Is Railroad from West Chester to Philadelphia a Possibility?

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SEPTA shut down this railroad in West Chester in 1986. Image via Wikipedia.

There will be no new railroad running from downtown West Chester to 30th Street Station in Philadelphia until the necessary funding can be secured, writes Bill Rettew in the Daily Local News.

“There’s a romance to it, but there is always a business (side) to it,” said Tom Hickey, of commuter railroad Virginia Railway Express, following a recent SEPTA presentation on the proposed rail line. “Like any other business, SEPTA has to find the funds to operate it.”

The projected cost to build a one-track railway is $334.6 million. The price for a two-track railway is $570.6 million.

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A total of 109 daily riders commuted past Media/Elwyn and into Philadelphia when the SEPTA railroad that ran from West Chester to Media was shut down in 1986. Typically, public transportation riders pick up half the cost of a proposed project. Subsidies finance the rest of it.

Costs for the proposed rail line include bridge rehabilitation and reconstruction at $20 million for a single track and $35 million for two tracks. Station platforms and parking could cost between $51.6 million to $66.6 million. Signals and communications could run $19.1 million for a single track and $21.7 for two tracks. A $56 million contingency fund was also included.

Read more about the proposed rail line in the Daily Local News by clicking here.

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