Lansdale/Doylestown Line
Jenkintown–Wyncote station, a major stop on the Lansdale/Doylestown line inJenkintown, Pennsylvania
Overview
Status	Operating
Locale	Philadelphia Montgomery County Bucks County
Termini	Penn Medicine Station Doylestown
Stations	27
Website	septa.org
Service
Type	Commuter rail
System	SEPTA Regional Rail
Route number	R5 Doylestown and R5 Lansdale (1984–2010)
Operator(s)	SEPTA
Depot(s)	SEPTA Yards and maintenance facilities
Rolling stock	Electric multiple units
Daily ridership	9,257 (FY 2024)[1]
History
Electrification	July 26, 1931 (1931-07-26)
Technical
Character	Grade-separated and at-grade
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)standard gauge
Electrification	Overhead line,12 kV 25 Hz AC
Route map Show interactive map Legend 34.4 mi 55.4 km Doylestown PA 611 32.8 mi 52.8 km Delaware Valley University 31.5 mi 50.7 km New Britain 29.7 mi 47.8 km Chalfont 27.5 mi 44.3 km Link Belt Weekdays 26.8 mi 43.1 km Colmar PA 309 25.9 mi 41.7 km Fortuna 25.0 mi 40.2 km 9th Street Bethlehem Branch 24.4 mi 39.3 km Lansdale PA 63 Stony Creek Branch 23.5 mi 37.8 km Pennbrook 22.4 mi 36 km North Wales Zone  4  3 US 202 20.0 mi 32.2 km Gwynedd Valley 18.8 mi 30.3 km Penllyn 17.3 mi 27.8 km Ambler 15.9 mi 25.6 km Fort Washington I-276 /Penna Turnpike PA 309 13.9 mi 22.4 km Oreland 13.0 mi 20.9 km North Hills toWarminster 11.9 mi 19.2 km Glenside toWest Trenton 10.8 mi 17.4 km Jenkintown–Wyncote Zone  3  2 PA 611 9.2 mi 14.8 km Elkins Park Bypassed 8.4 mi 13.5 km Melrose Park Bypassed Zone  2  1 7.3 mi 11.7 km Fern Rock toFox Chase PA 611 toChestnut Hill East 5.1 mi 8.2 km Wayne Junction US 1 toNorristown–Elm Street 2.9 mi 4.7 km North Broad Zone  1  C 2.1 mi 3.4 km Temple University 0.5 mi 0.8 km Jefferson Station 0 mi 0 km Suburban Station Schuylkill River 0.9 mi 1.4 km 30th Street Station 1.8 mi 2.9 km Penn Medicine Station This diagram: view talk edit Show route diagram map

TheLansdale/Doylestown Line is aSEPTA Regional Rail line connectingCenter City Philadelphia toDoylestown inBucks County, Pennsylvania. With 9,257 daily riders every weekday inFY 2024, it is the second busiest line in SEPTA's Regional Rail network.[2]^[3]

Until 1981,diesel-powered trains continued on theBethlehem Branch fromLansdale toQuakertown,Bethlehem, andAllentown. Restored service on that portion has been proposed, but is not planned bySEPTA. The line is currently used by theEast Penn Railroad for freight.

This sectionpossibly containsoriginal research. Pleaseimprove it byverifying the claims made and addinginline citations. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed.(September 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

The Lansdale/Doylestown Line utilizes what is known as theSEPTA Main Line, a four-track line that has been owned bySEPTA since 1983. Prior to that, it was owned byConrail between 1976 and 1983 and by theReading Railroad before 1976. The main part of the line, from Philadelphia north toLansdale, was part of the Reading Railroad's northbound route from Philadelphia toBethlehem, and then toWilkes-Barre andScranton.

Originally arriving and departing at the formerReading Terminal, now part of thePennsylvania Convention Center, the line has, since 1985, been directly connected to the ex-PRR/Penn Central side by theCenter City Commuter Rail Tunnel. Unlike the ex-PRR/Penn CentralPaoli/Thorndale Line it is often paired with for through-service, the ex-RDG line was not as heavily built, as the RDG segregated its through-freight and passenger movements. While the four-track section between the tunnel and Wayne Junction and the two-track section from Wayne Junction toJenkintown are grade-separated, the two-track section from Jenkintown toLansdale and the single track from Lansdale toDoylestown has both at-grade railroad crossings and over- and underpasses.^[4]

Electrified service between Philadelphia andHatboro, Lansdale, Doylestown andWest Trenton was opened on July 26, 1931. Equipment consisted of dark green paintedelectric multiple unit cars built at the Reading's own shops. Some of the cars were rebuilt during the 1960s receiving air conditioning, refreshed interior and a new blue paint scheme resulting in their being referred to as "Blueliners". Today, the line uses theSilverliner family of EMU cars which operate throughout SEPTA's Regional Rail system.^[4]

