PATCO makes minor changes to its weekday night schedule

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A new PATCO schedule will go into effect Monday, making minor changes to its weekday evening schedule.

Overnight weekday service changes that began Sept. 1 will remain in effect, and trains will continue not to run from midnight to 4:30 a.m. as part of a six-month pilot to address safety and cleanliness. The new schedule affects weekday departures between 6 and 11:30 p.m. to match ridership levels and prevent delays due to nightly work.

“Currently, station construction projects and trackwork require near-daily minor adjustments to the night schedule, which can be inconvenient for riders,” a statement on PATCO’s website reads. “By adjusting departure times, trains can operate on a single track when needed without issuing separate trackwork schedules each night.”

Weekend service will not be affected by the schedule changes. Trains will run from 4:30 a.m. on Fridays to 11:59 p.m. on Sundays. Trains are expected to run every 20 minutes on Saturdays and every 30 minutes on Sundays. Below are the new schedule updates:

• No changes to morning rush hour, daytime and evening rush hour services
• Evening (6 to 7:30 p.m.): Trains operate every 15 minutes.
• Late evening (7:30 to 11:30 p.m.): Trains operate every 20 minutes.

The pilot program began this year on July 14, “focused on improving conditions and resetting the system overnight.” It’s scheduled to end March 1, 2026, after which PATCO and the city will decide whether to resume owl service or extend the suspension for up to another six months.

Special service will operate on New Year’s Day, meaning trains will run overnight for the holiday, providing 24-hour service.