The PATCO Speedline, signed as the Lindenwold Line in Philadelphia and commonly referred to as the PATCO High Speed Line, The concourse connects to the Market-Frankford Line, the Ridge Avenue spur line, and the PATCO High Speed Line. "If you're not a regular user of the PATCO Hi-Speedline" "Exploring the sale or privatization of the PATCO High Speed Line" is a rapid transit route operated by the Port Authority Transit Corporation (PATCO), connecting Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with Lindenwold in Camden County, New Jersey.
The line runs underground in Philadelphia, crosses the Delaware River on the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, continues underground through Downtown Camden, and then operates predominantly at grade or on elevated track between Camden and Lindenwold. Both PATCO and the Speedline are owned and operated by the Delaware River Port Authority. Service began on January 4, 1969, between Lindenwold and Camden, with full service to Philadelphia commencing on February 15, 1969. The Speedline integrates the historic Bridge Line, originally opened in 1936 between Philadelphia and Broadway Station in Camden, with newly constructed infrastructure along a former commuter rail corridor between Camden and Lindenwold.
While the PATCO Speedline is typically one of the few U.S. mass transit systems to operate 24 hours a day, weekday overnight service is temporarily suspended between September 2025 and August 2026. In , the line recorded total rides, or about per weekday in .
History
Crossing the Delaware
The present-day PATCO Speedline follows the path of several 19th-century railroads that once terminated at a station in Camden on the bank of the Delaware River, where passengers would transfer to a ferry to reach Philadelphia. In 1919, the states of Pennsylvania and New Jersey formed the Delaware River Bridge Commission to build a fixed crossing between the two cities.
The result was the Delaware River Bridge—later renamed the Benjamin Franklin Bridge—which opened on July 1, 1926. The bridge was designed with two outboard structures beside the main roadway to carry rapid transit tracks, along with six vehicle lanes and two streetcar tracks on the main deck, although no streetcars ever ran across the bridge and the space was eventually converted to additional vehicle lanes.
Bridge Line
To make use of the bridge's rail capacity, the South Jersey Transit Commission, established in 1929, proposed a rapid transit line that would run along the outboard structures. Instead of transferring to a ferry, passengers arriving in Camden could transfer at Broadway station to this new rail line and ride directly to 8th–Market station in Philadelphia, where they could continue on the Market–Frankford Line or the Broad–Ridge Line. The platform at 8th–Market would be shared with the Broad–Ridge Line and had actually been constructed in 1917 as part of an unrealized Center City subway loop. The commission also recommended consolidating regional rail operations, which led to the formation of the Pennsylvania–Reading Seashore Lines, serving Broadway station. However, the Pennsylvania Railroad did not discontinue its ferry service until March 31, 1952.
In 1931, the Delaware River Bridge Commission was reorganized as the Delaware River Joint Commission (DRJC), which was given the authority to build a high-speed transit line. Construction on the new line began in 1932, and the Bridge Line officially opened on June 7, 1936, with four stations: 8th–Market and Franklin Square in Philadelphia, and City Hall and Broadway in Camden. The DRJC owned the line and contracted with the Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company to operate it. Following the operator's bankruptcy, the reorganized Philadelphia Transportation Company (PTC) assumed control in 1940. In June 1949, to lower operating costs, PTC began through-routing Bridge Line trains with the Broad–Ridge Line, reversing direction at 8th–Market and offering one-seat service between Camden and Broad–Girard station in North Philadelphia.
Locust Street Subway As part of the earlier subway loop plans, the City of Philadelphia had begun tunneling from 8th Street to Locust Street, then west along Locust to 16th Street. Construction began in 1917 but was halted by World War I, resumed briefly in 1931, and was again suspended due to the Great Depression. Work finally resumed in 1950, and on February 14, 1953, the Bridge Line was extended to 15–16th & Locust station, with intermediate stops at 12–13th & Locust and 9–10th & Locust. The Broad–Ridge Line would also use the same tracks. This extension, still owned by the City of Philadelphia, marked the last major addition to the Bridge Line before its transformation.
Despite the extension, the Bridge Line suffered from low ridership due to high fares and its failure to extend into the South Jersey suburbs. By January 1954, off-peak and Saturday service was cut back to operate only between Girard and Camden, with a shuttle train running between 8th and 16th stations. Sunday service west of 8th Street was suspended entirely due to minimal demand. By 1962, only 1,900 passengers used the western segment of the line daily.
Conversion to the PATCO Speedline
From the time the Bridge Line opened, local advocacy groups called for a more comprehensive transit system linking Camden to South Jersey suburbs. In 1951, the states of Pennsylvania and New Jersey established the Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA) to succeed the DRJC and expand its mandate to regional transportation planning. To operate the transportation service, the DRPA established the Port Authority Transit Corporation (PATCO).
To chart a path forward, the DRPA commissioned Parsons, Brinckerhoff, Hall & MacDonald to study possible high-speed transit corridors. Their plan recommended constructing three new lines in South Jersey: Route A to Moorestown, Route B to Lindenwold/Kirkwood, and Route C to Woodbury Heights that would feed into a new tunnel under the Delaware River at an estimated cost of $242million (equivalent to $billion in ).
