SEPTA Route 15

Route 15 Trolley (G)
SEPTA PCC II operating on the Route 15
Overview
StatusLimited service, bus shuttle
LocalePhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Termini
Stations64 stops
Websitesepta.org/schedules/G1
Service
TypeLight rail
SystemSEPTA Metro
Services
  •  All Stops
Operator(s)SEPTA
Depot(s)Callowhill
Rolling stockSEPTA PCC III
Daily ridership9,032 (ave. weekday, FY 2019)[1]
History
Opened1859; 2005; 2024[2]
Closed1992–2005; 2020–2024
Technical
Line length8.4 miles (13.5 km)[3][4]
Track gauge5 ft 2+1⁄4 in (1,581 mm) Pennsylvania trolley gauge[5][6]
ElectrificationOverhead line, 600 V DC
Route map
Map
Legend
Richmond & Westmoreland
Loop
 Richmond & Allegheny
 60 
Allegheny Avenue
to 35th / Allegheny
I-95.svg I-95
 Richmond & Cambria
Richmond & Somerset
Conrail Port Richmond Branch
 Richmond & Lehigh
Richmond & Huntingdon
Richmond & Cumberland
Richmond & Girard
I-95.svg I-95
 Girard & Aramingo
Girard & Berks
Girard & Palmer
Girard & Columbia
Girard & Frankford
Frankford & Delaware
(Northern Liberties Loop)
 Frankford & Richmond
I-95.svg I-95
Girard & Front
Girard & 2nd
Girard & 3rd
Girard & 4th
 50  to 5th / Ritner
 Girard & 5th
 50 
to Knorr Loop
(Rising Sun / Knorr)
 Girard & 7th
 47 
to Godfrey Loop
(5th / Godfrey)
 Girard & 8th
 47  to 9th / Wolf
 Girard & 11th
 23 
to Bethlehem
Loop
 Girard & 12th
 23  to 10th / Bigler
 Girard & Broad
Girard & 16th
Girard & 17th
Girard & Ridge
Girard & 19th
Girard & 20th
Girard & Corinthian
College & 24th
Poplar & 25th
Poplar & Stillman
Poplar & 26th
Girard & 26th
Girard & 27th
Girard & 28th
Girard & 29th
Girard & 31st
Girard & 33rd
Girard & 34th
Schuylkill River
I-76.svgUS 30.svg I-76 /
US 30
Schuylkill Expressway
Girard & 39th
Girard & 40th
to Subway-
Surface lines
 Girard & 41st
Girard & 42nd
Harrisburg–Philadelphia THO
 Girard & Belmont
Girard & Merion
Lancaster Avenue
to 13th Street (Subway)
 Girard & Lancaster
Lancaster Avenue
to 63rd / Malvern
 Girard & 49th
Girard & 51st
Girard & 52nd
Girard & 54th
Girard & 56th
Girard & 57th
Girard & 59th from Callowhill Depot
Girard & 60th
South to Callowhill Depot
North to Lansdowne Avenue
 Haverford│Girard
(
Haddington
Loop
)
 61st
62nd
Passing Siding
63rd to Felton
 63rd
non-revenue track
to 63rd & Lansdowne
This diagram:

Route 15,[a] currently rebranding as the G,[b] is a street-running light rail line in the SEPTA Metro network that runs along Girard Avenue through North and West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Service is operated by the City Transit Division of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority. As of 2024, it is the only trolley line in Philadelphia that is not part of the subway–surface trolley lines. SEPTA PCC III vehicles are used on the line.

The line was first opened in 1859 as a horse car line operated by the Richmond and Schuylkill River Passenger Railway, and electrified in 1895, with extensions in 1902 and 1903.[8] Service was "bustituted" in 1992, along with Route 23 (Germantown Avenue-11th and 12th Streets) and Route 56 (Torresdale-Erie Avenues). On September 4, 2005, trolley service was restored.

On April 29, 2012, east of Frankford Avenue, the line started being operated by buses due to major reconstruction. West of Frankford Avenue, the line was still run by PCC II cars. Trolleys terminated at Frankford and Delaware Avenues (Northern Liberties Loop) while buses terminated at Girard Station under the Market-Frankford Line. As of January 2020, the full line is being substituted by a bus bridge to allow for rolling stock maintenance, track repairs, and a nearby highway expansion. Trolley service was originally anticipated to return in late 2021.[9] As of August 2023, six of the 18 cars were restored but still not enough to resume trolley service.[10] SEPTA expected trolleys would be in service in late 2023.[11] However, that goal was also not met. Trolleys finally returned to service on June 16, 2024.[12][2]

  1. ^ "Fiscal Year 2014 Annual Service Plan" (PDF). SEPTA. May 2013. p. 40. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 22, 2013. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
  2. ^ a b Myers, Michelle (June 16, 2024). "'The Tesla of trolleys': Behold the return of SEPTA's cream-and-green 1947 trolleys". www.inquirer.com. The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference SEPTA-Stats was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference SEPTA-Media was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "The history of trolley cars and routes in Philadelphia". SEPTA. June 1, 1974. p. 2. Retrieved June 11, 2014. An early city ordinance prescribed that all tracks were to have a gauge of 5' 21⁄4".
  6. ^ Hilton, George W.; Due, John Fitzgerald (January 1, 2000). The Electric Interurban Railways in America. Stanford University Press. ISBN 9780804740142. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  7. ^ "SEPTA Metro: Unification and Reorganization". SEPTA. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
  8. ^ "1974 SEPTA Trolley History Brochure". Philadelphia Trolley Tracks (PhillyTrolleys.org). Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority. 1974. Retrieved August 28, 2013.
  9. ^ Sasko, Claire (January 22, 2020). "SEPTA Says the Historic Route 15 Trolleys Will Return Late Next Year". PhiladelphiaMagazine.com. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  10. ^ Sharber, Cory (August 16, 2023). "SEPTA's Route 15 historic trolleys to return Sept. 10". WHYY. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
  11. ^ Saunders, Brian (September 7, 2023). "Return of SEPTA's classic trolleys delayed until later this fall". PhillyVoice. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  12. ^ Fitzgerald, Thomas (June 11, 2024). "Restored 1947 trolleys will return to Girard Avenue's Route 15 next week. SEPTA says it's not a rumor this time". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on June 11, 2024. Retrieved June 11, 2024.


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