[miketoronto]

During sporting games SEPTA in Philly operates express trains to the sports complex.

South of the Walnut Station, the trains operate express to the sports complex, not stopping at any stations in route.

But how does this work, when the subway line is only two tracks south of Center City?

Does anyone know how this works in a tunnel with two tracks and pretty frequent local trains.

[tayser]

Express train heads out first, then a stopper directly behind it, gap between service, then repeat. That's what happened when I went to the flyer's game.

It's what happens anywhere where express and stopper share a track - nothing new here. It's not the most efficient use of track, but on special occassions it works

[miketoronto]

Express train heads out first, then a stopper directly behind it, gap between service, then repeat. That's what happened when I went to the flyer's game.

It's what happens anywhere where express and stopper share a track - nothing new here. It's not the most efficient use of track, but on special occassions it works

But how does the express not get stuck behind the local, as the local service is pretty frequent, so would the express not catch up?

[volguus zildrohar]

The Sports Express trains run at varying intervals - only three or four are usually scheduled to take people down to the Sports Complex and after the conclusion of the event(s), one or two express trains will make the return trip for the crush capacity crowds immediately after with all subsequent trains running local.

The local service is 'frequent' but the trip between Pattison and Walnut-Locust is less than ten minutes. At that station the express tracks begin and the Sports Expresses use them to continue northward. Remember that the Broad Street Subway has a lot of unused capacity - particularly at off-peak times so the number of trains isn't too much for the line to handle even with some running express over a local section.