SEPTA commute a good option once you get to station

In the Philadelphia suburbs, the morning commute has been a slow one with roads and rail lines still clogged with piles of snow. Those taking public transportation say half the battle is getting to the station.

At Norristown Transportation Center, the major commuting hub in Montgomery County, the High Speed Line is still out of commission between here and Bryn Mawr, but buses and regional rail are rolling along with some delays. Commuters said the experience of getting here ranged from “exciting” to “terrible” with unsholved sidewalks and unplowed roads causing many missed connections. 

Take the saga of sisters Dima and Hiva Dabbas for example. This morning, they waited in vain for their bus from Blue Bell to Norristown Transportation Center where they normally take the 8:14 train to class at Temple University. Even after calling someone for a ride to the station, the students still missed their train by a few minutes. 

“It was OK except when we reached Norristown the roads were awful,” said Dima Dabbas. 

Ed Wiernicki doesn’t normally take the train, but he has a job interview in Center City today he doesn’t want to miss. He said it was tough getting to Norristown Transportation Center by car, but he hopes for a better ride home.

“Just the roads are narrow, they really haven’t got them plowed all that well, so hopefully with the 44 degree weather coming that’ll help,” said Wiernicki. 

All SEPTA regional rail lines are running with delays. The Paoli/Thorndale line is suspended between Malvern and Thorndale due to switch problems and the Norristown High Speed Line is only running between 69th Street and Bryn Mawr as crews continue shovel the tracks.