Warminster Line
The Warminster Line is a route of the SEPTA Regional Rail commuter rail system. It serves stations between its namesake town and Center City, Philadelphia. Half of the route is shared by other lines, including the Lansdale/Doylestown Line, West Trenton Line, Fox Chase Line, Chestnut Hill East Line, Manayunk/Norristown Line; the great majority of trains continue as part of the Airport Line. The Warminster Line uses the SEPTA Main Line between Center City and Glenside, where it branches off onto its own line to Hatboro and Warminster; the tracks continue past Warminster to Ivyland and to New Hope, where the New Hope & Ivyland Railroad runs heritage excursion trains. The Warminster Line becomes a single-track line just north of Ardsley, but was once double-tracked as far north as Roslyn, the original northbound track being removed in 2010. A passing siding exists north of Willow Grove; the North Pennsylvania Railroad formed the North East Pennsylvania Railroad in 1870 to construct a branch from its line at Abington to Hatboro.
The line opened on December 18, 1872. The line was further extended to Hartsville on November 9, 1874; the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad, forerunner of the Reading Company, leased the parent North Pennsylvania Railroad in 1879, gaining control of the line. It extended the line to its final terminus at New Hope on April 29, 1891; the Reading electrified the line, which it called the New Hope Branch, as far as Hatboro on July 26, 1931. In 1952, all passenger service ceased north of Hatboro to New Hope, with every station except Rushland, Wycombe and New Hope being demolished in 1954. Between 1952 and 1966, only freight trains traveled north of Hatboro to serve customers in Warminster, Rushland and New Hope. In 1966, the New Hope & Ivyland Railroad was launched and purchased 16 miles of track from Ivyland to New Hope. After 1966, Ivyland served as a freight interchange between RDG and NHIR and the RDG relabeled their remaining ownership of the line as the Warminster Branch. Not only did they transport freight, but run scenic heritage excursions from New Hope to Buckingham, but has been cutback to Lahaska in the 1980s.
However, passenger service between Warminster and Hatboro was still inactive. In 1971, RDG filed for bankruptcy after a variety of misfortunes; the court issued a bankruptcy protection. On July 29, 1974, passenger service was reinstated after RDG completed an extension of the electrification from Hatboro to Warminster. Willow Grove and Warminster stations were rebuilt in the same year. By that time, executives of RDG didn't see their debt becoming any better. Less than two years RDG's rolling stock, right-of-ways and stock were in the hands of Conrail known as the Consolidated Rail Corporation, which launched operations on April 1, 1976. In 1983, SEPTA took control of the Warminster Branch. Beginning in 1984 the route was designated R2 Warminster as part of SEPTA's diametrical reorganization of its lines. Warminster Line trains operated through the city center to the Wilmington/Newark Line on the ex-Pennsylvania side of the system; the R-number naming system was dropped on July 25, 2010. As of 2018 the majority of Warminster trains continue on to the Airport Line, though some peak hour weekday trains terminate at 30th Street Station.
On April 18, 2016, SEPTA launched positive train control on the Warminster Line, the first Regional Rail line to use the signal system which will enhance safety. The Warminster Line includes the following stations north of the Center City Commuter Connection. Between FY 2008–FY 2014 yearly ridership on the Warminster Line has remained steady around 2.5 million. "SEPTA – Warminster line schedule". The Pennsylvania Railroad Technical and Historical Society
Reading Company
The Reading Company was a company, involved in the railroad industry in southeast Pennsylvania and neighboring states from 1924 until 1976. Called the Reading Railroad and logotyped as Reading Lines, the Reading Company was a railroad holding company for the majority of its existence and was a railroad during its years, it was a successor to the Philadelphia and Reading Railway Company founded in 1833. Until the decline in anthracite loadings in the Coal Region after World War II, it was one of the most prosperous corporations in the United States. Competition with the modern trucking industry that used the Interstate highway system for short distance transportation of goods known as short hauls, compounded the company's problems, forcing it into bankruptcy in the 1970s, its railroad operations were merged into Conrail in 1976, but the corporation lasted into 2000, disposing of valuable real estate holdings. The Philadelphia and Reading Railroad was one of the first railroads in the United States.
