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 rail system with five branches, a streetcar line, a light rail line with two services, and a light metro line, totaling of rail service.
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 replaced each line's name with a single letter, plus a number to denote various service patterns.
History 19th century SEPTA Metro dates back to 1859 when the Pennsylvania General Assembly chartered the Richmond and Schuylkill River Passenger Railway.Public Laws 241 and 242 of 1859 and 1862 of 1861, reprinted in Law Department of the City of Philadelphia, A Digest of Laws Relating to the City of Pennsylvania, 1865, pp. 111–113 (appendix) This line—now known as the G—commenced operations in July 1859, connecting Second Street to 31st Street along Girard Avenue. Following financial restructuring, the line reorganized as the Fairmount Park and Delaware River Passenger Railway in 1864 before merging with the Germantown Passenger Railway in 1866.American Street Railway Investments, a Supplement to the Street Railway Journal, 1897, p. 198, 200, 204
The network continued to expand as the nineteenth century progressed. The People's Passenger Railway leased the line in 1881, extending service west to 60th Street by 1900. In 1896, the Union Traction Company assumed control of the line by leasing the People's Passenger Railway.
In 1895, horse-drawn vehicles were replaced by electrified streetcars. The early 20th century witnessed the extension of Girard Avenue streetcars west to 63rd Street and east to Allegheny Avenue in 1903, incorporating the former Electric Traction Company Bridesburg Line on Richmond Street.
Trolley service continued to expand into Philadelphia's suburbs. In 1895, the Philadelphia and West Chester Traction Company inaugurated a trolley line (now Route 104) along West Chester Pike. In 1902, service was launched to Ardmore by the Ardmore and Llanerch Street Railway (now Route 103). Suburban trolley expansion continued with the opening of the Sharon Hill Line (now D2) in 1906. In 1907, the Philadelphia and Western Railroad inaugurated service from 69th Street Transportation Center to Strafford, forming parts of what would eventually become the M.DeGraw, Ronald (2007). Pig & Whistle: The Story of the Philadelphia & Western Railway. Chicago: Central Electric Railfans' Association.
20th century Authorization for the construction of rapid transit lines in Philadelphia was granted by the Pennsylvania General Assembly in 1901 through legislation permitting the construction of both subway and elevated railways within the city.
On March 4, 1907, Philadelphia's first rapid transit service was launched with the opening of the Market Street Line along Market Street. The service ran between 69th Street Terminal and City Hall. The system featured an elevated structure west of the Schuylkill River and a subway tunnel east of the river. Philadelphia was unusual in that the construction of its initial downtown subway was undertaken using Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company private capital with no contribution from public funds.Expansion proceeded rapidly, with the Market Street Line extending east to 2nd Street in August 1908 and reaching the Delaware River the following month. October 1908 saw the opening of the Delaware Avenue Elevated (Ferry Line), extending service to South Street. The total cost of the Market Street subway and elevated system amounted to . The suburban trolley network continued its growth with the opening of the Media Line (now D1) in April 1913. That same year, the Norristown branch of the Philadelphia and Western Railroad was fully operational.
Construction on the Frankford Elevated section of what would become the L began in September 1915. Despite delays caused by World War I, the connection between the Frankford and Market Street lines was approved in 1919 and finalized in 1922.City of Philadelphia, Department of City Transit. 1922. The first operating sections of the Frankford elevated railway and Bustleton surface line: a souvenir booklet giving a brief account of their construction, equipment and operating agreement The Frankford Elevated was dedicated on November 4, 1922, and opened for service the following day. Trains from 69th Street alternated between the Frankford and Ferry Line terminals.
A north-south transit corridor was created with the opening of the Broad Street Line (now B) along Broad Street between City Hall and Olney Avenue on September 1, 1928. The line was expanded southward with service to Walnut—Locust in 1930 and Lombard—South in 1932. The Broad Street Line was extended to Snyder Avenue on September 18, 1938.
Following the opening of the Delaware River Bridge in 1926, traffic on the Delaware Ave branch declined sharply. Facing continued ridership losses after the opening of the Delaware River Bridge (now Benjamin Franklin Bridge), the Ferry Line ceased operations by May 6, 1939. Meanwhile, tunnel construction from 22nd Street to 46th Street along the Market Street Line, initiated in 1930 to replace the elevated structure east of 46th Street, had been delayed by funding shortages during the Great Depression.
