Ben Franklin Bridge Track Rehabilitation Project

Frequently Asked Questions

Following our extensive outreach efforts to inform the public about the Ben Franklin Bridge Track Rehabilitation Project, we have developed a list of responses to frequently asked questions by members of our community.

What is the Ben Franklin Bridge Track Rehabilitation project all about?
Why does this project have to be done now?
Is there any reason you decided to start the project during the summer months?
When will the new schedule be in effect and what will change?
Are there any impacts for motorists traveling over the Ben Franklin Bridge?
Why not limit the work and outages to nights and weekends?
Can you avoid scheduling gaps during rush hour periods?
How will this new schedule affect reverse commuters?
How certain is the 60-day track outage schedule?
Why not add more cars during rush hour to move more passengers?
What can be done to reduce crowding on the trains and at the stations?
How will this period of construction affect people with disabilities?
Have you considered shuttle buses or expanded bus service during the track outage period?
What are some alternatives to riding PATCO that commuters can consider?
How long is the time period between the first and the second track closure?
Will delays and gaps in service be shorter during the north-track outage?
What contingency plans are in place for train failures during the single track operations?
Have you made a projection on the loss of fare-box revenue during this track project?
Can PATCO provide “real-time” communication to passengers on station platforms waiting for a train?
Will signage at the stations be improved to enable riders to know where the train has stopped? Can announcements at each stop on the train be improved?
Why are announcements not provided consistently by train operators when there is a problem with a train or track?
When will cellular service be available underground and in the tunnels?
What is the status of the Transit Car Overhaul Project? When will the refurbished cars be back in service?
Are only the interior of the trains being refurbished?
Is the weight of crowded train cars a factor in train equipment failures?
Will bikes be allowed on PATCO during the Track Rehabilitation Project?
Will the Ben Franklin Bridge pedestrian walkway be open during the Track Rehab Project?
What has been done to address the elevator and escalator problems?
What does PATCO do to comply with ADA requirements at its stations?
Will PATCO re-open the Franklin Square station?

What is the Ben Franklin Bridge Track Rehabilitation project all about?
The PATCO tracks across the Ben Franklin Bridge have a useful life of between 30 and 40 years, depending on the intensity of usage, weather conditions and materials used to construct the tracks. The last bridge-track overhaul took place in the mid-1980s and both tracks have now reached the end of their useful life and must be replaced.

The Ben Franklin Bridge PATCO Track Rehabilitation project will completely replace the track infrastructure over the entire length of the Ben Franklin Bridge, as well as the supporting signal, power and communication systems. The project will also rehabilitate structural elements supporting PATCO tracks, which makes the project more intensive than the mid-1980s project.

There will be significant effects to our train schedule, service delays and more crowded trains as well as lane closures on the Ben Franklin Bridge due to this project.
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Why does this project have to be done now?
Like all mechanical infrastructure, the tracks and related elements like crossties, which support the rails, and steel supports for the track bed must be maintained and eventually replaced. The tracks on the bridge are over 30 years old and have reached the end of their useful life. Once the replacement project is complete, the new tracks will provide reliable service for many decades. This project involves much more than replacing the tracks. For the first time ever, in some cases since the 1930s, we are replacing the supporting circuitry and other system elements that are original to PATCO and its predecessors.
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Is there any reason you decided to start the project during the summer months?
This is a two-year project. Work on this project has been underway since January of this year with track outages occurring primarily on Fridays and weekends. We need to have the major components of the work completed during months of good working weather; this is the work which requires the track to be taken out of service continuously. We cannot do this heavy infrastructure work over winter months because of the risk of cold and adverse weather conditions. Based on analysis of historical ridership data, we know that PATCO ridership is lower during summer months. Although we cannot complete the entire project within the summer months, the second, 50-day outage which will extend into the fall when ridership increases will require shorter gaps in service. If we do not complete the heavy infrastructure work before winter arrives, we will be forced to impose speed restrictions on the track which will make trip times longer. The impact of the winter weather on our equipment may also affect the availability of trains to maintain our schedules and could result in additional service delays.
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When will the new schedule be in effect and what will change?
The 24/7 South Track Outage Schedule will go into effect on Friday, May 30, 2014.

• Phase 1 - 60-day outage - On or about June 3, 2014, the PATCO tracks on the south side of the Ben Franklin Bridge will be continuously closed (24-hours a day, 7-days a week) for approximately two months for rehabilitation.
• Phase 2 - 50-day outage - Shortly after completing work on the south track, construction crews will continuously close the north track across the bridge for approximately 50 days to perform the same rehabilitation work that was done on the south track.