Along with the Little Schuylkill, a horse-drawn railroad in the Schuylkill River Valley, it formed the earliest components of what became the Reading Company. The P&R was constructed to haul anthracite coal from the mines in northeastern Pennsylvania's Coal Region to Philadelphia; the original P&R mainline extended south from the mining town of Pottsville to Reading and onward to Philadelphia, following the graded banks of the Schuylkill River for nearly all of the 93-mile journey. The line contained double track upon its completion in 1843; the P&R became profitable immediately. Energy-dense coal had been replacing scarce wood as fuel in businesses and homes since the 1810s, P&R-delivered coal was one of the first alternatives to the near-monopoly held by Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company since the 1820s. Soon the P&R bought or leased many of the railroads in the Schuylkill River Valley and extended westward and north along the Susquehanna into the southern end of the Coal Region. In Philadelphia, the Reading built Port Richmond, the self-proclaimed "Largest owned railroad tidewater terminal in the world", which burnished the P&R's bottom lines by allowing coal to be loaded onto ships and barges for export.
In 1871, the Reading established a subsidiary called the Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company, which set about buying anthracite coal mines in the Coal Region. This vertical expansion gave the P&R full control of coal from mining through to market, allowing it to compete with like-organized competitors such as Lehigh Coal & Navigation and the Delaware & Hudson Canal Company; the heavy investment in coal paid off quickly. By 1871, the Reading was the largest company in the world, with $170,000,000 in gross value, may have been the first conglomerate in the world. In 1879, the Reading gained control of the North Pennsylvania Railroad and gained access to the burgeoning steel industry in the Lehigh Valley; the Reading further expanded its coal empire by reaching New York City by gaining control of the Delaware and Bound Brook Railroad in 1879, building the Port Reading Railroad in 1892 with a line from Port Reading Junction to the Port Reading on the Arthur Kill. This allowed direct delivery of coal to industries in the Port of New York and New Jersey in northeastern New Jersey and New York City by rail and barge instead of the longer trip by ships from Port Richmond around Cape May.
Instead of broadening its rail network, the Reading invested its vast wealth in anthracite and its transport in the mid-19th century. This led to financial trouble in the 1870s. In 1890, Reading president Archibald A. McLeod saw that more riches could be earned by expanding its rail network and becoming a trunk railroad. McLeod went about trying to control neighboring railroads in 1891, he was able to gain control of the Lehigh Valley Railroad, Central Railroad of New Jersey, the Boston and Maine Railroad. The Reading achieved its goal of becoming a trunk road, but the deal was scuttled by J. P. Morgan and other rail barons, who did not want more competition in the northeastern railroad business; the Reading was relegated to a regional railroad for the rest of its history. The Philadelphia and Reading Rail Road was chartered April 4, 1833, to build a line between Philadelphia and Reading, along the Schuylkill River; the portion from Reading to Norristown opened July 16, 1838, the full line December 9, 1839.
Its Philadelphia terminus was at the state-owned Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad on the west side of the Schuylkill River, from which it ran east on the P&C over the Columbia Bridge and onto the city-owned City Railroad to a depot at the southeast corner of Broad and Cherry Streets. An extension northwest from Reading to Mount Carbon on the Schuylkill River, opened on January 13, 1842, allowing the railroad to compete with the Schuylkill Canal. At Mount Carbon, it connected with the earlier Mount Carbon Railroad, continuing through Pottsville to several mines, would be extended to Williamsport. On May 17, 1842, a freight branch from West Falls to Port Richmond on the Delaware River north of downtown Philadelphia opened. Port Richmond became a large coal terminal. On January 1, 1851, the Belmont Plane on the Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad, just west of the Reading's connection, was abandoned in favor of a new bypass, the portion of the line east of it was sold to the Reading, the only company that continued using the old route.
