase service as capital projects are completed.

View Section 06: Phasing (PDF)

The implementation of the Network Vision will take a concerted effort, especially over the next decade, to establish a solid foundation for retooling our planning, engineering, construction and operations towards a bold future where Regional Rail is fully integrated with SEPTA bus and Metro, and more frequent based on underlying demand, land uses and ridership recovery.

View Section 07: Implementation (PDF)

Download the Regional Rail Master Plan Executive Summary PDF

Building a Best-in-Class Public Transit System

SEPTA’s Five-Year Strategic Plan (PDF) is our guide for transforming SEPTA from a back-to-basics to best-in-class public transit system. Covering fiscal years 2027 through 2031, it serves as a roadmap for daily action with measurable performance indicators and a commitment to transparently report on our progress.

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