January 23, 2024
Michaela Althouse/for PhillyVoice
Countdown clocks, like the one shown above, are now at 30th Street and Girard stations along the Market-Frankford Line. SEPTA said it's testing the devices with no firm date on an official rollout.
More countdown clocks are coming to subway stations along SEPTA's Market-Frankford Line.
The clocks, which show the number of minutes before the next train arrives, first appeared at 15th Street Station in June. SEPTA has said it would introduce clocks at more stations in years past but has never offered specific dates. Now, eagle-eyed residents are spotting clocks popping up around the city.
Job Itzkowitz, executive director of the Old City District, tweeted about a new countdown clock along the MFL at 30th Street Station. Clocks have been at the station for the last few months but hadn't been turned on.
In replies to Itzkowitz's tweet, SEPTA wrote that it was slowly starting to roll out the clocks and that crews were monitoring their progress. One X user spotted a clock at Girard Station.
My goodness, I almost slipped off the wet platform when I saw this! pic.twitter.com/PurtCjz2DK
— Job Itzkowitz (@jobforphilly) January 23, 2024
SEPTA spokesperson John Golden confirmed that the clocks along the MFL are in a testing stage but declined to share which stations had clocks so far, adding that there's no firm rollout date for other ones. Clocks were originally scheduled to appear in stations in 2020, but the initiative was delayed following a malware attack.
Last May, SEPTA said in a tweet that it expected clocks to unveil at subway stations sometime in the fall.
"Unfortunately, it has been taking longer than expected to fine tune the backend software. It is being worked on," SEPTA wrote. "We are hopeful to see it starting to roll out in the fall, but we don't have a definite date at this time."
SEPTA also is testing the return of its Route 15 trolley, with the possibility of weekend service returning in February, Golden said. Approval of the transit authority's Bus Revolution plan will be discussed at SEPTA's monthly board meeting Thursday.
