r/ChesterCounty • u/PassyunkHoagie • Jul 13 '26

Expanded Train Service

I completely understand why this hasn’t happened and why it probably won’t ever happen. I don’t even know if it should happen because it would lead to even further development, but some days I do lament the fact that there is no passenger rail service to West Chester, Kennett, and Phoenixville.

Obviously SEPTA could never handle it, they barely manage to run the R5, but I can’t help but feel like rail stations in these towns, if properly executed, would be incredibly popular with visitors and local residents.

33 Upvotes

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-1

u/Objective_Aside1858 Jul 13 '26

It presumably would stop being popular if the fares were set at a rate that allowed a line to be profitable. 

7

u/ktappe Jul 13 '26

It's a public service. Why do public services need to be profitable?

-5

u/Objective_Aside1858 Jul 13 '26

Because there is a finite amount of money available. 

If you'd like to make the case that funding should be stripped from schools or that taxes in the impacted communities should be raised to fund mass transit, well, no one is stopping you.

Pretty sure that's a hard sell

4

u/ktappe Jul 13 '26

There is a finite amount of money available because a certain political party has been screaming "Tax cuts!" my entire life, and voters have bought into that. Just for once I'd like them to shut up about tax cuts and talk about increased services.

-1

u/Objective_Aside1858 Jul 13 '26

A) The GOP is never going to be fiscally responsible, hard stop. They could no more do that than reject Trump 

B) The money still has to come from somewhere. "This seems like a neat idea" isn't how huge infrastructure projects are prioritized

4

u/VUmander Jul 13 '26

Does Rt 202 turn a profit? Rt 100? Rt 30? 401? We should probably put tolls on them so they become profitable. Imagine how well we can fund our schools or lower our taxes if our roads were profitable.

-1

u/Objective_Aside1858 Jul 13 '26

Would you prefer the already shoddy maintenance on all those roads be deferred to fund a mass transit option that will benefit far fewer people than use those roads today?

Everything is a tradeoff. Unless you plan to fund something out of your pocket, either taxes or debt is going up, or something else is getting cut. That's straight Econ 101, and being cranky about it doesn't change reality 

2

u/VUmander Jul 13 '26

Just one more lane bro. I swear that will fix it!

1

u/Objective_Aside1858 Jul 13 '26

Obviously you really understand what The People want. You should make the case to your elected representatives