Center City Commuter Connection

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The Center City Commuter Connection , (German: inner-city commuter connection ) also short Commuter Tunnel (German: commuter tunnel ) is the inner-city regional train tunnel in Philadelphia in the US state of Pennsylvania . It was opened in 1984, is 1.7 miles (2.74 km) long, has four tracks throughout, is electrified and has an intermediate stop. The tunnel connects the Suburban Station with the SEPTA Main Line and thus the route networks of the once rival companies Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) and Reading Company (RDG). It is only used by the regional trains of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA).

The tunnel connects directly to the underground suburban station of the PRR, which opened in 1930, on 16th Street. From there it runs under Filbert Street to the west. Between 9th and 8th Street, the route then swings in a 90-degree curve to the north and finally reappears on the surface again at Spring Garden Street, only to merge shortly afterwards into the old route of Reading. The only stopover, Jefferson Station , is at 12th Street, immediately west of the old Reading Terminal .

The first concrete plans to connect the two inner-city terminal stations of the PRR and Reading date from 1958. The aim was, on the one hand, to connect the existing suburban lines on both sides and thus make local transport more efficient and attractive. On the other hand, it was intended to initiate an urban renewal project that included upgrading the main inner-city shopping area northeast of the town hall . The construction costs were to be borne by the city, the state of Pennsylvania and the railway companies concerned.

The project was initially highly controversial. The responsible federal authority Urban Mass Transportation Administration (UMTA) in particular had considerable doubts about the feasibility and usefulness of the tunnel, not least because most electric multiple units of the time were unable to cope with the steep gradients of up to 2.8%. In view of the high costs, there was also considerable resistance from the railway companies; due to their bankruptcies in 1970 (PRR) and 1971 (Reading), they finally failed as financiers. But the 1974 oil crisis and the expansion of UMTA's area of ​​responsibility in the direction of urban renewal brought about the change. 80% of the construction costs could now be financed from federal funds. The groundbreaking finally took place on June 22, 1978.

The construction brought considerable challenges. Filbert Street was too narrow for a four-track tunnel, so a track had to be laid directly under the foundations, some of which were very old high-rise buildings. To do this, two underground lines had to be crossed and crossed under and 400 feet (122 m) tram tunnel of the subway surface lines had to be moved a few meters to the south. In the end, the construction costs totaled 330 million US dollars. The opening took place in 1984 in two stages. The Market East Station was opened on July 2nd and from then on it was served by a shuttle train from the Suburban Station. Regular operation was finally started on November 10; the official celebrations took place two days later, on November 12th. In 1985 the construction project received the Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers .

In 2007, the Suburban Station and Market East Station together counted 36,017 newcomers per day.

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Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The Philadelphia Inquirer (Ed.): COMMUTER STATION OPENS WITH FANFARE CENTER CITY TUNNEL SHUTTLE BEGINS FREE SERVICE TILL SEPT . In: The Philadelphia Inquirer, Jul 3, 1984, p. B04.
  2. ↑ The Philadelphia Inquirer (ed.): TUNNEL OFFICIALLY IS OPENED MOOD IS FESTIVE DURING CEREMONY . In: The Philadelphia Inquirer, Nov. 13, 1984, p. B01.
  3. ↑ SEPTA - ANNUAL SERVICE PLAN - FISCAL YEAR 2009 . Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), Service Planning Department. April 2008. Archived from the original on November 25, 2008. Retrieved June 5, 2009.