Are there any impacts for motorists traveling over the Ben Franklin Bridge?
Yes. During construction and track outages, construction crews will require the use of travel lanes on the bridge as a multi-month staging area. There will be both periodic and continuous lane closures while the crews are using them.
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Why not limit the work and outages to nights and weekends?
Unfortunately, this extraordinary effort cannot be accomplished just during night and weekends. The delivery and removal of track materials and the timing of construction phasing requires minimum time periods to complete specific work tasks safely and efficiently. We have to balance the competing priorities of providing safe and reliable service to our customers and the need to complete the track replacement project in a timely manner while being accountable to everyone affected by the project - bridge users, PATCO riders and our community. We need to complete this work as soon as possible. An outage schedule limited to nights and weekends would greatly extend the project schedule, perhaps by years, and would lead to the imposition of reduced speeds on the tracks until permanent repairs are made. The reduced speeds would lengthen the trip-time and would reduce the number of trains which we can operate, which leads to greater crowding long-term.
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Can you avoid scheduling gaps during rush hour periods?
DRPA and PATCO are doing our best to maintain service and minimize delays throughout the track rehabilitation project. Considerable analysis was given to the periods when gaps are scheduled and the timetable was developed in order to adversely affect the fewest customers.

We continue to monitor our service and seek to improve the schedule when possible. However, during the continuous 60-day outage, passengers may face periodic, 30-minute gaps in train service – although some trains will continue to run every three to five minutes.

The gaps are a result of “car stacking” at PATCO’s terminal stations. After trains reach the end of the line, some empty cars will be express-routed back to their starting points in order to complete rush-hour service transporting more passengers in the prevailing direction.

Example: It’s like being in a car on a two-lane road that has one lane closed for repaving. The flagger stops you, and you have to wait for the line of cars coming in the opposite direction to clear the one open lane before you can move ahead. Then your group of cars drives in the opposite direction, while drivers at the other end wait for your group to pass. With the track rehabilitation project, the extended gaps in service allow us to maximize efficiency by moving several trains across the open track, not just one at a time.
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How will this new schedule affect reverse commuters?
Reverse-commuters may have to wait up to 40 minutes for the next train to arrive, and will occasionally see empty trains running past them. PATCO values all of its customers and is not neglecting the needs of reverse-commuters. We are trying to move trains through the system as quickly as possible to accommodate the heavy demand of rush-hour commuters in the prevailing direction.
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How certain is the 60-day track outage schedule?
We have done extensive pre-planning for this project and we are committed to adhering to the contract schedule to ensure the 24/7 outage will not last longer than 60 days. We have held multiple meetings to discuss the importance of adhering to the schedule and the construction contract has incentive/disincentive provisions to ensure timely completion of the work.
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Why not add more cars during rush hour to move more passengers?
PATCO has a total of 120 train cars in its fleet. 26 of those cars are currently unavailable for service because they are being refurbished as part of the $194 million Transit Car Overhaul Project which is also underway. As a result we have fewer backup cars to place into service in the event there are equipment failures. We’re utilizing all of our available cars during rush hours. In addition, the storage tracks in Center City that we use during mid-day are full and there is no capacity to add additional train cars, even if we had them. These and other operational constraints prevent adding more cars during the peak periods
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What can be done to reduce crowding on the trains and at the stations?
Based on our experience and observations on the platforms, we’ve learned that the 3rd and 4th trains to arrive following a scheduled gap in service are generally less crowded than the first couple of trains following a gap. Customers should try to arrive at the stations and ride the 3rd or 4th train after a gap, so that crowding is reduced and there’s a good chance seats will be available. Crowding during the 50-day outage should not be as bad as during the initial 60-day outage because of the track configuration on the south track and the increased flexibility in operating more trains and shortening the gap periods.

We recognize the inconvenience of crowded trains and platforms, but we are managing the schedule as best we can to provide the most trains and equipment we can and to minimize customer inconvenience while replacing the track as quickly as possible. There are staff, including police officers at every station and supervisors on platforms, communicating between stations and directing passengers to less crowded parts of the platform or offering information about when other trains will arrive that are less full. We are monitoring conditions on the platforms to keep safety as our highest priority.
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How will this period of construction affect people with disabilities?
Particularly during rush hour periods, PATCO staff and police officers will be helping customers with special needs and to help them obtain seats.
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Have you considered shuttle buses or expanded bus service during the track outage period?
We reached out to New Jersey Transit, the South Jersey Transportation Authority and other private companies; however, they don’t have enough buses available for us during peak travel times. Approximately 10-12 buses would be needed to hold the same number of riders as one six-car train. Also, any additional buses would have to travel over the area bridges into and out of Philadelphia during peak periods, encountering congestion and delay.

