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

The Paoli end of the R5 is SEPTA's premier line, boasting the system's highest ridership. The line runs on the ex PRR mainline from Zoo to Thorndale, the upscale residential area which many of the stations serve have taken on the name "mainline" due to their proximity to the route. Amtrak still uses this route for Keystone service as well as other routes to Harrisburg, Pittsburgh and on to Chicago and the west. The line is named for Paoli station near the end of the line but service has been extended west to Thorndale.

Our trip west on the R5 begins as we head out of 30th street and into SEPTA's Powelton Ave. facility, a yard for storage of MU's and other rail equipment. We enter ZOO interlocking from the east and join the Amtrak mainline, while Amtrak's NEC branches off to the north as well as R6 Cynwyd service further down the line. ZOO is a multilevel complex interlocking joining the PRR north/south with the PRR western mainlines, we are now just miles from the Philadelphia Zoo. The old burned out 52nd Street Station comes into view as we move onto the mainline. This station is fabled to have been used by servants of wealthy mainline dwellers to get to work. The two level station was closed some time ago and suffered a fire, it has yet to reopen.

Overbrook is the first active station stop. This is a wonderful example of PRR architecture, situated near City Line Avenue, the boundary between Philadelphia and Montgomery County. From cut to embankment we reach Merion. In the past, vehicular collisions with the low narrow bridges in this area have caused interruptions in service. We curve around to Narbeth, a station situated in a town of the same name. We are now paralleling US30 as we stop in Wynnewood and Ardmore. Ardmore is a station stop on a number of Amtrak routes and sees ample SEPTA traffic as well. The station building is not much to speak of, let's move on.

Bordering the outskirts of the town of Ardmore is Haverford, a small station with proximity to Bryn Mawr and the Merion Cricket Club. The next big stop is Bryn Mawr. Bryn Mawr once saw quarterly commuter service as well as proposed local service (R4) which never took off. The abandoned tower as well as a decrepit freight depot can be seen here. This station still serves a good deal of passengers and also has proximity to the university of the same name. After Rosemont, we cross the county line once again at Ithan Ave. and enter Delaware County. Villanova, another university stop is next. The station is in the middle of the campus and students utilize the rail service quite often. The Villanova station is a beautiful stone building which blends nicely with the campus's well kept grounds and buildings.

After leaving Villanova, we cross under I476 as well as SEPTA's Route 100 to Norristown. Saint Davids, Wayne and Stratford are next. The station at Stratford is an historical building which is currently slated for renovation. Devon and Berwyn next, Berwyn having another historic station awaiting renovation while the next stop, Daylesford, is a simple shelter affair. Paoli is a simple station which used to be home to a small yard back in the days when the route ended here, now it is just another station.

These days most trains terminate at the next stop, Malvern, however some trains continue on westward to Thorndale. The Frazer yard facility as well as the old PRR Trenton Cutoff is passed before arriving at the popular Exton station. Similar to Exton, Whitford station is next before arriving at Downingtown. The next stop, Thorndale, is the line's newly opened terminus. Service was cut back some time ago to Downingtown but recently extended back again to Thorndale.

The Reading side of the R5 line is the popular Doylestown line. The line covers the entire Reading mainline through the Bethlehem Branch as well as the Doylestown Branch. The line is at least two tracks in most areas with single track north of Lansdale.

Out of Wayne Junction, the line heads north, the R8 Fox Chase line diverges at Newtown Junction. First up is the newly built Fern Rock Transportation Center. This station is a transfer point between regional rail and the Broad Street Subway, as well as numerous bus lines.

At Cheltenham Avenue, the line exits Philadelphia for Montgomery County, just before reaching Melrose Park. The line is now on an embankment, having left the cut behind, and Elkins Park is next.

The busy station of Jenkintown is next. This is a very active station seeing R2, R3 and R5 traffic as well as the occasional R1 Airport service. The R3 line to West Trenton splits here and continues northeast. The next station, another busy stop is Glenside, occasionally the terminus of the R1 Airport Line. Slightly north of Glenside is the junction with the R2 Warminster Line.

The line continues through the county, North Hills, and Oreland are next. Both are stations which sprouted small towns, which are growing rapidly and producing commuter traffic for the line. After Oreland, we pass the NS line to Morrisville, a freight only route. Next station, Fort Washington, is the home of a Reading freight depot which can be seen next to the right-of-way.

Ambler is another busy station in a popular residential area. The station's inbound track is positioned to prevent the blockage of Ambler's main road when trains are in the station. The old Ambler station will be passed shortly. Penllyn is next followed by Gwynedd Valley, a delightful station featuring a restaurant for commuters. Before arriving at Lansdale, we pass North Wales and Pennbrook

Shortly before entering Lansdale, we are joined by an ex-Conrail freight line. This line runs back to Norristown and is a future transit option for SEPTA. Lansdale is the junction of the Reading mainline and the Doylestown Branch. The Bethlehem Branch (along the Reading mainline) can be seen exiting to the side of the station with electrification ending shortly after leaving the station. Reading previously ran RDC service to Bethlehem, with SEPTA reducing the service to Quakertown before decommissioning the line in the early 1980s. We enter the Doylestown Branch after leaving Lansdale and head north through the country.

After Lansdale the line is reduced to one track with passing sidings appearing periodically. The countryside is very pleasant with farms and forests. The line is rural in nature with many grade crossings. The small stations of Fortuna, Colmar, Link Belt, Chalfont, New Britain, Delaware Valley College pass quickly, some with fairly low ridership. We quickly arrive at Doylestown, the line's terminus, where the single track is split into two with the line ending just before Clinton Street. The station is a charming Reading structure with a restaurant in another building to the south.