The SEPTA network serves the city of Philadelphia and its surrounding counties in the state of Pennsylvania in the US. The acronym stands for Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority. It runs all seven days of the week. Pennsylvania’s SEPTA is the sixth largest transit system in the country.
It helps to have the SEPTA app downloaded on your device so that you get train schedule updates in real time.
SEPTA’s subway is divided into the blue line (also called the ‘El’) or the Market-Frankford Line (MFL) and the orange line a.k.a the Broad Street Line (BSL). The former is an elevated line that runs from east to west of Philadelphia, i.e. from the Frankford Transportation Center to 69th Street Transportation Center in Upper Darby. The Broad Street Line runs from north to south from Fern Rock Transportation Center In North Philadelphia to NRG Station/Sports Complex in South Philadelphia.
It helps to travel via the SEPTA Key Card for multiple trips, but you may also get a Quick Trip ticket for yourself from the kiosk at the subway station. Additionally, there are many other passes available for SEPTA metro rides. The SEPTA Key Card needs to be validated, and the Quick Trip ticket needs to be swiped to unlock the turnstile and give you access to the platform.
SEPTA trains are mobility-impaired friendly as they have designated seats for the disabled. Seniors too have separate seating arrangements. They are clean, fast, and efficient trains that run on schedule. The unspoken rules/etiquettes are to talk softly during the metro ride and not to share your music with your fellow passengers.
There are security cameras fitted at various points inside the train but you will be well-advised to be careful during your rides. Double-check carefully before you deboard the train so that you know you are leaving nothing behind. The following section will help to guide you in case you have left behind an item in a hurry on the train.
Important SEPTA Subway (Rapid Transit) Routes
- The Broad Street Line or BSL has 8 stations and starts from Fern Rock TC and terminates at Walnut Locust.
- The Market-Frankford Line or MFL has 2 stations departing from Frankford Transportation Center and ending in 69th Street Transportation Center.
- The Norristown High-Speed Line (NHSL) has 22 stations in all and begins from Norristown Transportation Center and terminates at 69th Street Transportation Center.
If you have recently travelled on SEPTA and have lost or missed an item, here are three ways to get help.
1. Contact SEPTA’s Lost and Found
Do not lose your mind over just leaving behind an item on the train that should have been on you. The frontline employees at SEPTA do a remarkable job of finding and returning them to their rightful owners. That is not to say, however, that you let your guards down on a SEPTA subway trip; it is just to assure that the SEPTA team has a good (testimonial) record with Lost and Found.
When an item is forgotten on the train, the conductor picks it up to submit it to SEPTA’s Lost and Found department. Here, the item is kept safely inside a locker after being tagged with a description, the name of the person who turns it in, and a control number —waiting to be claimed by its owner. There’s a good chance to get your things back at SEPTA. If you want to visit in person, the main headquarters is located at 1234 Market Street, 4th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107. Customer service desks are also available at Frankford Transportation Center, 69th Street Transportation Center, 15th Street Station, 30th Street Station, Olney Transportation Center, Norristown Transportation Center and Walnut-Locust Station.
People have successfully recovered valuables like electronic items, IDs, and wallets. For less-priced items like headgears, handbags, and dress-wraps, umbrellas, et al, there is a 50-50 chance of recovering because sometimes they get stolen on the train after a passenger mistakenly leaves them behind. At other times, they accidentally get picked up by fellow passengers carrying similar-looking accessories.
2. Dial the SEPTA Customer Service
To reach an agent at the customer service office, you can call 215-580-3800 or 215- 580-5740 (regional rail). Many times recovered items are turned in here. SEPTA’s rapid transit customer service office is situated on the 69th Street Terminal for MFL, NHSL, and trolley routes 101 and 102. They are open between 6 am and 6 pm, Monday through Friday.
For the Broad Street Line (BSL), you may contact the District Office located at 5801 N. 11th Street. It is open between 9 am and 5 pm, Monday through Friday. Please note IDs and wallets are retained for 30 days and more valuable things for 90 days. Perishables are destroyed or given away.
3. Engage Through Social Media
You may use SEPTA’s social media handles to spread your message to the concerned department. Here are the official Facebook and Twitter pages to bookmark. For a more purposeful and serious conversation, chat with an agent and let them know about the description and number of items lost on the SEPTA subway, along with the date of the trip, time of travel, train number, and anything that they may need further to match descriptions on their database. Processing of your missing item complaint is almost instant through social media.
