Draft:Western Street Car Suburbs of Philadelphia

• Comment: Why should this be a separate article rather than incorporated into the existing article? Trainsandotherthings (talk) 01:06, 1 January 2025 (UTC)

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Map of the former Red Arrow trolley lines that served the Western Suburbs, some of which are now run by SEPTA. Blue (100) is the Norristown High Speed Line, red (101 and 102) is the Media and Sharon Hill lines, and orange (103 and 104) is former trolley lines, now bus. Regional Rail is in black.

The Western Street Car Suburbs of Philadelphia are suburbs west of West Philadelphia, growing from the street car suburbs of West Philadelphia, largely in Delaware County and Montgomery County. The early trolley and train lines radiating out to the Western Suburbs of Philadelphia led to rapid development of the farmland and open space. These communities were streetcar suburbs, many of which are still serviced by trolley and train lines run by SEPTA. These suburbs are sometimes referred to simply as the 'Western Suburbs'.

Existing Routes

Route 11 of SEPTA subway–surface trolley lines serve Darby in Delaware County. The Media–Sharon Hill Line serves Media, Springfield, Drexel Hill, Sharon Hill, and Aldan.

The M serves communities in Delaware County and Montgomery County including Upper Darby, Penfield, Beechwood, Brookline, Merwood, Ardmore, Haverford, Villanova, Bridgeport and Norristown.

The streetcar suburbs of Haverford Township in 1926, built around the extinct trolley routes.

A trolley car inside the car barn shop in Llanerch for the Ardmore Express to Oakmont, 1970.

Extinct Routes

Formerly a trolley line that opened in 1902, SEPTA bus route 103 served streetcar suburban communities of Llanerch, Oakmont, Brookline, and Ardmore along West Chester Pike and Darby Road. The Ardmore Line closed in 1966.

SEPTA bus route 104 served communities along West Chester Pike out to West Chester as a trolley service as well, including Llanerch, Manoa, Bon Air, and Newtown Square. Its service was cut back to West Gate Hills in Haverford by 1954 and was closed shortly after. Clusters of street-fronting commercial buildings exist today in these neighborhoods, no longer anchored by trolley stops.

The Newtown Square branch was part of this network serving the Western Suburbs, including the Townships of Newtown Square, Radnor, Haverford and Upper Darby. By 1963 it was cut to terminate in Oakmont and abandoned in 1981.