Conrail Passenger Trains

For most of the 20th century, Commuter trains have been a money losing proposition.  Mandated by the government to run them, these essential services were a drain of the railroads forced to provide them.  The burden was especially heavy on Conrail's predecessors.  Freight revenue subsidized the passenger service, while the government subsidized the competition.  Only after most of the carriers were bankrupt, did government subsidies for commuter rail materialize. 

On April 1, 1976 the commuter trains of the northeastern United States were passed to Conrail.   For a very short time, Conrail was the face of commuter rail in the northeast.

The very first public timetable to have the Conrail name and 'can opener' logo on it was the Boston suburban Form 71 timetable covering the former New Haven and Boston and Albany commuter services. This was issued March 1, 1976 concurrently with a Penn Central edition of the same timetable bearing the same date. 

From the next batch of first issue commuter timetables by Conrail comes this example from the former CNJ district in New Jersey dated April 25,1976.

Today this is New Jersey Transit's Raritan Valley line.  Note that 3 daily round trips went past Raritan all the way to Phillipsburg.

This timetable also includes the last remnant of the Reading's service on the Royal Blue Line, The daily round trips of The Crusader and The Wall Street between Reading Terminal and Newark.
  

Also in New Jersey,  Conrail inherited the RDC service on the former Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines from Lindenwold, NJ to Atlantic City, Ocean City, and Cape May.  This undated timetable is from 1976 or 1977.

The Ocean City and Cape May trains would run from Tuckahoe to Lindenwold as a single train.

This timetable, issued October 30, 1977, shows a pathetic 2 round trip weekday-only service on what is now MARC's busy Penn Line.

 The reason the back of this card is not shown is because it is blank!
  

Two schedule cards showing service between a few stations on the Bethlehem Branch (Today's R5) and Reading Terminal.  Issued October 30, 1977

This timetable, issued October 30, 1977, list the diesel power service between Reading Terminal in Philadelphia and  Reading and Pottsville in Pennsylvania's Anthracite region.

This service was provided with Budd Rail Diesel Cars, or RDC's dating from the 1950's.  These efficient trains provided fast service.

Conrail/SEPTA RDC's at the Valley Forge station.  May, 1977.

Photo by Mike Szilagyi

An ex-Lehigh Valley RDC leads a train at Valley Forge.  Spring 1979.

Photo by Mike Szilagyi

Conrail ticket receipts from tickets purchased on former Reading Railroad trains to Philadelphia.  1977 - 1978.

 

From the start,  Conrail worked to rid itself of this burden.  By the end of 1978, Conrail's name and 'can opener' logo were nowhere to be seen on a passenger timetable, although the services were still provided by Conrail employees and equipment.  On January 1, 1983 All passenger service, along with the equipment and employees who made it work was transferred to the regional transportation authorities.  The burden was lifted.  Within a few short years, Conrail would turn a profit.

 

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