Westmoreland (PRR station)

Chestnut Hill West Line
A Penn Central Silverliner at Chestnut Hill West station in May 1974.
Overview
Type	Commuter rail
System	SEPTA Regional Rail
Status	Operating
Termini	Chestnut Hill West Temple University
Daily ridership	5,651 (2016)
Website	septa.org
Operation
Operator(s)	SEPTA
Technical
Track gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Electrification	Catenary
Operating speed	50 mph (Chestnut Hill West to North Philadelphia) 70 mph (North Philadelphia to Zoo Interlocking)
Route map Chestnut Hill West Highland St. Martins Fort Washington Branch (abandoned) to Fort Hill Allen Lane Carpenter Upsal Tulpehocken Chelten Avenue Queen Lane Westmoreland closed 1996 North Philadelphia Trenton Line 30th Street Station Suburban Station Jefferson Station Temple University

50 mph (Chestnut Hill West to North Philadelphia)

The Chestnut Hill West Line is a commuter rail line in the SEPTA Regional Rail network. It connects Northwest Philadelphia, including the eponymous neighborhood of Chestnut Hill, as well as West Mount Airy and Germantown, to Center City.

The Chestnut Hill West Line branches off from Amtrak's Northeast Corridor at North Philadelphia station and runs entirely within the City of Philadelphia. Its terminal is named Chestnut Hill West to distinguish it from the end of the Chestnut Hill East Line (a competing line of the Reading Company until 1976). Some stations are less than half a mile apart, a characteristic more commonly seen in an urban rapid transit system rather than a commuter rail line. The line runs roughly parallel to the Chestnut Hill East, and the two terminals are rather close.

The line was originally opened June 11, 1884 by the Philadelphia, Germantown and Chestnut Hill Railroad, and was operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad until 1968. Electrified service began on March 30, 1918. The Penn Central operated it until 1976, turning operations over to Conrail until 1983, when SEPTA took over.