T4 (SEPTA Metro)

A trolley bound for Darby Transit Center in 2006
Overview
Termini
Stations8 underground stations, 1 surface level station, and 39 street-level stops
Service
TypeLight rail
SystemSEPTA Metro
Depot(s)Elmwood Carhouse
Daily ridership13,480 (avg weekday 2019)
History
Opened1858
Technical
Line length13.3 mi (21.4 km)
Track gauge5 ft 2+14 in (1,581 mm) Pennsylvania trolley gauge[1]
ElectrificationOverhead line600 V DC
Route map
13th Street
15th Street/​City Hall
19th Street
22nd Street
Drexel Station at 30th Street
33rd Street
Baltimore Avenue
36th–Sansom
37th–Spruce
40th Street Portal
Baltimore Avenue
Chester–Woodland
Chester Avenue
41st–Woodland
42nd–Woodland
Diversion tracks to 40th–Market
43rd–Woodland
45th–Woodland
46th–Woodland
47th–Woodland
48th–Woodland
49th–Woodland
49th Street
Woodland Heavy Maintenance Shop
50th–Woodland
51st–Woodland
52nd–Woodland
53rd–Woodland
54th–Woodland
55th–Woodland
56th–Woodland
57th–Woodland
58th–Woodland
Non-Revenue Track to Chester Ave.
60th–Woodland
CSX Philadelphia Subdivision
61st–Woodland
62nd–Woodland
63rd–Woodland
64th–Woodland
65th–Woodland
66th–Woodland
67th–Woodland
68th–Woodland
69th–Woodland
70th–Woodland
71st–Woodland
72nd–Woodland
Island–Woodland
Non-Revenue Track to Elmwood Ave.
Front–Main
2nd–Main
3rd–Main
4th–Main
5th–Main
6th–Main
Summit–Main
Mill–Main
Powell–Main
Darby Transit Center

The T4, formerly Route 11, is a light rail line operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) that connects the 13th Street station in Center City, Philadelphia, to Darby Transit Center in Darby, Pennsylvania. It is one of five T services of the SEPTA Metro. Sitting at an average of 13,580 riders per weekday in 2019, it is the most used T service.

Route description

Starting from its eastern end at 13th Street, the T4 runs in a tunnel under Market Street. It stops at underground stations at 15th Street/City Hall, 19th Street, 22nd Street, Drexel Station at 30th Street, and 33rd Street. From 15th to 30th Streets, it runs on the outer tracks of Market Street subway, beside the L.

Passengers may transfer free of charge to the L at 13th Street, 15th Street/City Hall, and Drexel Station at 30th Street and to the B at 15th Street/City Hall. Connections to SEPTA Regional Rail are also available. Underground passageways connect the 13th and 15th Street/City Hall stations to Jefferson Station and Suburban Station.

The T4 surfaces at the 40th Street Portal near 40th Street and Baltimore Avenue (US 13), and then runs southwest along Woodland Avenue, along with the T5. At 49th Street, the T5 splits and heads south. The T4 continues its run along Woodland Avenue. The line runs parallel to the north side of the Wilmington/Newark Line and crosses a bridge over CSX's Philadelphia Subdivision freight line, at 60th Street.

At the intersection of Island Road and the Cobbs Creek Parkway, a track runs southward toward 73rd–Elmwood station on the corner of Elmwood Avenue. The T4 moves northwest from Woodland Avenue to Main Street as it crosses the Cobbs Creek and enters Darby. Here, the T4 crosses the Philadelphia Subdivision again, but at an at-grade crossing along with 6th Street.[2] The road and line move to the west shortly, only to turn back northwest and finally north to 9th Street at the Darby Transit Center.

History

What is now the T4 was first established as the West Philadelphia Passenger Railway Company in Darby on December 24, 1858, and ran as horsecars from 9th and Main Streets in Darby to 49th Street and Woodland Avenue in West Philadelphia. It was originally a segregated streetcar that required African-Americans to ride on platforms along with the driver, until abolitionist William Still challenged that rule between 1859 and 1867.[3] In 1896, the line was extended as far east as Front Street via Chestnut and Walnut Streets, and was integrated into the subway–surface trolley system by the Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company on December 15, 1906.[4] The original numbered designation was "Route 11".

The at-grade crossing along Main Street at the intersection of Sixth Street in Darby[5] was the site of the Darby Baltimore and Ohio Railroad station. B&O had passenger service into Philadelphia until 1958.[6]

On December 9, 2021, a T4 LRV collided with a CSX Transportation freight train operating on the Philadelphia Subdivision at the at-grade crossing between the two lines near the intersection of Main Street and Sixth Street in Darby. Seven people on the LRV were injured, and the front windshield was smashed.[7] All of the people injured in the crash were treated and released from the hospital on the same day.[8] This is reportedly the only remaining intersection in the nation where an active freight rail line crosses a fixed active rail transit line.[9]

Route 11 was renamed as the T4 on February 24, 2025.[10]

Stations and stops

All are in either the city of Philadelphia or the borough of Darby.