The Lebanon Valley Railroad was chartered in 1836 to build from Reading west to Harrisburg. Reading financed the construction of the Rutherford Yard to compete with the PRR's nearby Enola Yard; the Reading took it over and began construction in 1854, opening the line in 1856. This
Hatboro, Pennsylvania
Hatboro is a borough in Montgomery County, United States. The population was 7,360 at the 2010 census; the town of Hatboro is located on land purchased from William Penn by the family of Nicholas More around 1705. The first land titles in town were issued in 1711. Original construction by early residents of the town occurred between 1715 and 1719. Early settlement pre-dating the Hatboro name occurred in the Crooked Billet area east of York Road, between Moreland Avenue and Byberry Road. Early resident John Dawson entertained guests at the Crooked Billet Inn as well as manufacturing a line of hats; when the post office opened in 1809 the town was called Hatborough. U. S. Postmaster General John Wanamaker changed the name of the town in the 1880s to Hatboro; the Union Library Company of Hatboro, the third library company to be founded in Pennsylvania, was formed in 1755. This building still still serves as a library. George Washington and his troops passed through the town numerous times during 1777 in pursuit of British Troops.
The Battle of Crooked Billet was fought in 1778. The year 1811 saw the construction of the Loller Academy, the first bank was built in 1873, railroad service connected to Hatboro in 1874; the Loller Academy and Mander Stove Company Buildings, Union Library Company are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Hatboro is located at 40°10′39″N 75°6′16″W. According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 1.4 square miles, all land. The Borough of Hatboro is a small municipality, surrounded by Upper Moreland Township in Montgomery County to the west and east; the Pennypack Creek runs through the center of town under Pennsylvania Route 263 and through the municipality.' The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Hatboro has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps; as of the 2010 census, the borough was 92.4% White, 2.7% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 1.6% Asian, 1.6% were two or more races.
4.3% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry As of the census of 2000, there were 7,393 people, 3,041 households, 1,955 families residing in the borough. The population density was 5,217.5 people per square mile. There were 3,121 housing units at an average density of 2,202.6 per square mile. The racial makeup of the borough was 95.74% White, 1.95% African American, 0.14% Native American, 1.06% Asian, 0.58% from other races, 0.54% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.45% of the population. There were 3,041 households, out of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.3% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 35.7% were non-families. 30.8% of all households were made up of individuals, 13.9% had someone living alone, 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.07. In the borough the population was spread out, with 24.0% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 33.0% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older.
The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 92.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.4 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $44,901, the median income for a family was $58,063. Males had a median income of $37,291 versus $30,934 for females; the per capita income for the borough was $21,911. About 1.8% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.4% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over. Public parks serving the borough of Hatboro include Hatboro Memorial Park, Eaton Park, Tanner Park, Miller Meadow, Blair Mill Park; the Hatboro Memorial Pool is located adjacent to Hatboro Memorial Park and is open during the summer from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend. The pool offers a water slide, a baby pool, a dew drop; the Hatboro Memorial Pool offers day passes and season memberships, with lower rates for borough residents, has a swim team. Hatboro has a city manager form of government with a seven-member borough council.
Mayor - Nancy Guenst Council President - George Bollendorf, Jr. Council Vice President - Dave Stockton Council Pro Tempore - Robert Hegele, Sr Councilperson - Elizabeth'Elle' Anzinger Councilperson - Nicole Benjamin Councilperson - George Forgeng Councilperson - Dave Rich The borough is part of the: Fourth Congressional District Pennsylvania's 152nd State House District. Pennsylvania's 12th State Senate District; the borough maintains the Hatboro Police Department. The Hatboro Police Department is composed of the Chief of Police, five Sergeants, eight Patrol Officers, three Police Operations Clerks, a Secretary, five school crossing guards. Fire protection in Hatboro is provided by the Enterprise Fire Company of Hatboro, a volunteer fire company. Emergency Medical Services in Hatboro and surrounding areas is provided by the Second Alarmers Rescue Squad, which maintains a station in the borough. Hatboro is served by the Hatboro-Horsham School District, along with Horsham Township. Two of the district's elementary schools are located in the borough: Crooked Billet Elementary School and Pennypack Elementary School.
