Starting Monday, a new trolley safety system will add 10 to 15 minutes travel time for riders on the Sharon Hill (D2) and Media (D1) trolleys, writes Thomas Fitzgerald for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Trips from Orange Street in Media to 69th Street in Upper Darby will be about 15 minutes longer, while those riding from Sharon Hill to the Terminal will have a 10-minute longer commute, according to SEPTA.
A new modern signal system known as Communications-Based Train Control will require operators to make more gradual accelerations and decelerations. The upgraded signal system will also enforce speed limits and initiate automatic braking, if needed.
The system took a decade to install at a cost of $75 million. A similar system has been used in the Center City trolley tunnel service since 2006.
“It will reduce the possibility of operator error,” SEPTA general manager Scott A. Sauer said. “They won’t be able to speed and risk derailment. They won’t be able to violate stop signals or misaligned switches.”
Operators receive an alert if there’s a problem, but the system will offer backup if they cannot correct the problem in time, Sauer said.
Read more about SEPTA’s upgrades to its trolleys and regional rails in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
