A project called "The Southwest Connection Improvement Program" which took place between August 4th to August 19th, 2018 saw SEPTA detouring its Media/Elwyn and Wilmington/Newark trains in and out of 30th Street Station in Philadelphia over onto Amtrak's ROW with boarding moving below the station vs above on the open deck. Here, on a beautiful August weekday afternoon, a long string of SEPTA Silverliner IV commuter cars arrives from Newark, DE crossing over to the inside track before its arrival at 30th Street.
The scope of the SCIP included the following:
Reconfigure and replace the existing Arsenal Interlocking (area of switches)
Remove the existing Walnut Interlocking and realign rail
Create a new Interlocking and turn back track near University City Station
Replace the overhead contact system and the Overhead Catenary System structures
Repair/Upgrade retaining walls and structural elements inside Walnut St Tunnel