Service toBethlehem and theLehigh Valley languished due to the post-World War II surge of the automobile as well as the opening of thePennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension in 1957. In 1972, scheduled trips on the 56-mile ReadingBethlehem Line between Bethlehem and Reading Terminal ranged from 1 hour and 28 minutes to 1 hour and 43 minutes.^[5] Service north of Lansdale in the non-electrified territory was terminated by SEPTA on July 29, 1981.^[4] Trackage north of Quakertown was dismantled after the railbed was leased for use as the interim Saucon Rail Trail.

Between 1984–2010 the route was designatedR5 Doylestown andR5 Lansdale as part of SEPTA'sdiametrical reorganization of its lines. Lansdale and Doylestown trains operated through the city center to thePaoli Line on the ex-Pennsylvania side of the system.^[6]

In the early 2000s, upgrades were made to several stations to make them ADA-accessible by giving them elevated platforms. In 2005, construction began^[7] on a new station atFort Washington which was moved 300 feet to the south.^[8] In 2007, construction began to reconstruct the platforms atNorth Wales station and build a new station atop the existing footprint.^[9] In 2008, construction began to build a new station atAmbler across the street from the existing station.^[9] All three projects were complete by 2010.^[10][11]

The R-number naming system was dropped on July 25, 2010.^[12] As of 2022^[update], most Lansdale/Doylestown Line trains continue through Center City to Wilmington or Newark on theWilmington/Newark Line on weekdays and to Malvern or Thorndale on thePaoli/Thorndale Line on weekends.^[13]

On August 29, 2011, SEPTA adjusted the midday service pattern to encourage ridership atColmar station, which had available parking capacity immediately adjacent toPennsylvania Route 309. Previously, every other train turned back at Lansdale; those trains then continued on to call at Colmar before terminating atLink Belt, providing half-hourly service at Colmar between the morning and afternoon rush hours.^[14][15]

On December 18, 2011, SEPTA eliminated weekend service at Link Belt and New Britain due to low ridership.^[15][16] In the fall of 2012, New Britain was added back to the weekend schedule as a flag stop.^[17][18]

A largeparking garage opened atLansdale station on April 17, 2017, offering space for over 600 vehicles.^[19][20]9th Street station opened nearby in 2015 as an alternate parking location during construction,^[21] and remains open as part of plannedtransit-oriented development.^[22]

SEPTA activatedpositive train control on the Lansdale/Doylestown Line from Doylestown to Glenside on June 13, 2016. Positive train control was activated from Glenside to Fern Rock on December 12, 2016 and from Fern Rock to 30th Street on January 9, 2017.^[23]

On April 9, 2020, service on the line was truncated toLansdale due to theCOVID-19 pandemic. Service to Doylestown resumed on June 22, 2020.^[24][25] While service has resumed, it remains more limited than before the COVID-19 pandemic, especially during peak hours.

Before the pandemic, during peak hours there were 10 trains in the morning (arriving in Center City from open until 9:30 a.m.) and 11 peak trains in the afternoon (leaving Center City between 4 and 7 p.m.).^[26][27] Of the peak morning trains, 5 originated inDoylestown, 2 originated inColmar, and 3 originated inLansdale. Five of the peak morning trains were express trains; 3 were express fromFort Washington toTemple University and 2 were express fromJenkintown toTemple University.^[27] Of the peak afternoon trains, 5 terminated atLansdale, 1 terminated atLink Belt, and 5 terminated atDoylestown. Five of the peak afternoon trains were express trains; 4 were express fromTemple University toFort Washington and 1 was express fromTemple University toNorth Wales.^[27]

Through the first half of 2024, during the same peak hours, there are only 7 trains in the morning and 6 peak trains in the afternoon.^[28] Of the morning trains, only 4 are express trains; one is express fromFort Washington toTemple University, and 3 are express fromJenkintown toTemple University.^[28] Only three of the afternoon trains are express; one is express fromTemple University toJenkintown and 1 was express fromTemple University toFort Washington.^[28] Beginning in September 2024,SEPTA is restoring up to 80% pre-pandemic capacity across the System.^[29] On the Lansdale/Doylestown Line, this means 8 peak trains in the morning and 8 peak trains in the afternoon with roughly half express trains. Of the morning, two express fromFort Washington toTemple University, and 3 are express fromJenkintown toTemple University, while in the afternoon, two express fromTemple University toJenkintown and 2 was express fromTemple University toFort Washington.^[30]

In 1952, a complete trip fromLansdale station toReading Terminal took 52 minutes inbound and 48 minutes outbound for a local train stopping at each station with the fastest express train operating at only 37 and 42 minutes, respectively.^[31] In 2025, a complete trip fromLansdale station toJefferson Station also takes 52 minutes inbound and 48 minutes outbound locally; however, the fastest express train only operates at 46 minutes in both directions.^[30]

The Lansdale/Doylestown Line makes the following station stops after leaving theCenter City Commuter Connection; stations indicated with a gray background are closed.