We have determined that buses are not a viable option for the following reasons: 1) As mentioned above, we were unable to find a bus company that could supply us with enough buses during rush-hour time periods on a daily basis and 2) The Authority does not have the capacity to manage buses in addition to the daily effort it takes to manage our bridges and PATCO line.
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What are some alternatives to riding PATCO that commuters can consider?
We encourage our riders who are unable to adapt to the new schedule to consider alternatives such as NJ Transit buses, driving or carpooling. For those visiting the Camden waterfront, the RiverLink Ferry may be an option. Please keep in mind that there will also be continuous lane closures on the Ben Franklin Bridge that may also cause congestion and delays for motorists during the afternoon rush-hour commute.
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How long is the time period between the first and the second track closure?
There is about one month between the two track outages during which we will return to a normal weekday schedule on most weekdays. During this period, we will restage work equipment and begin preparing for work on the north track. However, there will still be extended weekend outages with scheduled gaps in service that are longer than normal.
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Will delays and gaps in service be shorter during the north-track outage?
Yes, there is greater operational flexibility when using the south track because of the track configuration in Center City, Philadelphia, so we will be able to schedule shorter gaps in service.
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What contingency plans are in place for train failures during the single track operations?
We have staff, equipment and procedures in place for such an occurrence. If a disabled train cannot be put back into service quickly, we will use a nearby train to safely move passengers to a working train. After passengers are safely transferred, our focus moves to restoring service to the line.
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Have you made a projection on the loss of fare-box revenue during this track project?
Yes, we have estimated that we could temporarily lose a small percentage of our customers (approximately 300,000 trips) due to the Track Rehabilitation Project; however we expect ridership will return once the project is completed and a full-service schedule is restored.
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Can PATCO provide “real-time” communication to passengers on station platforms waiting for a train?
We have made communicating with our customers a top priority. Announcements of service delays are made over the public address system, by train operators and via email and/or text alerts and social media. Increased announcements, social media interaction and an updated website are just a few of the ways we are providing timely and reliable information to riders about this project and PATCO in general. We have also increased the number of Public Safety officers and staff on station platforms to provide information and assistance to our customers, particularly during rush hours.
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Will signage at the stations be improved to enable riders to know where the train has stopped? Can announcements at each stop on the train be improved?
There will be improvements to the communications systems on-board the trains and on the platforms. Also, the refurbished cars will have LED signage inside that notifies passengers of the next stop, station announcements will be automated instead of the train operator making the announcements, and higher-volume public address systems will be installed. PATCO is also in the process of replacing the existing variable message signs (VMS) signs along the platforms.
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Why are announcements not provided consistently by train operators when there is a problem with a train or track?
New communication protocols are now in place so that timely announcements are being made by train operators. For example, when there is an issue on the train, the operator is required to make three announcements notifying passengers that s/he is investigating the issue and will provide the reason for the delay, if that information is available.
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When will cellular service be available underground and in the tunnels?
Unfortunately, cellular service is not currently available in some of our stations. We are working hard to provide this important service for our customers as soon as possible and are presently consulting with cellular service providers Verizon and AT&T, who have evaluated our stations and platforms to determine feasibility and requirements for installing the components needed for cellular service in underground locations.
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What is the status of the Transit Car Overhaul Project? When will the refurbished cars be back in service?
Initially, 26 cars were taken out of service to be refurbished. Eight refurbished cars have been delivered to date and are undergoing required testing. After testing is completed, we expect that the first set of refurbished cars will be placed in service later this summer, initially during evening and weekends. At that time, additional cars will be sent to be refurbished.
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Are only the interior of the trains being refurbished?
In addition to the interior of the train cars, braking and other systems are being replaced as part of the upgrade. The trucks (the wheel assembly) and traction motors will remain the same, although the motors have been hardened to help withstand the type of snow/moisture problems encountered last winter.
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Is the weight of crowded train cars a factor in train equipment failures?
The weight of crowded train cars is not related to equipment failures. The cars and their systems are designed for a maximum weight load, which considers full cars with standing passengers.
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Will bikes be allowed on PATCO during the Track Rehabilitation Project?
During periods when there are continuous 24/7 track outages, there will be bike restrictions in effect during rush hours. During these periods cyclists may transport regular bicycles on PATCO trains at any time EXCEPT between the hours of 6:45 to 9 a.m. Monday-Friday if traveling westbound (toward Philadelphia) and from 3:45 to 6:15 p.m. Monday-Friday if traveling eastbound (toward Lindenwold). For additional bicycle information, click here.
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Will the Ben Franklin Bridge pedestrian walkway be open during the Track Rehab Project?
During the outage on the south-side track, the south pedestrian walkway will be temporarily closed; however, the north walkway will be open during regular hours (6 a.m. to 9 p.m.) except during periods of severe weather. Please check our website (www.drpa.org) for updates.
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What has been done to address the elevator and escalator problems?
We are pleased with the results of our new maintenance contract with SEPTA. Currently all of our elevators are working and 12 of the 14 escalators are working. The remaining 2 escalators are being replaced as part of our capital program, as those escalators were over 35 years old and at the end of their useful life. We’ve found that failures have declined and now when a failure does occur, SEPTA’s staff responds quickly.
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What does PATCO do to comply with ADA requirements at its stations?
PATCO is in compliance with ADA regulatory requirements. PATCO initially met the intent of the law in 1998 with elevators installed at 5 stations, as required by the law. But satisfying the regulation doesn’t serve all of our passengers. We have a program to add more elevators, one station at a time. By 2017, our plan is that every station will have an elevator.
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Will PATCO re-open the Franklin Square station?
We have many large projects underway including the Track Rehabilitation project and the Transit Car Overhaul program. We do not presently have the capacity or capital resources to evaluate the feasibility of reopening the Franklin Square Station.
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