SEPTA Trolley Tunnel to Close for 2020 Trolley Tunnel Blitz, July 10-20

Alternate Service Available on Market-Frankford Line During Maintenance & Construction Work

July 09, 2020

SEPTA crews will work around the clock for 10 days, tackling critical track and power maintenance, station upgrades, and intensive cleaning as part of the 2020 Trolley Tunnel Blitz.

SEPTA Trolley Routes 10, 11, 13, 34, and 36 will not operate in the Center City tunnel from 10 p.m. on Friday, July 10 through 5 a.m. on Monday, July 20.

Trolley service will begin and end at 40th and Market Streets. Customers can board SEPTA's Market- Frankford Line at 40th Street Station for travel to-and-from Center City.

"On average, 700 vehicles operate through the five-mile tunnel every day," said SEPTA General Manager Leslie S. Richards. "This project gives us the opportunity to complete construction and maintenance work in a concentrated time period, reducing the number of late night and weekend outages over the course of the year."

Work that will be completed during the tunnel closure includes:

• Track: Replace trolley tunnel track curved rail along the eastbound sides of the tunnel at 15th and 36th Streets


• Power: Replace old wood overhead protection boards with a new fiberglass protection board system westbound between 22nd Street and 30th Street Station


• Communications & Signals: Inspect and complete maintenance on entire signal system while replacing LED lenses and lights as necessary


• Bridges & Buildings: Heavy cleaning, inspection, and maintenance at all stations including tile, railings, and partition screen repairs; painting; and installation of bracing beams

This is the eighth consecutive year SEPTA has held the Trolley Tunnel Blitz, which is scheduled during the summer when ridership is traditionally lower to impact the fewest number of regular customers.

"I want to thank our customers for their cooperation and patience while we continue our work to improve service, safety, and travel comfort in the Center City tunnel," said Richards.

For more details on the 2020 Trolley Tunnel Blitz, please visit: http://septa.org/blitz/.

SEPTA will continue to post real-time service updates at http://septa.org/ and on Twitter @SEPTA.

English PDF | Espanol PDF