Two rapid transit lines in Philadelphia will commence round-the-clock weekend service beginning June 15, 2014, as part of a pilot program initiated by Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA).
SEPTA said the trains will run on weekends on the Market-Frankford and Broad Street lines, beginning on June 15, a Sunday, at 12:01 a.m. The pilot program will run through Labor Day weekend; SEPTA will offer 20-minute headways on each line between midnight and 5:00 a.m.
SEPTA said cashiers will be on duty high-ridership stations to assist passengers.
At unstaffed stations, riders will pay train operators before boarding. Riders will need exact cash, a token or a pass, as the operators will not give out change. The operators will sell transfers, SEPTA said.
Few U.S. rail transit systems operate on a 24-hour schedule at any time, let alone on weekends. Last March MBTA extended rail transit service in Boston by 90 minutes on Friday and Saturday nights, ending at roughly 2:30 a.m. (depending on location).
MTA New York City Transit subway service, along with PATH bistate rail service, operate on a round-the-clock basis. MTA Long Island Rail Road is one regional passenger carrier that offers service at all hours.