SEPTA Takes On Bus Service Along Chesco's Lincoln Hwy. Route A

This story was updated Tuesday morning to add Sunday hours provided by SEPTA.

WEST CHESTER, PA — SEPTA is set to take over service of the Krapf's Transit Route A bus route along Lincoln Highway on Aug. 1 under the new name of SEPTA Bus Route 135 to keep the service operating and transporting Chester County residents to work.

SEPTA reported that it will be assuming operations of the Krapf Transit Route A bus route, but under the rebranded name SEPTA Bus Route 135. The route will continue to serve points between Coatesville, Thorndale, Downingtown, Exton, and West Chester, primarily on Lincoln Highway/Lancaster Avenue and Pottstown Pike, according to a SEPTA news release.

Other than SEPTA-logoed vehicles and new bus stop signage, little will change. SEPT buses plan to use most of the same boarding and alighting locations that are currently used by Krapf's.

Route 135 will also link to SEPTA Regional Rail at Paoli/Thorndale Line service at Thorndale and Downingtown Stations, SEPTA said.

At the West Chester Transportation Center, customers can connect to SEPTA Bus Routes 92 and 104 for travel to King of Prussia and 69th Street Transportation Center. At Exton Square Mall, riders will be able to transfer to SEPTA Route 204 service.

Route 135 will operate from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and from 6:30 a.m. to 9:15 p.m. on Saturday and from 7 a.m. to 5:20 p.m. Sunday. The schedule will be posted on the SEPTA website and paper timetables are available at SEPTA Customer Service Offices.

Actions to facilitate this transition were approved by the SEPTA Board late in June. Partly because of the COVID-19 pandemic, SEPTA has been providing emergency subsidies since April 2020 to keep the route in operation.

The service provides critical access to jobs and government services but maintaining it as a privately funded operation was not sustainable, a news statement said. By making it part of the SEPTA bus network, the service will remain and generate the benefits of fare interoperability, in-network transfers, and management systems that SEPTA brings to its other routes, according to its news statement.

Early in the subsidy agreement, SEPTA took over responsibility for designing service levels and schedules. Chester County Commissioners, County Planning Commission, and SEPTA's two Chester County board members have been kept informed of the process, SEPTA said.

SEPTA Service Planning and Operations staff have been actively involved during the transition process and will remain so after Aug. 1, explained Mark Cassel, SEPTA Director of Service Planning.

Cassel said SEPTA is looking for help identifying customers needing ADA paratransit services through Customized Community Transportation (CCT), including agencies that work with disabled persons.

"SEPTA looks forward to working with you during this transition and beyond to make Route 135 a successful asset to your community," said Cassel.

More information is available by calling SEPTA's Customer Service Department at 215-580-7800.

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