Amtrak and SEPTA Could Reconnect Stations in Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA – Amtrak and SEPTA could possibly reconnect its stations at 30th Street in Philadelphia, allowing for better access for commuters.

A news report shows that Amtrak and SEPTA “have identified plans to restore a connecting tunnel” at 30^thStreet Station in Philadelphia. Currently, the Market-Frankford Line stops at 30^th Street, and riders cannot access the Amtrak hub without going above ground. Instead, they must follow “a route that lacks wayfinding signage and traverses a street that funnels automobile traffic off the I-76 highway.

Amtrak’s William H. Gray III 30^th Street Station Redevelopment project will “enhance the station’s functionality . . . improve the Market Street Plaza, expand retail offerings, and provide other benefits to the local community,” according to the project’s website. It is the second phase of renovation after cleaning and other restoration efforts. The benefits of this redevelopment include modernizing the station, improving rider experience, and becoming a gateway to West Philadelphia and University City, among others.

Right now, the traffic surrounding the station above ground is dangerous, according to Mike Cramer, president of Powelton Village Civic Association. For riders to travel between stations, they must traverse through “an exceptionally busy roadway without any signs offering clear direction.” Travellers must leave one station, go outside, navigate the roadway, and then go back down to another station. With baggage, it makes the trek complicated and confusing.

Beth Toll, Amtrak spokesperson, said in a statement that “an intermodal connection between Amtrak’s William H. Gray III, 30^th Street Station and SEPTA’s Market-Frankford and trolley lines at 30^th Street is identified within the District plan, and remains a priority project.” While Amtrak has applied for a CRISI Program grant, “the connector is not part of the current construction project.”

A connection did exist in the 20^th century until the early 1980s, where “’there was a stairway – and maybe an escalator’ in the middle of the above-ground concourse leading from one side of the Amtrak station to the Great Hall. . . It narrowed down into an underground tunnel connecting to the blue line and the green line’ in SEPTA’s Market Street Station’,” according to Professor David Brownlee from the University of Pennsylvania. However, that connection ended in 1984 because of possible issues “around storm leakage, inadequate lighting, and fire hazards.”

With a possible new underground connection, it would also provide easier navigation and accessibility for those with disabilities. Professor Brownlee told Billy Penn that there needs to be “handicapped access by elevator or escalator to get down to it, up to the front of the tunnel across from the station to the subway line, once again in the center stage.”

Neither construction plans nor a design has been finalized yet, but it’s clear that passengers would benefit from an underground connector between the two stations.