July 05, 2023
Thom Carroll/PhillyVoice
PATCO trains will run less frequently than normal this summer while a rail infrastructure project is completed between the Ferry Avenue and Broadway stations in Camden, New Jersey.
PATCO is adjusting its train schedules, beginning Saturday, due to a $6 million rail replacement project taking place in Camden.
Nearly three miles of rails and track material will be replaced between the Ferry Avenue and Broadway stations over an 8-week span, PATCO officials said. The rails have not been upgraded since 1968.
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The project initially was scheduled to occur over a 27-week span, with weekend track outages. Instead, PATCO opted to complete the work on an accelerated schedule because ridership dips between the Fourth of July and Labor Day. This will ensure the project is complete when ridership bumps back up in the fall.
"To minimize the impact on our customers, we have explored different options and the revised timeframe seems to be the best choice for completing this important infrastructure project," PATCO General Manager John D. Rink said. "It is important for PATCO to be ready, with new tracks and less trackwork for the anticipated increased ridership in the fall."
The new train schedules, which include less frequent trains, are listed below. They will be altered again once the rail replacement project enters its second stage – about four weeks from now.
• Weekday morning and evening rush hours: Trains run every 12 minutes (formerly every 7 minutes)
• Weekday daytime hours: Trains run every 22 minutes (formerly every 15 minutes)
• Saturdays: Trains run every 22 minutes (formerly every 20 minutes)
• Sundays: Trains run every 30 minutes (same as the former schedule)
PATCO's rail replacement project is being completed in two phases. The first, four-week phase begins July 8 and includes the reconstruction of a 7,234-foot section of eastbound track. The second phase entails the replacement of the westbound track.
Passengers can view the full PATCO schedules online.
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