SEPTA Route 10

SEPTA Route 10
The Route 10 trolley before it enters the 36th Street Portal.
Overview
System	Subway-Surface Trolley Lines
Termini	Overbrook, Philadelphia Center City, Philadelphia
Stations	8
Operation
Depot(s)	Callowhill Depot
Technical
Line length	11.6 mi (18.7 km)
Track gauge	Pennsylvania Trolley Gauge: 5 ft 2 1⁄2 in (1,588 mm)
Minimum radius	?
Electrification	overhead lines

SEPTA's Subway-Surface Trolley Route 10 (a.k.a.; the Lancaster Avenue-Subway Line) is a trolley line operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) that connects the 13th Street in downtown Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to the Overbrook Loop(a.k.a.; Malvern Loop) station in Overbrook section of West Philadelphia. It is one of five lines that are part of the Subway-Surface Trolley system, and is 11.6 mi (18.7 km) long.

Route description

Starting from its eastern terminus at the 13th Street, Route 10 runs in a subway tunnel under Market Street. It has underground station stops at 15th Street, 19th Street, 22nd Street, 30th Street, and 33rd Street. From 15th to 30th Streets, it runs on the outer tracks of the Market Street Subway Tunnel used by SEPTA's Market–Frankford Line. Passengers may transfer free of charge to the Market–Frankford Line at 13th Street, 15th Street, and 30th Street and to the Broad Street Line at 15th Street. Connections to the SEPTA Regional Rail can be made at 30th Street. An underground passageway connects the Ex-Pennsylvania Railroad's 30th Street Station to the Market-Frankford Line's 30th Street Subway Station, but this has been sealed off due to high crime. Underground passageways continue to connect the 13th and 15th Street stations to Market East Station and Suburban Station, respectively.

Route 10 exits the subway at 36th Street Portal, whereas the other Subway-Surface Routes (11, 13, 34, and 36) surface at the 40th Street Portal. The route then runs as a streetcar line north on 36th Street, passing the University City High School & University City Science Center as it approaches Lancaster Avenue(US 30). At Lancaster Avenue there is a wye cutback, which once connected the former Subway-Surface Trolley Route 38 to Lancaster Avenue when the Route 10 Line continued straight down Lancaster Avenue to Market Street, where it connected to a now-closed subway entrance at 23rd & Market Street. Continuing northwest on Lancaster Avenue, the Route 10 line crosses over 40th street, where there is a southbound track which diverts Route 10 to 40th & Market Streets MFL station when the subway tunnel is closed. At 41st street there is a northbound track by which Route 10 returns from 40th & Market Street station. The tracks on 40th & 41st Streets north of Lancaster Avenue continue to Girard Avenue and connect to the Surface Streetcar Route 15 heritage trolley Line. Continuing northwest along Lancaster Avenue, Route 10 crosses over Girard Avenue and the Route 15 trolley. At 52nd Street the line reaches Lansdowne Avenue, where another cutback loop exists, for emergency or schedule adjustments only. Continuing west on Lansdowne Avenue, Route 10 arrives at 60th Street. Here trolleys are able to pull in to Callowhill Depot, but with the return of the Route 15 heritage trolley Line, this was abandoned and all entries to and exits from the depot now occur at 63rd Street. There is a sharp right turn onto 63rd Street, where the line continues north, until it finally reaches the Malvern Loop, which has 2 tracks, sharing the street loop with SEPTA Bus Route 46.

History

Route 10 was established sometime before 1887. In 1906, the line was integrated into the Subway-Surface Trolley System by the Philadelphia Transit Company and was extended to 63rd & Malvern Streets.

External links

• Official SEPTA Route 10 schedule and map
• Photos of SEPTA Route 10 Trolley line
• Flickr - SEPTA Route 10 Streetcar