Chestnut Hill West Line

The Chestnut Hill West Line is a part of the SEPTA Regional Rail network. It helps people travel from places in Northwest Philadelphia to the center of the city. Some of the neighborhoods it goes through are Chestnut Hill, West Mount Airy, and Germantown. The line makes it easier for people to get to Center City without using a car. It is an important way for many people to go to work, school, or visit friends and family.

Route

Main article: Chestnut Hill West Branch

The Chestnut Hill West Line is part of the SEPTA Regional Rail network. Trains start at Temple University and travel through the Center City Commuter Connection to reach 30th Street Station. From there, they continue on the Northeast Corridor to North Philadelphia, where they switch to the Chestnut Hill West Branch. The end station is called Chestnut Hill West, which helps tell it apart from another line that ends at Chestnut Hill East. Some stops on this line are very close to each other, which is more like a city subway than a regular train line. The whole route is built above the roads so trains don’t stop at crossings.

History

The Chestnut Hill West Line started on June 11, 1884, run by the Philadelphia, Germantown and Chestnut Hill Railroad. The Pennsylvania Railroad managed it until 1968. Trains began using electricity on March 30, 1918. Later, the Penn Central took over until 1976, then Conrail until 1983, when SEPTA began operating it.

From 1984 to 2010, the line was called R8 Chestnut Hill West as part of SEPTA’s new plan for its routes. Trains traveled through the city to the Fox Chase Line. There were plans to connect it to the West Chester/Elwyn Line with a new bridge, but it was never built. As of 2026, most weekday trains still go through the city center to the Fox Chase Line, while weekend trains go to the West Trenton Line.

Service was stopped from June 1987 to December 1989 because the old bridge was not safe. A new bridge was built and opened.

Service was stopped again from April 2020 to March 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic and construction work. It started again with limited schedules, and weekend service returned in December 2021.

In April 2025, there were plans to stop the line because not many people were using it and money was tight. But in September 2025, a court order stopped those plans, and SEPTA decided to raise fares instead.

Stations

The Chestnut Hill West Line makes several stops after leaving 30th Street Station. Some of these stations are currently closed. All of the stations on this route are within the city of Philadelphia.

Zone	Location	Station	Miles (km) from Center City	Date opened	Connections / notes
C	Mantua	Zoological Garden	1.9 (3.1)	1874	Closed November 24, 1901
	Brewerytown	Engleside	2.8 (4.5)		Closed April 5, 1903
	Strawberry Mansion	Ridge Avenue	3.2 (5.1)		Closed April 5, 1903.
		22nd Street	3.9 (6.3)
1	Glenwood	North Philadelphia	4.5 (7.2)		Amtrak: Keystone Service SEPTA Regional Rail: SEPTA Metro: SEPTA City Bus: 4, 16
	Nicetown–Tioga	Westmoreland	5.5 (8.9)		Closed October 29, 1994
	Germantown	Queen Lane	6.8 (10.9)		SEPTA City Bus: K
		Chelten Avenue	7.4 (11.9)	June 11, 1884	SEPTA City Bus: 26, 41
2		Tulpehocken	7.9 (12.7)	June 11, 1884	SEPTA City Bus: 53, 65
	Mount Airy	Upsal	8.4 (13.5)		SEPTA City Bus: 71
		Carpenter	9.0 (14.5)	June 11, 1884
		Richard Allen Lane	9.4 (15.1)
	Chestnut Hill	St. Martins	10.2 (16.4)
		Highland	10.7 (17.2)	June 11, 1884
		Chestnut Hill West	11.3 (18.2)	June 11, 1884	SEPTA Regional Rail: (at Chestnut Hill East) SEPTA City Bus: 23, 51, 77 SEPTA Suburban Bus: 94, 97

Ridership

The number of people using the Chestnut Hill West Line each year stayed about the same from 2013 to 2019, with around 1.3 to 1.6 million riders. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of riders dropped sharply.