Zone[32]	Station	Miles (km) from Center City	Date opened	Connections / notes
C	Temple University	2.1 (3.4)	1911	SEPTA Regional Rail:all lines
1	North Broad	2.9 (4.7)	1929	SEPTA Regional Rail: SEPTA Metro: SEPTA City Bus:4,16,54 Known as North Broad Street until 1992.
	Wayne Junction	5.1 (8.2)	1881	SEPTA Regional Rail: SEPTA City Bus:2,23,53 SEPTA Trackless Trolley:75
	Logan			Discontinued by SEPTA on October 4, 1992.[33]
	Tabor
	Fern Rock T.C.	7.3 (11.7)	September 9, 1956	SEPTA Regional Rail: SEPTA Metro: SEPTA City Bus:4,28,57,70
Philadelphia city line
2	Melrose Park	8.4 (13.5)		SEPTA Regional Rail:
	Elkins Park	9.2 (14.8)	May 14, 1899[34]	SEPTA Regional Rail: SEPTA City Bus:28 Originally known as Elkins, but has also been known as Ashbourne.
3	Jenkintown–Wyncote	10.8 (17.4)	1859	SEPTA Regional Rail: SEPTA City Bus:77 Originally known as Jenkintown.
	Glenside	11.9 (19.2)		SEPTA Regional Rail: SEPTA City Bus:22,77
	North Hills	13.0 (20.9)
	Oreland	13.9 (22.4)	1890
	Fellwick	14.8 (23.8)	1855[35]	Known as Sandy Run from 1855–March 1884,[36] Camp Hill from March 1884–February 16, 1931,[37] and Sellwick.[37] Closed on November 10, 1996 due to low ridership.[38]
	Fort Washington	15.9 (25.6)	1903	SEPTA Suburban Bus:94,95,201
	Ambler	17.3 (27.8)	1855[35]	SEPTA Suburban Bus:94,95 Known as Wissahickon until 1869, when it was renamed afterMary Johnson Ambler, a local hero who helped in theGreat Train Wreck of 1856.[35]
	Penllyn	18.8 (30.3)	1930	SEPTA Suburban Bus:94
	Gwynedd Valley	20.0 (32.2)	1888
4	North Wales	22.4 (36.0)	1873[39]	SEPTA Suburban Bus:96
	Pennbrook	23.5 (37.8)		SEPTA Suburban Bus:94
	Lansdale	24.4 (39.3)	February 7, 1903[40]	SEPTA Suburban Bus:96,132
	9th Street	25.0 (40.2)	November 15, 2015[41][42]
	Fortuna	25.9 (41.7)		SEPTA Suburban Bus:132
	Colmar	26.8 (43.1)	1856	The station was calledLine Lexington until 1871.
	Link Belt	27.5 (44.3)	December 2, 1952[43]
	Chalfont	29.7 (47.8)		BCT:DART West
	New Britain	31.5 (50.7)		BCT:DART West
	Delaware Valley University	32.8 (52.8)		BCT:Doylestown DART,DART West Known as Farm School until the 1960s, then called Delaware Valley College until 2015.
	Doylestown	34.4 (55.4)	1871	SEPTA City Bus:55 BCT:Doylestown DART Trans-Bridge Lines (toNew Hope andNew York City) Greyhound Lines (toAllentown andScranton)

Between FY 2013–FY 2019 yearly ridership on the Lansdale/Doylestown Line ranged between 4.6–5.0 million before collapsing during theCOVID-19 pandemic.^{[note 1]}

• "SEPTA – Lansdale/Doylestown line schedule"(PDF).

Wikimedia Commons has media related toLansdale/Doylestown Line.

40°14′35″N75°17′07″W / 40.24305°N 75.28537°W /40.24305; -75.28537

• SEPTA Regional Rail
• Reading Company lines
• Doylestown Line

• Pages using gadget WikiMiniAtlas
• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Articles that may contain original research from September 2010
• All articles that may contain original research
• Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2022
• All articles containing potentially dated statements
• Commons category link from Wikidata
• Coordinates on Wikidata
• Pages using the Kartographer extension