Center City Commuter Connection
The Center City Commuter Connection, also known as the Commuter Tunnel, is the downtown regional rail tunnel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It opened in 1984, is 1.7 miles (2.74 km) long, four-track throughout, electrified, and has one intermediate stop. The tunnel connects Suburban Station with the SEPTA Main Line, linking the rail networks of the once competing Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) and Reading Company (RDG). It is used exclusively by the regional trains of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA).
The tunnel connects directly to the PRR's underground Suburban Station at 16th Street, which opened in 1930. From there, it runs west under Filbert Street. Between 9th and 8th Streets, the line then swings north in a 90-degree curve and finally reappears on the surface at Spring Garden Street level to rejoin the old Reading line shortly thereafter. The only intermediate stop, Jefferson Station, is at 12th Street elevation, immediately west of the old Reading terminal.
The first concrete plans to link the two inner-city terminus stations of the PRR and Reading date back to 1958. On the one hand, the aim was to link the existing suburban lines of both sides and thus make local transport more efficient and attractive. On the other hand, it was intended to initiate an urban renewal project that would upgrade the main downtown shopping area northeast of City Hall. The construction costs were to be borne by the city, the state of Pennsylvania and the railway companies concerned.
The project was highly controversial at the beginning. The responsible federal agency, the Urban Mass Transportation Administration (UMTA), in particular had considerable doubts about the feasibility and usefulness of the tunnel, not least because most of the electric railcars of the time could not cope with the steep gradients of up to 2.8 %. There was also considerable resistance from the railway companies in view of the high costs involved; their bankruptcies in 1970 (PRR) and 1971 (Reading) eventually meant that they ceased to be financial backers altogether. But the oil crisis of 1974 and the expansion of the UMTA's remit into urban renewal brought about a turnaround. Federal funds were now able to cover 80% of the construction costs. The groundbreaking ceremony finally took place on June 22, 1978.
The construction presented significant challenges. Filbert Street was too narrow for a four-track tunnel, so a track had to be laid directly under the foundations of skyscrapers, some of which were very old. This required crossing over and under two subway lines and moving 400 feet (122 m) of Subway-Surface Lines streetcar tunnel a few feet to the south. In the end, construction costs totaled $330 million. The opening took place in two stages in 1984. On July 2, Market East Station was opened and henceforth served by a commuter train from Suburban Station. Regular service finally began on November 10; official ceremonies were held two days later on November 12. In 1985, the construction project received the Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers.
In 2007, the combined daily boardings at Suburban Station and Market East Station were 36,017.
