Bethlehem Line

Bethlehem Line

Overview
Service type	Commuter rail
Status	Discontinued
Last service	July 27, 1981
Former operator(s)	Conrail SEPTA
Route
Termini	Reading Terminal, Philadelphia, U.S. Bethlehem Union Station, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Line(s) used	Bethlehem Branch
Route map Legend 0 mi 0 km Reading Terminal Zone  1  1A 0.8 mi 1.3 km Spring Garden Street Center City Commuter Connection 1.8 mi 2.9 km Temple University 2.9 mi 4.7 km North Broad NOR to Pottstown 4.0 mi 6.4 km Tioga 4.3 mi 6.9 km Nicetown 5.1 mi 8.2 km Wayne Junction FOX to Newtown Zone  1A  2 5.9 mi 9.5 km Logan 6.7 mi 10.8 km Tabor 7.3 mi 11.7 km Fern Rock Zone  2  2E 8.4 mi 13.5 km Melrose Park 9.2 mi 14.8 km Elkins Park Zone  2E  2J 10.8 mi 17.4 km Jenkintown–Wyncote WTR to West Trenton 11.9 mi 19.2 km Glenside WAR to Warminster Zone  2J  3 13.0 mi 20.9 km North Hills 13.9 mi 22.4 km Oreland 14.8 mi 23.8 km Fellwick PA 309 I-276 / Penna Turnpike Zone  3  4 15.9 mi 25.6 km Fort Washington 17.3 mi 27.8 km Ambler 18.8 mi 30.3 km Penllyn 20.0 mi 32.2 km Gwynedd Valley Zone  4  5 22.4 mi 36 km North Wales 23.5 mi 37.8 km Pennbrook Stony Creek Branch 24.4 mi 39.3 km Lansdale DOY to Doylestown Zone  5  6 27.1 mi 43.6 km Hatfield 29.6 mi 47.6 km Souderton Zone  6  7 30.9 mi 49.7 km Telford 33.6 mi 54.1 km Sellersville 35.0 mi 56.3 km Perkasie Zone  7  8 40.2 mi 64.7 km Quakertown Zone  8  10 47.6 mi 76.6 km Centre Valley Zone  10  11 52.6 mi 84.7 km Hellertown 56.6 mi 91.1 km Bethlehem Zone  11  12 61.3 mi 98.7 km Allentown This diagram: view talk edit

The Bethlehem Line was a SEPTA Regional Rail service on the former Reading Company Bethlehem Branch between Lansdale and Bethlehem. Some trains continued over the electrified Lansdale/Doylestown Line to the Reading Terminal in Philadelphia.

Between 1978 and 1979, SEPTA extended service to Allentown. Service ended altogether in 1981 as SEPTA eliminated its former Reading diesel services. The Bethlehem Line is owned by SEPTA and is utilized for freight service by the Pennsylvania Northeastern Railroad between Lansdale and Telford and the East Penn Railroad between Telford and Quakertown.

The Quakertown–Bethlehem section has been dormant since the early 1990s: several portions of the rail bed currently serve as the interim rail trails. It is not officially abandoned.

The route between Philadelphia and Bethlehem was constructed in the 19th century by the North Pennsylvania Railroad, a forerunner of the Reading Company.^{[citation needed]} The Reading continued to operate passenger services between the two cities into the 20th century; at one time Bethlehem was a major interchange with the Lehigh Valley Railroad and the Central Railroad of New Jersey. Commuter services survived into the Conrail era but fell victim to SEPTA's decision in 1981 to eliminate diesel services. Service between Bethlehem and Quakertown ended on July 1, 1981; service between Quakertown and Lansdale ended on July 26.^[1]

Bethlehem trains made the following station stops; stations indicated with italics closed prior to the discontinuation of service in 1981. Mileage and fare zones are from the July 30, 1978 timetable.^[2]

• 2006 restoration plan