The remainder of the schools, incl
Center City, Philadelphia
Center City includes the central business district and central neighborhoods of Philadelphia, in the U. S. state of Pennsylvania. It comprises the area that made up the City of Philadelphia prior to the Act of Consolidation, 1854 which extended the city borders to be coterminous with Philadelphia County. Greater Center City has grown into the second-most populated downtown area in the United States, after Midtown Manhattan in New York City, with an estimated 183,240 residents in 2015. Center City is bounded by South Street to the south, the Delaware River to the east, the Schuylkill River to the west, Vine Street to the north; this means that Center City occupies the boundaries of the city before it was made coterminous with Philadelphia County in 1854. The Center City District, which has special powers of taxation, has a complicated, irregularly shaped boundary that includes much but not all of this area, extends beyond it; the Philadelphia Police Department patrols three districts located within Center City – the 6th, 9th, 17th districts.
Among Center City's neighborhoods and districts are Penn's Landing, Old City, Society Hill, South Street, Washington Square West, Market East, Logan Square, the Museum District, Rittenhouse Square, Fitler Square, the Avenue of the Arts, Jewelers' Row. Center City is home to most of Philadelphia's tallest buildings, including Philadelphia's City Hall, the second tallest masonry building in the world and until 1987 the tallest in Philadelphia, as well as the tallest building in the world for seven years. In March 1987, One Liberty Place broke the gentlemen's agreement not to exceed the height of the statue of William Penn atop City Hall. Upon the completion of One Liberty Place, no Philadelphia major-league sports team won a world championship for the next two decades, a phenomenon known as the "Curse of Billy Penn." In an effort to reverse the curse, a 3-foot statue of Penn was affixed to the top of the Comcast Center upon its completion as the city's new tallest building in 2007. On October 29, 2008, the Philadelphia Phillies won the 2008 World Series, ending the "curse" Seven other skyscrapers now exceed the height of Penn's statue, including One Liberty Place's little sister, Two Liberty Place.
The Comcast Center, completed in 2007, became the tallest building in Pennsylvania, 30 feet taller than One Liberty Place. In 2018, the Comcast Technology Center opened, now the tallest building in Philadelphia, the eighth-tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, the tallest in the Western Hemisphere outside of New York or Chicago. 1441 Chestnut, under construction, is slated to be taller than City Hall. The first publicly accessible vantage point higher than City Hall opened at One Liberty Observation Deck on the 57th floor of One Liberty Place in 2015. Other Center City skyscrapers include the BNY Mellon Center and the Three Logan Square, which houses a traffic camera used by the Philadelphia branch of the Westwood One MetroNetworks traffic service. Across the street from City Hall is the Masonic Temple, the headquarters of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, a legacy of the Founding Fathers and signers of the Declaration of Independence, many of whom were Freemasons. While Philadelphia's population declined, Center City's rose 10% between 1990 and 2000.
In 2007, the city designated the area bound by 11th Street, Broad Street, Chestnut Street and Pine Street as the Gayborhood. Chinatown Fitler Square French Quarter Logan Square Market East Old City Rittenhouse Square Society Hill Washington Square West Sunoco has its headquarters in the BNY Mellon Center. Cigna has its corporate headquarters in Two Liberty Place. Aramark is headquartered in Center City. Comcast is headquartered in the Comcast Center; the law firm Cozen O'Connor has its headquarters in Center City. Kogan Page has its United States offices in Center City. Lincoln National Corporation moved its headquarters from Indiana to Philadelphia in 1999. In Philadelphia Lincoln was headquartered in the West Tower of Centre Square in Center City. In 2007 the company moved 400 employees, including its top executives, to Radnor Township from Philadelphia; the Philadelphia Fire Department operates 5 Fire Stations in the Center City area: Ladder 5, Medic 35, Battalion 1 - 711 S. Broad St. Snorkel 2, Medic 44B, Battalion 4, Field Comm.
