Two "Railfanning" Trips Out of Philadelphia

Philadelphia has long been a railroad city. Lying at the junction of a host of different railroads, Philadelphia's 30^th street station was in the days of the mighty Pennsylvania Railroad, and still is today for Amtrak, a major transportation hub for both suburban and intercity trains. Today, SEPTA operates eleven commuter rail lines throughout metropolitan Philadelphia and beyond, New Jersey Transit operates rail service to Atlantic City, NJ, and Amtrak's Northeast Corridor passes through the city. Additionally, the recently upgraded Keystone Corridor to Harrisburg terminates in the city of brotherly love.

While 30^th Street Station's underground, restricted access platforms provide few opportunities to "railfan", or watch trains, there are numerous trips that one can take to surrounding cities and towns for much better railfanning locales. All can be easily reached via SEPTA and NJT local trains; for a higher price, one can use Amtrak's faster and more comfortable service to some locations.

Trenton and Princeton Junction: Both located on the Northeast Corridor (NEC), these two cities offer a plethora and variety of trains; at least half a day should be planned to visit both. From Center City, take the R7 bound for Trenton, which runs roughly hourly off peak. (It is advised to purchase your NJT tickets, if needed, from the machine in the upper level of 30^th street, as the connections in Trenton can be tight.) After an approximately fifty minute ride along the NEC, you'll arrive in Trenton on track 5. Trenton has five tracks served by two island platforms and one side platform; tracks 4 and 5 share one of the island platforms, while tracks 1 and 2 share the other. Track 3, served by a side, low level platform, is rarely used. The 1970's station is currently being replaced with a much nicer structure.