#Amtrak188: Best options to get from Philadelphia to Trenton

Tuesday night’s Amtrak derailment has closed the Northeast rail corridor from Philadelphia to Trenton. SEPTA says this section is not likely to be operational until at least Monday, May 18.

So, here are a few options. 

1) Drive 30 miles on I-95 from Philadelphia to Trenton (45-60 mins)

 

2) Take NJ Transit’s River Line train from Camden to Trenton (60 mins)

 

3) Take SEPTA’s West Trenton line

(SEPTA has added more cars to handle more passengers)

NJ Transit is using a shuttle to take commuters from West Trenton to Trenton because the SEPTA line does not stop at the city’s main transit center. The shuttle is supplementing NJ Transit’s No. 608 bus, which also takes you to the Trenton Transit Center.  The bus stop is on Grand Ave at the Gulf gas station, which is located next to the West Trenton station.

Read SEPTA’s updated alternate service options for Trenton line customers

If you’re trying to travel from Philadelphia and New York

NJ Transit runs trains regularly from Trenton to New York’s Penn Station. 

Also, you can book a bus ride like Greyhound or Bolt.

For Lillian Roberts, who is returning home to New York City, all of the Bolt buses were sold out. So she did what all high tech connected commuters do, She looked to see if there was an App for that and found a solution. “I split an Uber with someone else who was supposed to be on a Philly train, she said. We caught with her half way through her trip at the Trenton train station. 

Many riders appear to be taking the River Line option. At 9 a.m. a packed train arrived. But not everyone on that line needed to go beyond Trenton. 

Inside the Trenton station (across the street from the River Line stop) there seemed to be fewer commuters than usual. 

John Taylor from Harleysville, Pa. left earlier in his car anticipating a crowd.

So, the sparsely population train platform took him by surprise. “I really expected more people to be here in Trenton.” Where did they all go? “My guess would be that the people in Philadelphia, that are trapped in Philadelphia, just couldn’t make it to Trenton to catch the train from here up to New York and they are just bagging the trip.”

Magid Hamid, of Bensalem, Pa., didn’t hear the news about Amtrak’s derailed train so he headed to the SEPTA stop as usual. “Actually I was just sitting in the train station waiting for SEPTA…was not listening to the news because my house is five minutes from the train. It (the train) didn’t come.  He had his son drive him to Trenton so he could make it to his job in Secaucus. 

New Jersey Transit is honoring Amtrak tickets between Trenton and New York City.

Atlantic City Rail Line service is suspended between Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station and Pennsauken. NJ Transit spokeswoman Jennifer Nelson said. NJ Transit is providing bus service between Cherry Hill and 30th Street Station.