Unit 1 - 101 N. 4th St. Engine 11, Medic 21 - 601 South St. Pipeline 20, Ladder 23, Medic 1 - 133 N. 10th St. Squirt 43, Ladder 9, Medic 7 - 2108 Market St; the Federal Bureau of Prisons Northeast Region Office is in the U. S. Custom House, a part of the Independence National Historical Park, in Old City, Center City; the William J. Green, Jr. Federal Building houses the Federal Bureau of Investigation Philadelphia Field Office; the Consulate-General of Italy in Philadelphia is located in the 1026 Public Ledger Building at 150 South Independence Mall West. The Consulate-General of Panama in Philadelphia is located in Suite 1 at 124 Chestnut Street; the Consulate-General of Israel in Philadelphia is located on the 18th Floor at 1880 John F. Kennedy Boulevard; the Consulate of Mexico in Philadelphia is located in Suite 310 of the Bourse Building off of Independence Mall. The Consulate-General of the Dominican Republic in Philadelphia was located in Suite 216 in the Lafayette Building at 437 Chestnut Street.
It closed on November 7, 2005. Residents are within the School District of Philadelphia. From the 1940s to the opening of what is now known as the Greenfield School in 1954, many residents attended public schools in other areas and private schools due to the low number of public schools in Center City. In 2005, to prevent the flight of middle-class families, the school dist
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown is a city located in Lehigh County, United States. It is the 231st largest city in the United States; as of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 118,032 and is the fastest growing city in all of Pennsylvania. It is the largest city in the metropolitan area known as the Lehigh Valley, which had a population of 821,623 residents as of 2010. Allentown constitutes a portion of the New York City Combined Statistical Area and is the county seat of Lehigh County. In 2012, the city celebrated the 250th anniversary of its founding in 1762. Located on the Lehigh River, Allentown is the largest of three adjacent cities, in Northampton and Lehigh counties, that make up a region of eastern Pennsylvania known as the Lehigh Valley, the other two cities being Bethlehem and Easton, Pennsylvania. Allentown is 50 miles north-northwest of Philadelphia, the sixth most populous city in the United States, 90 miles east-northeast of Harrisburg, the state capital, 90 miles west of New York City, the nation's largest city.
The Norfolk Southern Railway's Lehigh Line, runs through Allentown heading east across the Delaware River. The Norfolk Southern Railway's Reading Line runs through Allentown heading west to Reading, Pennsylvania. Allentown was cited as a "national success story" in April 2016 by the Urban Land Institute for its downtown redevelopment and transformation, one of only six communities in the country to have been named as such. In the early 1700s, the land now occupied by the city of Allentown and Lehigh County was a wilderness of scrub oak where neighboring tribes of Native Americans fished for trout and hunted for deer and other game. In 1736, a large area to the north of Philadelphia, embracing the present site of Allentown and what is now Lehigh County, was deeded by 23 chiefs of the five great Native American nations to John and Richard Penn, sons of William Penn; the price for this tract included shoes and buckles, shirts, scissors, needles, looking glasses and pipes. The land, to become Allentown was part of a 5,000-acre plot William Allen purchased on September 10, 1735 from his business partner Joseph Turner, assigned the warrant to the land by Thomas Penn, son of William Penn, on May 18, 1732.
The land was surveyed on November 23, 1736. A subsequent survey done in 1753 by David Schultz for a road from Easton to Reading, of which present-day Union and Jackson streets were links, shows the location of a log house owned by Allen, situated near the western bank of Jordan Creek, believed to have been built around 1740. Used as a hunting and fishing lodge, here Allen entertained prominent guests including his brother-in-law, James Hamilton, colonial Pennsylvania governor John Penn; the area, today the center of Allentown was laid out as Northampton Town in 1762 by William Allen, a wealthy shipping merchant, former mayor of the city of Philadelphia and then-Chief Justice of the Province of Pennsylvania. It is that a certain amount of rivalry with the Penns prompted Judge Allen to decide to start a town of his own in 1762. Ten years before, in 1752, Northampton and Berks counties had been formed, each with a county seat and Reading, respectively, it is recorded that, in 1763, the year after the founding of Allentown, an effort was made to have the county seat moved from Easton to the new town.
