Philadelphia Rail Transit A comprehensive guide to Philadelphia's rail system.

The R3 Media/Elwyn is an ex-PRR line from ARSENAL to West Chester, PA, with SEPTA service ending at Elwyn, PA. The line is double track in most areas and features several grade crossings as well as high bridges and embankments.

After leaving 30th Street Station and University City heading south, the R3 line splits to the west from the R2/R1 and Amtrak Northeast Corridor at ARSENAL interlocking. 49th Street station is first, a small station of light use. Baltimore Ave can be seen to the right after leaving 49th Street. Angora is next, not much to speak of here, a small asphalt platform and a large grassy area with the 58th street bridge visible ahead. The R3 leaves Philadelphia and enters into the county shortly after the high Cobbs Creek Bridge. Fernwood is next, a small station near Church Lane Bridge.

Between Fernwood and Lansdowne, an abandoned line connects to the outbound track to the right. This line appears to loop back to the Paoli (R5) line at Villanova. If anyone has more information about this line please let me know! Next is Lansdowne, a charming brick building serving a town of the same name, this tends to be a busy stop. After Gladstone and a very high bridge over Darby Creek, the line settles back to grade while running through the county countryside. Clifton-Aldan, a nice stone-clad station near Springfield Rd. is next.

The next few stations are near grade crossings and often create traffic problems due to the train's proximity when stopping at the stations. Primos, Secane and Morton-Rutledge are nice at-grade stations and feature moderately heavy commuter action. The busy Swarthmore station is next. Swarthmore serves Swarthmore college as well as the town of Swarthmore and at times can generate lots of commuters going to Philadelphia or back. This is a very charming area with lots of trees and well kept grass. After Swarthmore, another high bridge over Crum Creek comes into view as well as the bridge over the Blue Route (I476).

The stations of Wallingford and Moylan-Rose Valley are in a more rural and exclusive area of Delaware County. Trains often pick up speed coming into this section of track. This is an upscale community with nice homes a few hundred feet from the rail right-of-way. A very scenic ride.

The next station, Media, used to be the termination point of the R3 until the line was extended in the 1970's. Up until the mid 1980's, trains ran a limited schedule to West Chester, which has now been reduced to Elwyn. The Media station is a classic brick PRR style building.

The last stop, Elwyn, is a simple shelter structure and a large parking lot. This is a newer station and has an inbound/outbound switch which trains can use just a few hundred feet beyond the station to head back to the city. The tracks go from here to West Chester, no longer used by SEPTA but occasionally by the small excursion railroad based in West Chester.

The second half of the R3 is the West Trenton branch. Running from Jenkintown-Wyncote across the Delaware River to West Trenton, NJ. This is an old Reading route running through Montgomery County. The first station we reach after leaving Jenkintown-Wyncote is Noble, a small station in Abington.

Now its back to embankment for the trip through the relatively sparse countryside. Rydal is a small station of little use near Susquehanna Road. Meadowbrook is a similar station of light use with close proximity to Route 232.

After Meadowbrook, the abandoned Reading Newtown Line comes into view. SEPTA used to have service from Fox Chase to Newtown, north of Jenkintown and Warminster, but later discontinued it in one of its many service cuts. This is one of the many unfortunate transit casualties. Check for this line in the abandoned facilities section.

Bethayers, a fairly well used park-n-ride station is next. By now the line is at grade. The stations Philmont and Forest Hills are both busy stations near the edge of the city limits. The line passes under Bustleton Ave. before reaching the well-used station of Somerton.

We leave the city shortly before stopping at Trevose. After Trevose we intersect with CSX's Trenton Line near Neshaminy Falls. This line runs south and intersects the R8 Fox Chase line serving as a freight route to Trenton.

Langhorne is next, just after the US-1 overpass. At Woodbourne, the old Reading freight yard can be seen as well as several connecting lines. The Morrisville line soon crosses overhead and connects to CSX's Trenton line. The line enters rural surroundings and often trains will being to pick up speed due to a lower density of stations.

Shortly after Yardley, the line crosses the Delaware River and in to New Jersey. At West Trenton, trains unload and switch to the inbound track for the trip back to Philadelphia.