Wayne Junction

One in a continuing series spotlighting the real estate market in this region's communities. Wayne Junction is not a neighborhood - it's a busy transportation hub that straddles the borders of Nicetown and Germantown. "The Junction," as it is known, handles five Regional Rail lines, one trackless trolley, and two bus routes, all serving 190,500 passengers a year. But what's happening there could have an enduring and positive impact on the two neighborhoods, and the rest of North and Northwest Philadelphia.

Under a decaying ceiling and not far from a collapsed roof, SEPTA and city officials on Thursday collected $4 million from the Obama administration to help rebuild the 110-year-old Wayne Junction rail station in Germantown. Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff handed over a mock check for $3.98 million, saying the Wayne Junction project is "long, long overdue. " "To attract new riders, transit needs to be clean, safe, reliable and desireable," Rogoff said. The dilapidated Wayne Junction station, once a destination of the Reading Railroad's "Crusader" to New York and its "Royal Blue" to Baltimore, is none of the four.

Under a decaying ceiling in the ticket office, next to peeling paint and not far from a collapsed roof, SEPTA and local officials collected $4 million from the Obama administration on Thursday to help rebuild the 110-year-old Wayne Junction rail station in Germantown. Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff handed over a mock check for $3.98 million, saying the Wayne Junction project was "long, long overdue. " "To attract new riders, transit needs to be clean, safe, reliable, and desirable," Rogoff said.

SEPTA's Regional Rail trains are running up to 45 minutes late because of power problems. The Fox Chase line was shut down entirely for nearly an hour, after the problems started around 5 p.m., in the middle of the day's peak rush from Center City. A SEPTA spokesman said the problem was apparently caused by downed wires near 16th Street Junction, between the North Broad and Wayne Junction stations, which triggered electrical problems at the Wayne Junction electrical substation, which provides power for the trains.

Facing hefty bills for 120 new railcars and a planned makeover of the dilapidated Wayne Junction station in Germantown, SEPTA is planning to borrow $250 million. The trip to Wall Street's bond markets would be SEPTA's first borrowing for new projects in 12 years. The new money would provide $208 million for new Silverliner V railcars, spare parts, and training, and $23 million for the reconstruction of the Wayne Junction facility, SEPTA finance officers said Thursday. If the SEPTA board approves the borrowing at its meeting next Thursday, the agency hopes to have the money within four months, assistant treasurer Tom McFadden said.

Thousands of rush-hour commuters were stranded this morning during the height of the rush hour when a section of overhead wires at the Wayne Junction in Germantown suddenly fell, halting service on six SEPTA commuter rail lines. The lines affected were Warminster, West Trenton, Lansdale-Doylestown, Norristown, Chestnut Hill East and Fox Chase. There was no immediate explanation for the downed wires, which affected travel both to and from Suburban Sation and the Market East stations in Center City.

The Philadelphia area will get $12.8 million in federal funding that was sought to help renovate an aging SEPTA power substation and repair 11 highway and railroad bridges. The grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation were announced Tuesday by U.S. Sen. Bob Casey and U.S. Reps. Allyson Y. Schwartz and Chaka Fattah, all Pennsylvania Democrats. The Wayne Junction power substation provides electricity to operate half of SEPTA's Regional Rail system, and the 1920s-vintage facility has been a source of frequent failures in recent years.

Suburban SEPTA commuters did not have an easy time of it yesterday. "It was a day from hell," said Margie Sullivan, a SEPTA spokeswoman. During the height of the morning rush hour, a power outage left thousands of commuters stranded and late for work. A downed powerline at Wayne Junction in Germantown stopped all trains on six rail lines: the Warminster (R2), West Trenton (R3), Landsdale/Doylestown (R5), Norristown (R6), Chestnut Hill East (R7) and Fox Chase (R8) lines.

