SIGNAL SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS ON THE COMMUTER RAIL OPERATION AT SEPTA

The commuter rail network of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) consists of approximately 110 route miles with 13 lines radiating from the Philadelphia Central Business District. The system originated as parts of the former Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) and the Reading Railroad. Prior to January 1, 1983, SEPTA provided funds for the commuter rail system, but actual operation was performed by the PRR and the Reading Railroad and later Penn Central and Conrail. On January 1, 1983, SEPTA assumed day-to-day operation and maintenance of all physical plant owned by SEPTA. Prior to that date, SEPTA had conducted an evaluation on the state-of-repair of the signal system and this evaluation served to launch future capital programs. Deferred maintenance by the former operators had placed larg portions of the system in a state of poor repair bordering on catastrophic future conditions. As an example, a large section of the West Chester Line had complete signal cable failures, that limited track speeds to 30 MPH. The entire Chestnut Hill West Line also experienced a complete failure of the signal cabling system, limiting track speeds to 30 MPH. On this branch, however, the former operator partially installed a cab signal system with used equipment in an attempt to up-grade track speeds. This project was finally completed by SEPTA forces. At one stage, massive cable failures occurred on the Chestnut Hill East Line and the Norristown Line placing many signals out of service and limiting speeds to 20 MPH. Emergency procurements were required for the purchase and installation of replacement cables. Also many cables on many lines contained grounded conductors that had to be placed out of service and therefore were no longer useable. Wooden signal housings in various states of poor repair populated the system, housing hundreds of obsolete vane-type vital relays. The system also contained over 600 centrifugal track relays which were a labor intensive high maintenance device. Compounding this issue, in 1983, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) mandated that this device be tested annually.