February 21, 2017
John Kopp/PhillyVoice file photo
SEPTA Regional Rail passengers board a train at Jefferson Station.
SEPTA tweeted shortly after 11 p.m. Tuesday that it had resolved the signal problems responsible for many a hellish commute home on Monday night for Regional Rail riders.
Residual delays of up to 15 minutes were to be expected the rest of the night, the agency said.
Problems with signal equipment near Wayne Junction wreaked havoc on the timetables of nine Regional Rail lines during the Tuesday evening rush. The transit agency announced delays up to an hour, but some trains were reported as much as 84 minutes behind while others were canceled abruptly.
Trenton: UPDATE: Trains continue to operate with delays of up to 60 minutes and more due to signal issues.
— SEPTA (@SEPTA) February 22, 2017
The affected lines were: Airport, Doylestown, Elwyn, Fox Chase, Newark, Thorndale, Trenton, Warminster and West Trenton.
SEPTA dispatched crews to the scene, south of Wayne Junction, to address the problem. While they worked on a solution, workers had to operate switches manually. About 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, northbound trains sat still on the tracks waiting for the trains ahead of them to pass slowly through the problem area.
The signal delays capped a tough day for the transit agency.
Early Tuesday morning, service on the Market-Frankford Line was suspended at 69th Street Station after two trains collided. Four people were injured, including one SEPTA employee.
