PATCO To Halt 24/7 Service: What To Know As Weekday Overnight Service Ends

Starting Monday, PATCO will eliminate weekday-overnight service as part of a six-month pilot program.

The rail line, which links Philadelphia and South Jersey, has been phasing out trains during the weekday "owl" hours in recent weeks.

The closures are designed to "address safety and cleanliness concerns, improve conditions for staff, and provide a better overall experience for transit riders," says an advisory from the Delaware River Port Authority (DPRA), which operates PATCO.

Beginning Monday, Sept. 1, PATCO trains will not operate between midnight and 4:30 a.m. Monday through Friday. All stations will be closed during that timeframe.

The last train each weeknight will leave at 11:30 p.m., with service resuming at 4:30 a.m.

The six-month pilot program will last until March. Weekend overnight service remains unchanged.

During the closures, the DRPA says crews will complete projects that are difficult to perform while trains are operating — including track, electrical and signal work. It will also provide time for deep-cleaning the tracks and Philadelphia stations.

The first phase of the closures began in mid-July, when PATCO reduced weekday-overnight trains and temporarily closed some stations. Phase 2 entails the full suspension of rail service during that timeframe.

No plans for what will follow Phase 2 have been announced yet.

"These weekday overnight suspensions give our crews the time and space to work safely and get more done," PATCO General Manager John D. Rink said in a statement. "Phase 2 allows us to keep improving the system so riders benefit from a renewed and refreshed commute each day."

PATCO only gets about 25 riders per hour overnight on weekdays, the DRPA says.

The plan stems from a formal agreement between the DRPA and the City of Philadelphia addressing concerns about customer safety, station cleanliness, and people taking shelter in some stations, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

In March, DRPA leadership told the Inquirer that agency staff were working to coordinate a response with the city, South Jersey municipalities, and social-services organizations to work with people who are homeless.

But recently, Haddonfield's mayor expressed concerns that the PATCO closures would push more homeless people into the borough.

Mayor Dave Siedell said PATCO's facilities gave homeless people a safer alternative than sleeping outside. The upcoming closures were part of the reason Haddonfield's Board of Commissioners voted Monday to introduce a controversial ordinance to criminalize sleeping outside.

• Related: Ban On Sleeping Outside In Haddonfield Moves Forward, Despite Pushback

Penalties would only go into effect if there's space at nearby shelters and police have advised violators of those services.

"They're taking away an actually safe space by shutting down the trains," said Siedell, who is also a commissioner.

PATCO has five stations in Philadelphia and nine in Camden County, extending as far as Lindenwold. See PATCO's upcoming schedules here.