Norristown Transportation Center is a two-level
multimodal public transportation
Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typical ...
regional hub located in
Norristown, Pennsylvania, USA, operated by
SEPTA
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) is a regional public transportation authority that operates bus, rapid transit, commuter rail, light rail, and electric trolleybus services for nearly 4 million people in five c ...
. It opened in
1989
File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxon Valdez oil tanker runs ...
to replace the older
Norristown High Speed Line
The Norristown High Speed Line (NHSL), also called the Purple Line, the P&W, or Route 100,) is a interurban light rapid transit line operated by SEPTA, running between the 69th Street Transportation Center in Upper Darby and the Norristown Tr ...
(Route 100) terminus one block away at Main and Swede Streets, and integrated the former
Reading Company DeKalb Street Norristown railroad station (built 1933) into its structure. A plaque embedded in the sidewalk (between the bus lane and Lafayette Street) commemorates the location of one of the columns of the dismantled segment of the
Philadelphia and Western Railroad
The Philadelphia and Western Railroad was a high-speed, third rail-equipped, commuter-hauling interurban electric railroad operating in the western suburbs of the U.S. city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is now SEPTA's Norristown High Speed ...
(P&W) trestle.
Regional rail service
The Norristown Transportation Center is a stop on the
Manayunk/Norristown Regional Rail Line which offers service to Center City
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
via
Conshohocken
Conshohocken ( ; Lenape: ''Kanshihàkink'') is a borough on the Schuylkill River in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania in suburban Philadelphia. Historically a large mill town and industrial and manufacturing center, after the decline of industry in ...
and
Manayunk.
In
FY 2017, the regional rail service at Norristown Transportation Center had a weekday average of 856 boardings and 781 alightings.
Norristown High Speed Line
Norristown Transportation Center is the final stop on the
Norristown High Speed Line
The Norristown High Speed Line (NHSL), also called the Purple Line, the P&W, or Route 100,) is a interurban light rapid transit line operated by SEPTA, running between the 69th Street Transportation Center in Upper Darby and the Norristown Tr ...
which runs from
69th Street Transportation Center
The 69th Street Transportation Center is a SEPTA terminal in the Terminal Square section of Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, just west of the city limits of Philadelphia. The terminal serves the Market–Frankford Line, Norristown High Speed Line, an ...
in
Upper Darby
Upper Darby Township, often shortened to Upper Darby, is a Home Rule Municipality (Pennsylvania), home rule Township (Pennsylvania), township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. The township borders Philadelphia, the List of United States cities b ...
to Norristown.
Bus routes
In addition to rail service, NTC serves as the center of the Frontier District of SEPTA's
Suburban Division bus routes, particularly the routes operating in
Montgomery County. Bus routes serving NTC operate with a "timed transfer"; for the most part, buses leave at the same time, to maximize possible transfers between routes. These routes serve areas of Norristown and other areas in Montgomery County.
SEPTA Frontier District routes that serve Norristown Transportation Center are:
* - to
Plymouth Meeting Mall
Plymouth Meeting Mall is a shopping mall in the community of Plymouth Meeting in Plymouth Township, Pennsylvania, approximately northwest of Center City, Philadelphia. It is located at Germantown Pike and Hickory Road, near the Mid-County Int ...
via
Penn Square
* - to
SCI Phoenix via
Eagleville (Saturdays only)
* - to
Pottstown via
Collegeville and
Philadelphia Premium Outlets
* - to
Lansdale
Lansdale is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is a densely-populated commuter town, with many residents traveling daily to Philadelphia using SEPTA Regional Rai ...
via
Montgomery Mall and
North Wales
North Wales ( cy, Gogledd Cymru) is a region of Wales, encompassing its northernmost areas. It borders Mid Wales to the south, England to the east, and the Irish Sea to the north and west. The area is highly mountainous and rural, with Snowdonia N ...
* - to
Chestnut Hill via
Barren Hill and
Conshohocken
Conshohocken ( ; Lenape: ''Kanshihàkink'') is a borough on the Schuylkill River in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania in suburban Philadelphia. Historically a large mill town and industrial and manufacturing center, after the decline of industry in ...
* - to
Blue Bell via Plymouth Meeting Mall
* - to
Phoenixville
Phoenixville is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located northwest of Philadelphia at the junction of French Creek and the Schuylkill River. It is in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The population is 18,616 ...
via
King of Prussia Transit Center at
King of Prussia
The monarchs of Prussia were members of the House of Hohenzollern who were the hereditary rulers of the former German state of Prussia from its founding in 1525 as the Duchy of Prussia. The Duchy had evolved out of the Teutonic Order, a Roman C ...
mall,
Audubon
The National Audubon Society (Audubon; ) is an American non-profit environmental organization dedicated to conservation of birds and their habitats. Located in the United States and incorporated in 1905, Audubon is one of the oldest of such org ...
and
Oaks
* - to Audubon and Valley Forge Corporate Complex via
Jeffersonville
Norristown Transportation Center is served by theconnector shuttle bus operated by the King of Prussia District, which connects Manayunk/Norristown Line trains at the station to the business parks in
King of Prussia
The monarchs of Prussia were members of the House of Hohenzollern who were the hereditary rulers of the former German state of Prussia from its founding in 1525 as the Duchy of Prussia. The Duchy had evolved out of the Teutonic Order, a Roman C ...
during peak weekday hours.
NTC is located at DeKalb & Lafayette Streets near the banks of the
Schuylkill River
The Schuylkill River ( , ) is a river running northwest to southeast in eastern Pennsylvania. The river was improved by navigations into the Schuylkill Canal, and several of its tributaries drain major parts of Pennsylvania's Coal Region. It f ...
and boasts a parking garage (built in 2008). Along with the opening of the new garage, intercity bus service by
Bieber Transportation Group,
Greyhound
The English Greyhound, or simply the Greyhound, is a breed of dog, a sighthound which has been bred for coursing, greyhound racing and hunting. Since the rise in large-scale adoption of retired racing Greyhounds, the breed has seen a resurgenc ...
, and
Martz Trailways was introduced to Norristown. Bieber Transportation Group ended service to Norristown on April 1, 2018 while Martz Trailways service ended May 31, 2018.
Additionally, Norristown Transportation Center was formerly an important transfer point between electric and
Budd Rail Diesel Car (RDCs) service to points north, such as
Valley Forge
Valley Forge functioned as the third of eight winter encampments for the Continental Army's main body, commanded by General George Washington, during the American Revolutionary War. In September 1777, Congress fled Philadelphia to escape the ...
, Phoenixville, Pottstown,
Reading
Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of letters, symbols, etc., especially by sight or touch.
For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process involving such areas as word recognition, orthography (spelling ...
and
Pottsville.
Pottsville line service was eliminated in 1981 due to budget cuts. Proposed restoration of service beyond Norristown, dubbed the
Schuylkill Valley Metro Schuylkill River Passenger Rail is a proposed passenger train service along the Schuylkill River between Philadelphia and Reading, Pennsylvania, with intermediate stops in Norristown, King of Prussia, Phoenixville, and Pottstown.
Passenger trains ...
, was canceled in 2006 after SEPTA failed to acquire necessary funding.
Station layout
References
External links
*SEPTA — Norristown Transportation Center
Regional RailDeKalb Street entrance from Google Maps Street View
{{SEPTA Regional Rail stations
SEPTA Regional Rail stations
SEPTA Norristown High Speed Line stations
SEPTA stations and terminals
Transport Center
Former Reading Company stations
Railway stations in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Railway stations in the United States opened in 1989
1989 establishments in Pennsylvania