To this effort William Allen lent all his influence as Chief Justice and as the son-in-law of Andrew Hamilton. The influence of the Penns, however and Easton was retained as the county seat of all that vast area which the notorious "Walking Purchase" had opened up; the original plan for the town, now in the archives of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, comprised forty-two city blocks and consisted of 756 lots 60 feet in width and 230 feet in depth. The town was located between present-day Fourth and Tenth Streets, Union and Liberty Streets. Many streets on the original plan were named for Allen's children: Margaret, James and John. Allen Street was named for Allen himself, was the main thoroughfare. Hamilton Street was named for James Hamilton. Gordon Street was named for Sir Patrick Gordon, Deputy Governor of Colonial Pennsylvania from 1726–1736. Chew Street was named for Benjamin Chew, Turner Street was named for Allen's business partner, Joseph Turner. Allen hoped that Northampton Town would displace Easton as the seat of Northampton County and become a commercial center due to its location along the Lehigh River and its proximity to Philadelphia.
Allen gave the property to his son James in 1767. Three years in 1770, James built a summer residence, Trout Hall, in the new town, near the site of his father's former hunting lodge. On March 18, 1811, the town was formally incorporated as the borough of Northampton Town. On March 6, 1812, Lehigh County was formed from the western half of Northampton County, Northampton Town was selected as the county seat; the town was renamed "Allentown" on April 16, 1838, after years of popular usage. Allentown was formally incorporated as a city on March 12, 1867; the beginnings of the American Revolutionary War began in Northampton County on December 21, 1774 when a Committee of Observation for Northampton County was formed by American patriots. At the time, there were 54 homes in Northampton, the number of inhabitants was around 330. With the Decla
University City station
University City station is a train station in the University City section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on the SEPTA Regional Rail system. The station serves the area around the University of Pennsylvania, is located at South Street and Convention Avenue. Located on the Media/Elwyn Line, it serves the Airport, Wilmington/Newark, Media/Elwyn, Manayunk/Norristown and West Trenton Regional Rail services. In 2013, this station saw 3091 boardings and 2950 alightings on an average weekday; the station is less than a block from the University of Pennsylvania's Franklin Field and the Palestra. In addition to the University of Pennsylvania campus, it is convenient to the medical campuses of the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; the Drexel University campus, the Graduate Hospital campus and neighborhood across the Schuylkill River are nearby and accessible. University City station was conceived in 1979 by the City of Philadelphia as Civic Center, under which name it appeared on SEPTA informational maps of the 1980s.
That name was no longer relevant by the time construction began in 1991. The station instead opened with the regionally descriptive name of University City on April 24, 1995; the station has a nod to Penn's colors. Since its inception, the station has been a stop for all trains on the five SEPTA rail lines which pass through the station, including rush-hour express trains on the Wilmington/Newark and Media/Elwyn lines. Though not all lines serve it, University City is listed in timetables and other SEPTA literature as one of the five Center City Philadelphia stations, falls within the CCP/Zone 1 Regional Rail fare zone; the station is served by SEPTA bus route 40 which runs along South Street, bus routes 30, 42 and the LUCY Green Loop from the nearby corner of Convention Avenue and Health Sciences Drive. The station made a brief appearance in the movie Unbreakable as Elijah falls down the stairs to the platform, it is portrayed as a subway station with turnstiles in the movie, though in reality.
The Convention Avenue Entrance has ADA Gates. University City has one high-level island platform serving both tracks. SEPTA - University City Station Station House from Google Maps Street View
Philadelphia International Airport
Philadelphia International Airport referred to just by its IATA code PHL, is a major airport in Philadelphia, United States, is the largest airport in the state. The airport is the main Northeast hub for American Airlines and a regional cargo hub for UPS Airlines. Philadelphia International Airport is a focus city for ultra low-cost airline Frontier; the airport has service to destinations in the United States, the Caribbean, Latin America and the Middle East. As of summer 2018, there are flights from the airport to 133 total destinations, including 97 domestic and 36 international destinations. Most of the airport property is located in Philadelphia proper; the international terminal and the western end of the airfield are located in Tinicum Township, Delaware County. PHL has 4 runways. Philadelphia International Airport is important to Philadelphia, its metropolitan region and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; the Commonwealth's Aviation Bureau reported in its Pennsylvania Air Service Monitor that the total economic impact made by the state's airports in 2004 was $22 billion.