Neighborhood/
location
Station or stop Connections Notes
Market East 13th Street SEPTA Metro:
SEPTA City Bus: 27, 31, 32
Closed between 12:30–5:00am
Penn Center 15th Street/​City Hall SEPTA Regional Rail: all lines (at Suburban Station)
SEPTA Metro:
SEPTA City Bus: 4, 16, 17, 27, 31, 32, 33, 38, 44, 48
SEPTA Suburban Bus: 124, 125
Late night terminus
19th Street SEPTA Metro:
SEPTA City Bus: 17, 31, 38, 44, 48, 62, 78
SEPTA Suburban Bus: 124
Center City
West
22nd Street SEPTA Metro:
SEPTA City Bus: 7, 31, 44, 62
SEPTA Suburban Bus: 124, 125
Replaced 24th Street station
University City Drexel Station at 30th Street Amtrak (at 30th Street Station)
NJ Transit: ACL Atlantic City Line (at 30th Street Station)
SEPTA Regional Rail: all lines (at 30th Street Station)
SEPTA Metro:
SEPTA City Bus: 31, 49, LUCY
No direct passage to 30th Street Station
33rd Street SEPTA Metro:
SEPTA City Bus: 30, 31, 49, LUCY
Serves Drexel University
36th–Sansom SEPTA Metro:
SEPTA City Bus: 21
Serves University of Pennsylvania
37th–Spruce SEPTA Metro:
SEPTA City Bus: 40, 42, LUCY
Serves University of Pennsylvania, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Spruce Hill 40th Street Portal SEPTA Metro:
SEPTA City Bus: 30, 40, 42, LUCY
End of T2 concurrency
Chester–Woodland SEPTA Metro:
SEPTA City Bus: 30
End of T3 concurrency
41st–Woodland (EB) SEPTA Metro:
SEPTA City Bus: 30
42nd–Woodland SEPTA Metro:
43rd–Woodland (WB)
45th–Woodland (EB)
SEPTA Metro:
Squirrel Hill 46th–Woodland SEPTA Metro:
47th–Woodland (EB) SEPTA Metro:
Kingsessing 48th–Woodland SEPTA Metro:
49th–Woodland SEPTA Metro:
SEPTA City Bus: 12, 52, 64
End of T5 concurrency
50th–Woodland SEPTA City Bus: 12, 52
51st–Woodland SEPTA City Bus: 52
52nd–Woodland SEPTA City Bus: 52
53rd–Woodland SEPTA City Bus: 52
54th–Woodland
55th–Woodland
56th–Woodland
57th–Woodland
58th–Woodland SEPTA City Bus: 63
Elmwood 60th–Woodland
61st–Woodland
62nd–Woodland SEPTA City Bus: 63
63rd–Woodland
64th–Woodland
65th–Woodland SEPTA Suburban Bus: 108
66th–Woodland
67th–Woodland
68th–Woodland
69th–Woodland
70th–Woodland
71st–Woodland
72nd–Woodland
Island–Woodland SEPTA City Bus: 68
Darby Front–Main
2nd–Main
3rd–Main
4th–Main
5th–Main
6th–Main
Summit–Main
Mill–Main (EB)
Powell–Main (WB)
Darby Transit Center SEPTA Metro:
SEPTA Suburban Bus: 113, 114, 115
Limited T3 service

References

  1. ^ Hilton, George W.; Due, John Fitzgerald (January 1, 2000). The Electric Interurban Railways in America. Stanford University Press. ISBN 9780804740142. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  2. ^ Philadelphia Transit; Streetcars;Route 11 (Kavanaugh Transit Systems)
  3. ^ "William Still, Darby, and the Desegregation of Philadelphia Streetcars". DarbyHistory.com. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  4. ^ 1974 SEPTA Trolleys Brochure
  5. ^ Google view of the crossing in Darby
  6. ^ Former Darby B&O Station (Existing Railroad Stations in Delaware County, Pennsylvania)
  7. ^ Rushing, Ellie (December 9, 2021). "SEPTA trolley collided with freight train in Delco, 6 passengers injured". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  8. ^ McCormick, Annie (December 9, 2021). "6 injured after SEPTA trolley collides with freight train in Darby, Pennsylvania". 6abc Action News. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  9. ^ Petrillo, Matt (December 9, 2021). "6 People Injured In Accident Involving SEPTA Trolley, CSX Freight Train In Darby". CBS Philadelphia. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  10. ^ Heisey, Jessica (February 3, 2025). "SEPTA changes route designation system". WFMZ.com. Retrieved February 7, 2025.
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