PATCO To Halt 24/7 Service: How It Affects Collingswood Riders

COLLINGSWOOD, NJ — PATCO is phasing out weekday-overnight service and will soon eliminate it altogether.

Starting next week, PATCO will no longer stop at several stations along the Speed Line during weekday "owl" hours (midnight to 4:30 a.m. Monday through Friday).

In September, PATCO will begin a six-month pilot program and suspend service during those hours at all stops, including Collingswood Station.

PATCO, which stops throughout Philadelphia and Camden County, typically operates 24/7.

The program is "designed to create consistent overnight windows for deep cleaning, maintenance, and public safety operations across the system," according to the Delaware River Port Authority, which operates PATCO.

Overnight service on weekends (Friday and Saturday nights) will not change.

PATCO's weekday-overnight ridership is low, averaging about 25 passengers per hour across the entire system. But in case you might need it during that time, here's what to know about the shifting schedule.

Phase One

Starting Monday, July 14, PATCO will begin limiting weekday-overnight service. Trains will operate every two hours, resulting in two fewer trains running per night.

Trains will continue to stop at Collingswood during this phase, which will run through Aug. 29.

The following stations will temporarily close:

• July 14-25: Lindenwold and Philadelphia's 8th & Market Street Station will be closed overnight on weekdays from midnight to 4:30 a.m.; Philadelphia's 9/10th & Locust Street — normally closed overnight — will be open during this time.
• July 28 to Aug. 8: Broadway in Camden and Philadelphia's 15/16th & Locust Street Station will be closed overnight on weekdays from midnight to 4:30 a.m.; City Hall in Philadelphia — normally closed overnight — will be open.
• Aug. 11-22: Lindenwold and 8th & Market will be closed; 9/10th & Locust Street will be open.
• August 25-29: Broadway and 15/16th & Locust will be closed; City Hall will be open.

Phase Two

The second phase begins Sept. 1, launching a six-month pilot program that suspends all PATCO service from midnight to 4:30 a.m. Monday through Friday.

The temporary program is a coordinated effort between PATCO and the City of Philadelphia to address conditions in the city-owned concourse areas and create time for cleaning and maintenance.

Visit PATCO's website for more info.