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PATCO TO OFFER FREE RIDES DURING FRIDAY MORNING RUSH HOUR

The Delaware River Port Authority today announced that the PATCO high-speed rail line will offer free service during the Friday, February 2nd morning rush hour. During the hours of 6 a.m. and 9 a.m., fare gates at all stations will be open to allow free passage. If a rider boards right before 9 a.m. and reaches their destination station after the gates close, they are asked to pick up the red phone and a Customer Service Agent will open the gate to allow exit.

“We know that our service interruption and modified schedule this week have caused significant strain and inconvenience for our customers,” said Ryan N. Boyer, DRPA’s Board Chairman. “We are happy to announce that all repairs are complete and that we will return to normal service for the Thursday evening rush hour. As a way of acknowledging our customers, we have decided to offer free rides for the Friday morning rush hour. We hope that this is helpful to our frequent commuters, and we also encourage new riders to use this as an opportunity to give PATCO a try.”

“As a frequent PATCO rider, I rely heavily on the rail line, so I know how disruptive this service interruption has been,” said DRPA Vice Chair Jeff Nash. “PATCO remains the most convenient and cost-effective way to travel between Philadelphia and South Jersey. Offering free rides during the Friday morning rush hour is a way of expressing our appreciation to our rider community and to the entire region.”

“Various PATCO teams – under the direction of PATCO’s GM John Rink - have been working around the clock to safely and efficiently restore full service to the line,” said DRPA CEO John T. Hanson. “Thanks to his efforts and those of our PATCO, Public Safety and Engineering departments, we will return to full service and a normal schedule TODAY at 2:36 p.m. out of Lindenwold and 3:08 p.m. out of 15th/16th and Locust Streets. The evening rush hour will also return to the normal schedule. We thank our customers for their patience and are happy to resume normal operation.”

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