PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A new signal system will mean longer commutes for riders on two suburban trolley lines, starting next week.
On Monday, SEPTA will go live with a new signal system on the D1 and D2 trolleys — the old Routes 101 and 102. General Manager Scott Sauer said the system, called Communications-Based Train Control, will require operators to make more gradual accelerations and decelerations.
"Before, it was entirely at the operator's discretion on how to operate the car within the scope of our rules. But now, the signal system will be telling them how fast to go, when to stop,” he said.
"They won't be able to overspeed and therefore have the risk of derailment. They won't be able to violate stop signals or misaligned switches and things of that nature."
The $75 million signal upgrade has taken the better part of a decade to implement. However, the increased safety comes at a cost, according to Sauer. The trips will take extra time.
“Depending on where you board, if you board at Orange Street in Media, your trip time could be as long as 15 minutes more than what it is today,” he said.
SEPTA will still run the same number of trolleys on each line. The trips will just last an extra 15 minutes on the D1 and 10 more on the D2.