A power outage knocked out service to all of SEPTA's regional commuter trains for about 2 1/2 hours yesterday, stranding thousands of riders during the evening rush. SEPTA said the failure occurred about 5:45 p.m. at a distribution center at Wayne Junction in North Philadelphia that services the entire Regional Rail network. Transit agency spokesman Richard Maloney said the failure was an example of "Murphy's law" at work. Some trains ended up being stuck between stations at a time of high volume, he said.

One in a continuing series spotlighting the real estate market in this region's communities. Wayne Junction is not a neighborhood - it's a busy transportation hub that straddles the borders of Nicetown and Germantown. "The Junction," as it is known, handles five Regional Rail lines, one trackless trolley, and two bus routes, all serving 190,500 passengers a year. But what's happening there could have an enduring and positive impact on the two neighborhoods, and the rest of North and Northwest Philadelphia.

I can easily gauge whether a column has struck a nerve by the number of e-mails waiting for me when I get home from church on Sunday. The topic this time was: Where are retiring baby boomers going to live, and why is no one building houses they want and can afford? Reader Claire Gawinowicz of Oreland had broached the question, and I put in my two cents. Nearly 120 readers e-mailed and called in the ensuing five days with their opinions. Here are some of them: "I thought I was the only boomer looking to downsize and having a great deal of difficulty finding something that we can comfortably afford and still be able to enjoy our retirement," said Isabel Day Jones of West Chester.

AS SEPTA POLICE responded to reports of a burglary at the Wayne Junction train yard and a bus accident involving an injured pedestrian in the eastern edge of Fox Chase early Wednesday morning, a woman fell onto the train tracks at the Lombard-South station, touched an electrified rail and died, officials said. A surveillance camera recorded the unidentified woman, 30, entering the track area at 2:19 a.m., according to SEPTA. She lay there until just after 5 a.m., when she was hit by the first train to arrive at the station, said Jerri Williams, a SEPTA spokeswoman.

The Philadelphia area will get $12.8 million in federal funding that was sought to help renovate an aging SEPTA power substation and repair 11 highway and railroad bridges. The grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation were announced Tuesday by U.S. Sen. Bob Casey and U.S. Reps. Allyson Y. Schwartz and Chaka Fattah, all Pennsylvania Democrats. The Wayne Junction power substation provides electricity to operate half of SEPTA's Regional Rail system, and the 1920s-vintage facility has been a source of frequent failures in recent years.

SEPTA's Regional Rail trains are running up to 45 minutes late because of power problems. The Fox Chase line was shut down entirely for nearly an hour, after the problems started around 5 p.m., in the middle of the day's peak rush from Center City. A SEPTA spokesman said the problem was apparently caused by downed wires near 16th Street Junction, between the North Broad and Wayne Junction stations, which triggered electrical problems at the Wayne Junction electrical substation, which provides power for the trains.

SEPTA will hold an open house Thursday at Wayne Junction Station in Germantown to outline planned improvements to the station. The open house, from 4 to 6:30 p.m., will give residents a chance to meet with planners and see images of the planned changes. Improvements will include new elevators and handicap-accessible accommodations, rebuilt platforms, tunnels and stairways, and power, signal, and track upgrades. The station, which connects five Regional Rail lines, is at Wayne and Windrim Avenues.

Philadelphia homicide detectives are investigating the death of a 49-year-old man while in the custody of SEPTA police Friday night, authorities said Monday. Two SEPTA officers were responding to a report of someone stealing copper wire at a rail yard near the Wayne Junction station when they found the man allegedly trespassing on SEPTA property, authorities said. The officers pursued the man, and there was an altercation in which one officer used pepper spray to subdue him, authorities said.

HOMICIDE detectives are investigating how a 48-year-old man died in SEPTA police custody after officers sprayed him with pepper spray Friday night. A sergeant in the Homicide Unit said SEPTA police responded to a call of a theft at the Wayne Junction rail yard, on Windrim Avenue near 18th Street in Logan, where they spotted Willie McCray, who had allegedly trespassed onto the property. Police said McCray ran from the officers and hid in bushes nearby, then grabbed an officer when he was approached.