THORNDALE TROUBLES

Last night's commute on the R5 Paoli/Thorndale wasn't a particularly fun one.

The 4:47pm Thorndale Limited (#9555) ran nearly 15-20 minutes late last night, due to a combination of slippery rail and Amtrak problems. At least the 9555 made it to Thorndale...

The #9571 (6:06pm Thorndale Express to Bryn Mawr) made it as far as Downingtown before breaking down between Downingtown and Thorndale. As doors seemingly couldn't make of their mind whether to open or close, one had to wonder if this was a haunted train or just more sloppy SEPTA maintenance (my guess is the latter). Several passengers, including one unfortunate woman from Center City who was visiting friends and missed a dinner reservation as a result of the 9571's breakdown, simply got off the train where it was stalled.

And this mess was before today's bus bridge. Fortunately, that seemed to work out well, as two Red Arrow buses (5593 and 5595) were covering the shuttle. And, as reported yesterday, they both had bike racks. The only problems encountered were construction workers along the 30 Bypass approaching PA 113 in Downingtown, but other than that, there were no major problems.