SEPTA says line specific text alerts are a work in progress

SEPTA announced a new text alert system with fanfare, but for regional rail riders it may be too much of a good thing. Subscribers have to wade through alerts about delays, cancellations, and detours for the entire commuter rail system.

SEPTA announced a new text alert system with fanfare, but for regional rail riders it may be too much of a good thing. Subscribers have to wade through alerts about delays, cancellations, and detours for the entire commuter rail system.

Currently, if you sign up for alerts on the SEPTA Regional Rail, you’ll get text updates whenever there’s a problem on any of the 13 lines that run through Philadelphia. That can be annoying to daily commuters, who typically only want to know what’s happening on their line.

SEPTA Spokesman Andrew Busch says the agency is working on it.

“Those we hope will be things that people will be able to sign up for and if you are just a Fox Chase line rider or an airport line rider, whatever your line may be, you know, you’re going to get specific real time information to your phone, to your email, whatever might be your choice of where you want to get it.”

Busch says SEPTA is also building a bus view system that riders can access from their smart phones. It would tell them where a bus is on its route and how long it will take to get to their stop. He says it’s still unclear when that service will roll out.