Subway construction resumed in 1947, and the current configuration of the L opened on November 6, 1955, with the old elevated structure removed by June 20, 1956. Skip-stop operation was introduced on January 30, 1956, with designated "A" and "B" stops to improve service efficiency.The suburban transit system underwent significant changes during this period. The Philadelphia Suburban Transportation Company (more commonly known as the Red Arrow Lines) acquired both the Sharon Hill and Media lines in 1954. On June 24 of the same year, the West Chester Pike trolley line was replaced by buses, with rush-hour service to Westgate Hills continuing until 1958. The Philadelphia and Western Railroad was absorbed by the Philadelphia Suburban Transportation Company in 1953, and by 1956, the branch between Villanova and Strafford was abandoned, leaving only service between 69th Street and Norristown. The express tracks on the Broad Street Line from Fern Rock to just south of Olney were completed in 1959. By the early 1960s, Philadelphia's transit landscape comprised numerous independent operators providing varied services. With profits falling, nearly bankrupt transit and rail companies were looking to exit the passenger business.
On August 17, 1963, the Pennsylvania General Assembly formally established the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) to plan, develop, coordinate, and consolidate public transportation services throughout Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties. The organization began operations on February 18, 1964. This began the systematic integration of the region's disparate transit networks.
The Ardmore trolley line, one of the suburban Red Arrow trolley routes, operated until December 1966, with its exclusive right-of-way later serving SEPTA Route 103. SEPTA absorbed the Red Arrow Lines in 1970. The Broad Street Line expanded southward in 1973, extending to Pattison Avenue (now NRG Station) to serve the newly constructed sports complex. This extension completed the main structure of Philadelphia's north-south rapid transit corridor.The Norristown High Speed Line (now the M) underwent significant modernization in the mid-1980s. Aging Brill "Bullet" cars, which had served for over 50 years, were replaced with former Chicago Transit Authority 6000 series cars between 1985 and 1986. By 1990, former Market-Frankford Line M-3 cars were introduced alongside the ex-CTA equipment.
Spring Garden station on the Ridge Avenue spur (now B3) closed in 1991. The express tracks on the Broad Street Line were extended from Olney to Erie in 1991.
A comprehensive modernization program for the Norristown High Speed Line in the late 1980s and early 1990s rebuilt or upgraded tracks, electrical substations, signaling systems, bridges, terminal buildings, and the maintenance depot. New ASEA N-5 rolling stock entered service beginning in 1993.
Trolley service on Route 15 (now the G) was replaced by buses in September 1992.
Between 1988 and 2003, SEPTA invested $493.3 million in a complete reconstruction of the Frankford Elevated between Bridge–Pratt terminal (now Frankford Transit Center) and the 2nd Street portal. This project included replacing ballasted trackage with a direct fixation system and upgrading all stations along the reconstructed section with higher boarding platforms and elevators for improved accessibility and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
A parallel reconstruction initiative, costing $567 million and executed between 1999 and 2009, replaced the Market Street Elevated between 69th Street Transportation Center and the 44th Street portal. The new structure featured single-pillar supports to accommodate roadway widening on Market Street, with the final station on this project—63rd Street—reopening on May 4, 2009.
21st century The Bridge–Pratt terminal closed in 2003, replaced by a new $160 million Frankford Transportation Center. Route 15 trolley service returned on September 4, 2005, following a $100 million investment in track rehabilitation and overhead wire repairs. This revival featured rebuilt 1947 St. Louis Car-built PCC II vehicles, modernized by the Brookville Equipment Corporation at a cost of $1.3 million per car."Philadelphia's PCCs Return to Service." Railway Age. Vol. 205, No. 10, p. 30. October 1, 2005.
The traditional skip-stop service on the Market–Frankford Line, which had operated during weekday rush hours since January30, 1956, was discontinued on February 21, 2020. That same year, reconstruction related to Interstate 95 necessitated the temporary replacement of streetcar service along Route 15 with buses for at least 18 months. The COVID-19 pandemic brought major challenges in early 2020, with the network operating "Lifeline Service" that bypassed several stations. Full service was restored by July 2020 as the region adapted to changing public health conditions.
Unification and reorganization 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.