PHL alone accounted for 63 % of the total. The calculations include both direct spending and the multiplier effect of that spending throughout the state's economy. Starting in 1925, the Pennsylvania National Guard used the current airport site as a training airfield; the site was dedicated as the "Philadelphia Municipal Airport" by Charles Lindbergh in 1927, but it had no proper terminal building until 1940. Once Philadelphia's terminal was completed American, Eastern, TWA and United began flights. In 1947 and 1950, the airport had runways 9, 12 and 17, all of 5400 ft or less. In 1956 runway 9 was 7284 ft. Not much change occurred until the early 1970s, when runway 4 was closed and 9R opened with 10500 ft. On June 20, 1940, the airport's weather station became as the official point for Philadelphia weather observations and records by the National Weather Service. During World War II the United States Army Air Forces used the airport as a First Air Force training airfield. Beginning in 1940, the Coatesville-based Rising Sun School of Aeronautics performed primary flight training at the airport under contract to the Air Corps.
After the Pearl Harbor Attack, the I Fighter Command Philadelphia Fighter Wing provided air defense of the Delaware Valley area from the airport. Throughout the war, various fighter and bomber groups were organized and trained at Philadelphia airport and assigned to the Philadelphia Fighter Wing before being sent to advanced training airfields or being deployed overseas. Known units assigned were the 33d, 58th, 355th and 358th Fighter Groups. In June 1943, I Fighter Command transferred jurisdiction of the airport to the Air Technical Service Command. ATSC established a sub-depot of the Middletown Air Depot at the airport; the 855th Army Air Forces Specialized Depot unit repaired and overhauled aircraft and returned them to active service, the Army Air Forces Training Command established the Philco Training School on January 1, 1943, which trained personnel in radio repair and operations. During 1945, the Air Force reduced its use of the airport and it was returned to civil control that September.
Philadelphia Municipal became Philadelphia International in 1945, when American Overseas Airlines began direct flights to Europe. A new terminal opened in December 1953; the April 1957 OAG shows 30 weekday departures on Eastern, 24 TWA, 24 United, 18 American, 16 National, 14 Capital, 6 Allegheny and 3 Delta. To Europe, five Pan Am DC-6Bs a week via Idlewild and Boston and two TWA 749As a week via Idlewild. Eastern and National had nonstops to Miami, but the TWA 1049G to LAX was the only nonstop beyond Chicago. Terminal B/C modernization was completed in 1970, Terminal D opened in 1973 and Terminal E in 1977. In the 1980s, PHL hosted several hubs; the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 allowed regional carrier Altair Airlines to create a small hub at PHL using Fokker F-28s. Altair began in 1967 with flights to cities such as Rochester, New York, Connecticut and to Florida until it ceased operations in November 1982. In the mid-1980s Eastern Air Lines opened a hub in Concourse C; the airline declined in the late 1980s and sold aircraft and gate leases to Chicago-based Midway Airlines.
Midway operated its Philadelphia hub until it ceased operation in 1991. During the 1980s US Airways built a hub at PHL. US Airways became the dominant carrier at PHL during the 1980s and 1990s and shifted most of its hub operations from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia in 2003; as of 2013 PHL was US Airways' largest international hub. From January 2013, the lease agreement underlying US Airways operations at PHL expired at the end of June 2015. In July 1999, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and several U. S. federal government agencies selected a route for the connecting ramps from the northbound and southbound portions of Interstate 95 to the Terminal A-West complex under development. However K/B Fund II, the owner of the International Plaza comple
Media related to Hatboro (SEPTA station) at Wikimedia Commons