41 replies to this topic

[Sloan]

 

 

SEPTA KOP rail project advances with preferred alternative

 

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) will adopt the recommended Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) as presented in the King of Prussia Rail (KOP Rail) Draft Environmental Impact Statement (Draft EIS) with the North/South design option following Board approval. 

http://www.rtands.co...tml?channel=280

[CNJRoss]

Progressive Railroading, 7/3/18:

 

SEPTA seeks engineering proposals for King of Prussia Rail extension

 

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) has released a request for proposals (RFP) to advance engineering work for its proposed King of Prussia Rail extension of the Norristown High Speed Line.

The RFP's scope covers preliminary design work, including utility and geotechnical investigations and surveying. The chosen bidder will advance the engineering and architectural design from the conceptual locally preferred alternative, which SEPTA chose in January.

 

Continue here.

[KevinKorell]

Montgomery County Today, 9/19/20:

 

   SEPTA Might Slash Extension of Norristown High Speed Line to King of Prussia  

 

 

Due to pandemic-related financial strain, SEPTA is expected to put a stop to $250 million worth of capital projects and the extension of Norristown High Speed Line to King of Prussia may be among them, writes Jack Tomczuk for the Metro.

 

Update

 

Cross-posted in Pandemic and regular King of Prussia threads.

[KevinKorell]

Philadelphia, PA Inquirer, 12/2/20:

 

     SEPTA doubles down on commitment to $2B King of Prussia Rail project    

 

 

Despite mounting financial uncertainty, SEPTA is doubling down its commitment to a $2 billion project that would extend rail service to bustling King of Prussia between 2025 and 2027.

 

Full story

[KevinKorell]

Railway Age, 1/18/21:

 

 

    SEPTA Advancing King of Prussia Rail Extension  

 

 

 

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has issued a combined Final Environmental Impact Statement/Record of Decision (FEIS/ROD) permitting Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) to continue design and construction of the 3.5-mile, five-station King of Prussia (Pa.) Rail extension of the Norristown High Speed Line (NHSL).

 

The story is here.

 

The media needs to stop using the word "Extension".  It is not, not, not an extension.  An extension would build the line further from its terminus in Norristown.   The correct term would be "Spur", as this will branch off from the existing line.

And it looks like the spur will have connections to both directions where the lines meet, so that one would be able to go from Valley Forge and King of Prussia Mall to either 69th Street Transportation Center or Norristown Transportation Center.  In the mock-up picture on the King of Prussia Rail website, by the signs on the platform it appears that all movements at that junction will be covered in revenue service.

[KevinKorell]

Philadelphia, PA Inquirer, 2/25/21:

 

 

  SEPTA board OKs spending federal COVID-19 aid on the King of Prussia rail line  

 

 

SEPTA will spend $40 million in emergency federal funds designed to help transit agencies keep buses and trains running during the pandemic to do design and engineering work for the proposed King of Prussia rail project.

 

Article

[CNJRoss]

WPVI-TV Philadelphia, PA  3/16/21

 

Philadelphia ranks 2nd in the US with most traffic congestion; SEPTA to invest in $2 billion KOP Rail project

 

 

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- In 2020, Philadelphia ranked fifth in the world and second in the U.S. for cities with the most traffic congestion, only behind New York City, according to a Inrix report.

As a result, Philly drivers lost an average of 94 hours to traffic congestion compared to the national average of 26 hours a year.

 

SNIP

 

OTIS Philly city partner SEPTA aims to invest $40 million from federal COVID relief funds to create the KOP Rail.

SEPTA's $2 billion King of Prussia Rail project would connect commuters to King of Prussia, University City, and Center City.

"We anticipate that the King of Prussia Rail project will reduce travel in the Philadelphia region by about 14 to 18 million vehicle miles per year," said Jody Holton, assistant general manager of planning and strategic initiatives at SEPTA. "A typical commute from Center City to King of Prussia could be up to 1 hour and 30 minutes on the Schuylkill Expressway, but on KOP Rail it would be about 45 minutes."

 

More here w/video report.

[CNJRoss]

King of Prussia Rail Refined Route 3D Video, December 2020

 

Dec 1, 2020

 

KOPRail

 

SEPTA's King of Prussia Rail Project (KOP Rail) will provide residents, commuters, shoppers, students, and visitors with frequent and reliable service between Center City, University City, and King of Prussia—Greater Philadelphia’s three largest employment centers. This video shows the Refined Route, as of December 2020. KOP Rail is intended to improve mobility and accessibility for all travelers in the Philadelphia region by providing new transit options. Learn more about the project at www.kingofprussiarail.com and on social media @KOPRail.

 

King of Prussia Rail

[KevinKorell]

Opinion in Philadelphia, PA Inquirer, 6/7/21:

 

 

    King of Prussia rail extension is an exemplar of bad planning  

 

 

The Southeast Pennsylvania Transportation Authority is planning to spend $2 billion on an exemplar of bad transportation planning. SEPTA’s King of Prussia Rail project will build a four-mile branch of the Norristown High-Speed Line, a light rail line from west Philadelphia to the northwestern suburb of Norristown. The branch will serve a large mall and office park in King of Prussia, just southwest of Norristown.

 

Opinion

[KevinKorell]

Philadelphia, PA Business Journal, 10/11/21:

 

 

    SEPTA's King of Prussia rail proposal gains entry into federal funding program  

 

 

SEPTA's plan to extend rail service to King of Prussia gained entry into a national program on Monday putting the project in line for a potential boost in federal funding.

 

Full story