DVARP's PATCO rider observers were generally satisfied with their rides in the past couple of weeks, although things did get a little bumpy at times.
Mark Heston (Thursday, 10/11): "Caught the 3:50 eastbound train. Very short wait. Lots of seats. Very quiet and relaxed. [...] Too bad you couldn't have a live monitor with video only of the local weather and top stories."
(Monday, 10/15): "The conductor was smooth and courteous. Nice ride in today. People were somewhat happy today. It must have been the great weekend."
(Wednesday, 10/17): "The starts and stops felt like a Missouri gravel road; man they were jerky."
Jeff Lyons (Wednesday, 10/17): "PATCO trains are now sporting big ads for Drexel. They cover the windows, but it doesn't matter, since the windows haven't been cleaned since 1973."
PATCO GM John Rink (Friday, 10/19): "Each night, we complete an exterior wash and medium clean on 12 cars. The medium clean includes [...] a cleaning of the interior of windows and adjacent areas."
To all you PATCO commuters out there: how have your riding experiences been lately? Tell us in the comments or let DVARP know @PhillyDVARP on Twitter or at mail@dvarp.org.
Andy Sharpe is Communications Director for the Delaware Valley Association of Rail Passengers. Contact him at 215-RAILWAY (215-724-5929), sharpe@dvarp.org, or @PhillyDVARP on Twitter and Facebook.
