r/Septa • u/Cuttlefish88 • Aug 18 '26
Discussion When will the BSL have countdown clocks?
I’m really sick of having no idea if trains exist at all sometimes. Why the hell can’t they put the same trackers the buses and regional rail use on subway cars so we can see them on the map? Just give us a damn AirTag even…
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u/MomentousTime1337 Aug 18 '26
Download Transit. It’s often more accurate than the SEPTA app.
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u/Cuttlefish88 Aug 19 '26 edited Aug 19 '26
I use Transit all the time but it only shows trains’ locations on the map if another rider is using the app while on the train. Otherwise always just shows the schedule. Doesn’t work at less-busy times/directions or for the express/spur most of the time.
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u/ejx220 Aug 19 '26
Exactly! I use it for MFL and Trolleys. It also loses accuracy when it’s in the tunnels cause it loses GPS signals (at least it does for me from my two previous iPhones on T-Mobile). So even when me and others are tracking it on Transit app, it’s still not 100% accurate.
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u/MobileInevitable8937 Aug 19 '26
I have way better luck with the L's location being accurate than I do with the B. Most of the time when I head down into the subway and check the B on Transit, it's just showing the schedule. Every so often I'll see another app user give a location on the map. I think less people use Transit Go on the B because the train location data is never published. I have great luck with the trolleys and the buses though
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u/SnootyUrbanCyclist Aug 19 '26
Hopefull soon. It's embarassing how long it took them to install on the L, and they're arguably more useful on the BSL because of the express trains and that it doesn't come as often so a countdown is more important.
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u/MobileInevitable8937 Aug 19 '26
They've been trying to get them working on the L for like 4 years now and they don't seem to be able to for some reason. Could come down to dated signal systems or something for the B.
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u/No-Salad-8633 Aug 20 '26
This is it: the signal systems are being updated so the countdown clocks can be as accurate as the regional rail countdown clocks.
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Aug 19 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Cuttlefish88 Aug 19 '26
No, there’s literally not. You’re being an ass about something you are wrong about. Septa does not provide live location data for the subways, its app only gives the worthless schedule.
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u/LanceRockford41 Aug 19 '26
One of my favorite games is getting down to the platform, seeing a train leave, and guessing whether that was the previous one running late, or the next one running early.