Can you still ride SEPTA from 30th st to Center City with Amtrak ticket?

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Joined
Apr 5, 2011
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Baltimore. MD
Of course, back in the day, everybody could ride SEPTA trains free between 30th St and Suburban and Jefferson Stations because conductors never checked for fares. However, starting a year or two ago they started putting faregates for the Key Cards on the entrance at 30th St. Still no problem, because there was always someone there to wave you through if you showed them your Amtrak ticket. Still no problem for me because I now have a Senior SEPTA keycard and can ride free anyway. But I saw on the SEPTA website that they're installing faregates at both Suburban Sta and Jefferson Sta AND they're also installing exit faregates, so it seems like you're going to need their fare media to get out. Are they changing the policy and no longer giving Amtrak passengers a free ride into the city, or are they negating part of the economic benefit of the automated fare collection system by having staff on hand to open a gate for people with Amtrak tickets?
 
It is still a policy (and I'm not sure it can be eliminated since I believe it was part of the deal regarding Amtrak moving out of Suburban). They will likely keep personnel at Suburban and Jefferson just as they have left personnel at 30th street.
 
There are still personnel at Jefferson, and I'm pretty sure they will stay because some people will still have paper tickets that a real person will have to look at. (For example, if you buy a ticket in Trenton to go to Philly, it is a paper ticket, and someone will have to be there to let you out the gate at the other end. Not sure what's going to happen if the conductors continue to collect the paper tickets before 30th street--might be riding around Center City forever if they won't let you out the gate without a ticket!:eek:)

The last time I was at Jefferson a few weeks ago, they told me that the next day they were going to start the having to go through the gate to get out, but just at Jefferson to start (so I guess they are the "pilot" program to work out any kinks).

By the way, I think they are going to make a bundle on seniors who don't live in PA, NJ, or DE, because someone coming in without a senior key card will have to pay full price instead of half price--you can't just show your Medicare card anymore for the discount--it has to be a senior key card.
 
Just went through Suburban Sta. this afternoon. Yes they have people to let you in, not just for Amtrak riders, but also to deal with paper tickets. Same was true at 30th St. There were so many ticket checkers, I thought I was in London, circa 1985.
 
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