NJ: Trenton-Philadelphia train service faces elimination in SEPTA budget cuts

For passengers who don’t want to buy a pricey Amtrak ride to Philadelphia, taking a SEPTA train from Trenton has been the cheaper option.

But that option could disappear as the Southeastern Pennsylvania Public Transportation Authority, SEPTA, tries to close a $213 million budget gap by axing five commuter rail lines, 50 bus routes, closing 66 stations and shutting down metro and commuter rail service at 9 a.m.

A 21% fare increase accompanies the service cuts.

If this scenario sounds familiar, it is the doomsday cycle of service cuts and falling ridership advocates feared would happen to NJ Transit without a dedicated source of funding.

Gov. Phil Murphy averted a forecast $766 million fiscal cliff this year by enacting the corporate transit fee on the approximately 600 corporations in the state that make at least $10 million a year in profits.

That fee put a 2.5% tax on all earnings for five years, which helps fund NJ Transits operating budget.

SEPTA, though, is still waiting for Pennsylvania’s legislature to approve a funding package that could prevent some of the service cuts.

SEPTA’s plans include scaling back Trenton Line service starting in July 2025 from hourly train service to one train every two hours during the midday period and on weekends. Some peak and evening service will be eliminated.

In January 2026, plans call for all service to be eliminated on the Trenton Line.

SEPTA bus route 66 will provide connecting service to Philadelphia’a El (elevated subway) for some customers. And bus route 129 will provide some service in Bucks County. The West Trenton Line will provide a Regional Rail alternative until 9 p.m.

The budget that includes those cuts will be voted on by the SEPTA Board on June 26.

That will affect commuters like Delvan Bradford who uses the Trenton line.

“To me, it’s horrible. I ride the Trenton Line almost every day to work either from Torresdale or Holmesburg,” he said. “I feel comfortable and more safe than riding the El.”

That subway ride also requires transferring to a train and then a bus to reach 30th Street station to get to work, he said.

Bradford has ridden the line to New Jersey.

The Trenton line has the third highest ridership on SEPTA commuter rail and plans call for eliminating the line with the highest ridership, the Paoli- Thorndale line and the Wilmington- Newark, Delaware line, said Andrew Busch, a SEPTA spokesperson. The Trenton line ridership is 7,399 on an average weekday, he said.

“The five Regional Rail lines that would be eliminated run fully or partially on Amtrak territory, which is why they were selected,” he said. “By cutting these lines, SEPTA would save $65 million annually in lease payments to Amtrak.”

Of the eight remaining lines that operate on SEPTA’s tracks, including West Trenton, there would be significant cuts to trips, he said.

The 21.5% fare increase would generate approximately $50 million in new revenue, which would fall short of covering the budget gap, he said.

Pennsylvania Josh Gov. Shapiro’s proposal for new transit funding in the fiscal year 2026 budget must be voted on by the state’s House and Senate. That would provide approximately $168 million, which if approved, would trigger additional local contributions Philadelphia and the four counties SEPTA serves, Busch said

“There would likely be a more modest fare increase enacted, and we would continue with efforts that have resulted in $30 million in savings from internal cost-cutting to date,” he said.

©2025 Advance Local Media LLC.
Visit nj.com.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.