The T4, formerly Route 11, is a light rail line operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) that connects the 13th Street station in Center City, Philadelphia, to Darby Transit Center in Darby, Pennsylvania. It is one of five T services of the SEPTA Metro. Sitting at an average of 13,580 riders per weekday in 2019, it is the most used T service.

Route description

Starting from its eastern end at 13th Street, the T4 runs in a tunnel under Market Street. It stops at underground stations at 15th Street/City Hall, 19th Street, 22nd Street, Drexel Station at 30th Street, and 33rd Street. From 15th to 30th Streets, it runs on the outer tracks of Market Street subway, beside the L.

Passengers may transfer free of charge to the L at 13th Street, 15th Street/City Hall, and Drexel Station at 30th Street and to the B at 15th Street/City Hall. Connections to SEPTA Regional Rail are also available. Underground passageways connect the 13th and 15th Street/City Hall stations to Jefferson Station and Suburban Station.

The T4 surfaces at the 40th Street Portal near 40th Street and Baltimore Avenue (US 13), and then runs southwest along Woodland Avenue, along with the T5. At 49th Street, the T5 splits and heads south. The T4 continues its run along Woodland Avenue. The line runs parallel to the north side of the Wilmington/Newark Line and crosses a bridge over CSX's Philadelphia Subdivision freight line, at 60th Street.

At the intersection of Island Road and the Cobbs Creek Parkway, a track runs southward toward 73rd–Elmwood station on the corner of Elmwood Avenue. The T4 moves northwest from Woodland Avenue to Main Street as it crosses the Cobbs Creek and enters Darby. Here, the T4 crosses the Philadelphia Subdivision again, but at an at-grade crossing along with 6th Street.Philadelphia Transit; Streetcars;Route 11 (Kavanaugh Transit Systems) The road and line move to the west shortly, only to turn back northwest and finally north to 9th Street at the Darby Transit Center.

History What is now the T4 was first established as the West Philadelphia Passenger Railway Company in Darby on December 24, 1858, and ran as horsecars from 9th and Main Streets in Darby to 49th Street and Woodland Avenue in West Philadelphia. It was originally a segregated streetcar that required African-Americans to ride on platforms along with the driver, until abolitionist William Still challenged that rule between 1859 and 1867. Electrification was completed in 1894, and in 1896, the line was extended as far east as Front Street via Chestnut and Walnut Streets. It was integrated into the subway–surface trolley system by the Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company on December 15, 1906.1974 SEPTA Trolleys Brochure The original numbered designation was "Route 11".

The at-grade crossing along Main Street at the intersection of Sixth Street in DarbyGoogle view of the crossing in Darby was the site of the Darby Baltimore and Ohio Railroad station. B&O had passenger service into Philadelphia until 1958.Former Darby B&O Station (Existing Railroad Stations in Delaware County, Pennsylvania)

On December 9, 2021, a T4 LRV collided with a CSX Transportation freight train operating on the Philadelphia Subdivision at the at-grade crossing between the two lines near the intersection of Main Street and Sixth Street in Darby. Seven people on the LRV were injured, and the front windshield was smashed. All of the people injured in the crash were treated and released from the hospital on the same day. This is reportedly the only remaining intersection in the nation where an active freight rail line crosses a fixed active rail transit line.

Route 11 was renamed as the T4 on February 24, 2025.

Stations and stops All are in either the city of Philadelphia or the borough of Darby.

Neighborhood/locationStation or stopConnectionsNotesMarket East: SEPTA City Bus: Closed between 12:30–5:00amPenn Center SEPTA Regional Rail: all lines (at Suburban Station): SEPTA City Bus: SEPTA Suburban Bus: Late night terminus: SEPTA City Bus: SEPTA Suburban Bus: Center CityWest: SEPTA City Bus: SEPTA Suburban Bus: Replaced 24th Street stationUniversity City Amtrak (at 30th Street Station) NJ Transit: Atlantic City Line (at 30th Street Station) SEPTA Regional Rail: all lines (at 30th Street Station): SEPTA City Bus: No direct passage to 30th Street Station: SEPTA City Bus: Serves Drexel University: SEPTA City Bus: Serves University of Pennsylvania: SEPTA City Bus: Serves University of Pennsylvania, Children's Hospital of PhiladelphiaSpruce Hill: SEPTA City Bus: End of T2 concurrencyChester–Woodland: SEPTA City Bus: End of T3 concurrency41st–Woodland (): SEPTA City Bus: 42nd–Woodland: 43rd–Woodland ()45th–Woodland (): Squirrel Hill46th–Woodland: 47th–Woodland (): Kingsessing48th–Woodland: 49th–Woodland: SEPTA City Bus: End of T5 concurrency50th–Woodland SEPTA City Bus: 51st–Woodland SEPTA City Bus: 52nd–Woodland SEPTA City Bus: 53rd–Woodland SEPTA City Bus: 54th–Woodland55th–Woodland56th–Woodland57th–Woodland58th–Woodland SEPTA City Bus: Elmwood60th–Woodland61st–Woodland62nd–Woodland SEPTA City Bus: 63rd–Woodland64th–Woodland65th–Woodland SEPTA Suburban Bus: 66th–Woodland67th–Woodland68th–Woodland69th–Woodland70th–Woodland71st–Woodland72nd–WoodlandIsland–Woodland SEPTA City Bus: DarbyFront–Main2nd–Main3rd–Main4th–Main5th–Main6th–MainSummit–MainMill–Main ()Powell–Main ()Darby Transit Center: SEPTA Suburban Bus: Limited T3 service

References

External links

Official T4 schedule Subway-Surface Lines & Proposals on Google Maps