‘Major’ SEPTA Regional Rail disruptions begin Saturday

Commuters along three of SEPTA’s Regional Rail lines — as well as summer travelers looking to catch a flight — will need to take a hard look at schedules before heading out the door for the next two weeks.

Service on the Airport, Media/Elwyn, and Wilmington/Newark Lines will see “major service adjustments” because of construction work around University City. The work is part of a program to rebuild infrastructure, some of which dates back more than eight decades, according to SEPTA. The adjustments begin Saturday and last until Aug. 4.

Here's what riders along the three lines need to know:

Airport: Trains won’t run during the construction period. Shuttle buses will run between Eastwick, Philadelphia International Airport terminals, and 30th Street Station. The adjusted schedule can be viewed online.

Media/Elwyn: Trains between Elwyn and 49th Street will run on a “special construction timetable,” while riders looking to travel between 49th and 30th Street should expect to take a shuttle bus.

Wilmington/Newark: Trains will operate between Newark and 30th Street, but won’t run to or from University City, Suburban, Jefferson, and Temple University stations. The schedule can be viewed online.

The Southwest Connection Improvement Program looks to replace interlockings and overhead wires, repair drainage structures, and make other upgrades. While the focus is on rebuilding the infrastructure on the Media/Elwyn Line below the University City station, the program also impacts the two other lines.

SEPTA’s nearly ready to show off its latest transit map — a major upgrade from the system map that’s been largely the same since the 1940s. The new map hopes to entice more SEPTA riders to take the bus, which is bleeding riders.

Riders can expect to see the map at busy stops like the Frankford and 69th Street Transportation Centers now, with it appearing at 100 locations by the end of the summer.

Have you checked the expiration date on your SEPTA Key card yet? The end is near for about 40,000 riders whose cards are set to expire July 31. Riders will have to purchase a new card and transfer funds and unused one-day passes, which can be done at a handful of locations or via phone at 855-567-3782. Your old card must be registered on SEPTA’s website, and the fee for a new card will be applied toward transit fare once registered.

Riders are also now able to load as little as $1 onto their travel wallets, lowered from $5 as a result of customer feedback. The change went into effect at all stations July 8.