A later study by Louis T. Klauder & Associates proposed a more cost-effective alternative: reusing the existing Bridge Line to reach Philadelphia and extending service east along the former Pennsylvania–Reading Seashore Lines corridor to Lindenwold (Route B) as it had the highest projected ridership. This reduced the projected cost to $94million (equivalent to $billion in ), ultimately shaping the system that was built.
Over the weekend of August 23–27, 1968, the Broad–Ridge Line was realigned to a new upper-level terminal platform, becoming the Broad–Ridge Spur, which allowed conversion of the lower-level platforms into a high-speed service. During the conversion period, service was split between 16th–8th Street and 8th Street–Camden, with a cross-platform transfer at 8th. Bridge Line service was suspended on December 29, 1968, for final conversion of the line. Service from Lindenwold to Camden began on January 4, 1969. Full service into Center City Philadelphia over the Benjamin Franklin Bridge commenced on February 15, 1969, officially inaugurating the PATCO Speedline. The final cost of the project was $92 million.
An infill park and ride station, Woodcrest, was added on February 1, 1980, coinciding with the introduction of the PATCO II railcars. Subsequently, Ferry Avenue Local trains were replaced with Woodcrest Local trains on September 20, 1980.
In 2005, PATCO officials initiated plans for a new route along the corridor originally proposed for Route C, intended to serve Gloucester County and terminate in Glassboro on the campus of Rowan University. On May 12, 2009, New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine formally endorsed the development of a diesel light rail system along an existing Conrail right-of-way. This alignment was selected for its lower capital and operating costs. The proposed Glassboro–Camden Line would require passengers to transfer to the Speedline at the Walter Rand Transportation Center (Broadway station) for service to Philadelphia.
Franklin Square station, originally constructed in 1936 and closed since 1979, was proposed for reopening in the early 2000s. The $29.3 million renovation, got underway in 2022 and updated the station to modern standards and accessibility with a surface structure built at Franklin Square. The station reopened on April 3, 2025.
In 2021, the City of Philadelphia proposed a westward expansion of the PATCO system to the rapidly growing University City district. The plan includes a new rail tunnel beneath the Schuylkill River, with the 40th Street Trolley Portal station identified as a potential western terminus near the University of Pennsylvania and several major hospitals. A proposed connection at Penn Medicine Station would facilitate direct transfers to the SEPTA Regional Rail network. The next phase of the project includes a comprehensive feasibility study and cost analysis.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, PATCO implemented limited service beginning March 28, 2020, temporarily bypassing the , , , and stations. All four stations reopened on September 14, 2020. In March 2025, PATCO announced a six-month suspension of overnight service to allow for enhanced cleaning of stations.
Rolling stock
PATCO originally operated a fleet of 121 railcars, each 67 feet (20.42 m) in length, acquired in two orders designated PATCO I and PATCO II.
The PATCO I cars were designed and manufactured by the Budd Company of Philadelphia in 1968. Cars 101–125 were single units, while 201–250 were delivered as permanently coupled married pairs sharing motors motor and automatic train operation (ATO) control systems. Early cars used WABCO Model N-2 MU couplers, later replaced with Tomlinson couplers due to reliability issues. The unreliable electrical systems on PATCO I cars was later upgraded to match the PATCO II cars. Both fleets used camshaft resistance motor controllers and Budd Pioneer III trucks, producing a lightweight but less stable ride. The design informed later railcars, including the Long Island Rail Road's M1 and M3 railcars. Single-unit cars included a single-leaf door behind each cab, intended for onboard fare collection during late-night service before the fare system was finalized.
Delivered in 1980 alongside the opening of the Woodcrest station, the PATCO II cars (numbered 251–296) were manufactured by Vickers Canada under license from Budd. They closely resembled the earlier PATCO I units, with minor differences such as a fixed partition behind the operator's cab and the absence of a stainless steel shroud below the doors, allowing easier maintenance access. From 1969 until 2018, PATCO cars retained their original cream-and-avocado green interior, with vinyl seats featuring cloth inserts in a 2+2 layout—half forward-facing, half backward-facing. Vestibule areas were located at each door, with grab handles along seatbacks for standees.
In 2009, PATCO launched a $194.2 million fleet-wide refurbishment program, awarding the contract to Alstom. Starting in 2011, cars were transported to Alstom's facility in Hornell, New York facility for rebuilding. Updates included modernized interiors with bright white walls, all-vinyl dark gray and navy blue seating, improved fluorescent lighting, updated HVAC systems, wheelchair-accessible areas with folding seats, digital signage, and automated announcements recorded by Bernie Wagenblast. Full-width operator cabs were introduced for enhanced safety, eliminating four passenger seats per car.
Mechanical upgrades included new solid-state propulsion and train control systems, replacing the original camshaft resistance controllers and relay-based ATO. General Electric traction motors and Budd Pioneer III trucks were retained but rebuilt. Additional spare motors were sourced from retired Metro-North M-1A cars.