Hello and welcome. I am putting forth a proposal for TSW's developers to consider part of Amtrak's Keystone Service, which would also allow for SEPTA to be introduced into the simulator's content repertoire. THE ROUTE This segment of the Keystone Corridor extends from the underground Suburban Station (in a complex beneath the former headquarters of the Pennsylvania Railroad -- One Penn Center), serving as a terminus and origin for all of SEPTA's Regional Rail lines, to Amtrak's Art Deco transit hub (30th Street Station in the heart of Center City, Philadelphia), and out to Coatesville, PA. The proposed route is approximately 38.5 miles long, which puts it in the same ballpark as the other routes so far available for TSW. SEPTA's Paoli/Thorndale line makes commuter rail stops with local, semi-fast, and express services along the 35-mile stretch from Suburban Station in Philadelphia out to Thorndale, as well as truncated services to/originating from Bryn Mawr during commuter rush hours, and to/from Malvern on weekdays and weekends. Most of the 24 stations along the Thorndale line (formerly known as the R5) were built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, during the heyday of American railroad expansion, and many retain the original (albeit renovated) shelters and ticket office buildings. The four tracks (two in each direction) are utilized by both SEPTA and Amtrak. Although Amtrak has priority (as owner of the trackage), SEPTA does utilize the inner tracks for express services; and Amtrak sometimes uses the outer tracks. Due to track work, track clearing, or other delays, trains may board passengers from the inner tracks--requiring accuracy, as the doors have to line up with wooden planks placed along the right-of-way to allow passengers to safely traverse toward the center tracks. THE SERVICES Amtrak's Keystone Service - served by the ACS-64, Amfleet coaches, and the rebuilt Metroliner Cab Car, Amtrak's Keystone Service is one of the busiest routes in Amtrak's network, and its third-busiest route in the Northeast Corridor. The Keystone Service runs 13 trains in each direction between Philadelphia and Harrisburg every day; although they do not all stop at every station, they share stations with SEPTA at four stations (Ardmore, Paoli, Exton, and Downingtown), with an additional Amtrak-only stop at Coatesville. Paoli/Thorndale Service - served by the Silverliner IV and V, local services run throughout the day in either direction. Weekday routes run the full length from Suburban Station out to Paoli. Semi-fast services run from 30th Street directly to Bryn Mawr, then continue on toward Paoli and Malvern. During A.M. rush hour, some trains start at Villanova and Bryn Mawr; during P.M. rush hour, some trains run from Suburban Station only out as far as Bryn Mawr. ROLLING STOCK Amtrak Amtrak's Keystone Service runs in either direction with the new ACS-64, Amfleet coaches, and ex-Metroliner rebuilt cab cars. All of these already exist in TSW in some capacity, and using them here would allow for some improvements -- most notably, perhaps, would be giving DTG a second change to get ACSES II done properly (after which they could utilize the lessons learned to go back and rework/fix Northeast Corridor). By reusing assets, the development team can focus on the route and other rolling stock. AMTRAK ACS-64 LEADING AMFLEET I COACHES ACS-64 Take 2 by Ryan Stavely, on Flickr AMTRAK METROLINER CAB CAR by Daniel Marvin, on Wikimedia Commons SEPTA SEPTA utilizes consists built of 231 GE Silverliner IVs that were built and delivered to Penn Central and the Reading Railroad in the 1970s in a mix of single cars (with cabs at both ends) and married pairs. In 2010, SEPTA began to take delivery of 120 Silverliner Vs built by Hyundai-Rotem (38 single cars, 82 'married' cars) which offer a much more refined and modern ride, complete with electronic display boards and automated station announcements. SEPTA SILVERLINER IV Trenton Bound Silverliner IVs by Jarrett Stewart, on Flickr SEPTA SILVERLINER V SEPTA Silverliner V set w 719 Overbrook by John Corbett, on Flickr WHY THIS ROUTE? Tackling another section of Amtrak's northeast services gives Dovetail a second chance at nailing ACSES (utilised by Amtrak and all SEPTA services running along Amtrak right-of-way), as well as introducing SEPTA commuter rail services into the game, should licensing allow. Although freight is nonexistent, this route would allow for a variety of passenger services to be run. First and foremost, we have Amtrak's Keystone Service, from 30th Street Station to Coatesville, which takes approximately 45 minutes. Amtrak trains divert from SEPTA between Overbrook and 30th Street Station, with Amtrak trains terminating at the lower level platforms of 30th Street; SEPTA trains run parallel to Market Street to the upper platforms at 30th Street, and terminate underground at Suburban Station. All-stop services on SEPTA from Thorndale to Center City take over an hour in each direction, with shorter rush hour trains (originating or terminating at Bryn Mawr) lasting a duration of approximately 25-30 minutes. As a little bonus, as it would only add about 5-6 miles of extra trackwork, DTG could also give us the Cynwyd Line branch of SEPTA's Regional Rail. The Cynwyd Line runs along the same track as the Paoli/Thorndale line until shortly before Overbrook, where it diverges to its own single track line. The Cynwyd Line almost exclusively uses a single car in each direction, operating only twice an hour (with no service from around noon through 4pm). The Cynwyd Line calls at only five stops (Suburban Station, 30th Street, Wynnefield Avenue, Bala, and Cynwyd): it is the second shortest regional rail line in revenue service in the United States, and by far the least-trafficked in the SEPTA network--with average daily ridership of only 500-600 passengers. ADDITIONAL DLC THAT COULD BE EXPLORED? The Keystone East DLC would allow Dovetail to explore some additional trains that could be added at a later time. Should DTG add the P42 Genesis to another route in the future, it could be utilized on this route to recreate a (small) portion of Amtrak's Pennsylvanian service, which would stop at 30th Street Station, Paoli, and Exton stations. (Its next station would not be until after Coatesville, where it stops at Lancaster, PA.) In addition, Dovetail Games could utilize its existing ACS-64, modified with a SEPTA livery, and model Comet II/III rolling stock and a cab car, for the Great Valley Flyer -- a limited-stop service that runs once a day in each direction (into the city in the morning, out of the city in the evening), expressing from Paoli to 30th Street Station (or vice versa), but is still about 50 minutes in each direction.
