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The city transit system was formerly owned and operated by the Philadelphia Transportation Company (known as the PTC) until 1968, and before that the Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company (the PRT). The region's suburban bus and trolley lines were operated by the Philadelphia Suburban Transportation Company (also called the Red Arrow Lines), the Schuylkill Valley Lines, and a handful of other smaller companies into the 1970s.

1 Subway Service

The city's two subway lines are:

• The Market-Frankford Subway-Elevated (also known as the "El" or the "Blue Line," abbreviated "MFSE" or "MFL"), which runs from 69th Street Terminal in Upper Darby, adjacent to West Philadelphia, to the neighborhood of Frankford, in Northeast Philadelphia. The Market-Frankford line is sometimes called the "El" because two large sections of the line run above street level, connected by a stretch of subway beneath the downtown (Center City), University City, and part of West Philadelphia. The "El" connects with the PATCO High-Speed Line to Camden and the New Jersey suburbs at the 8th Street station (additional fare required for transfer).

• The Broad Street Subway (also known as the "Orange Line", abbreviated "BSS"), which runs from Fern Rock Station in the extreme northern reaches of the city to Pattison Avenue in South Philadelphia.

• A spur of the Orange Line, known as the Broad-Ridge Spur, runs from Fern Rock station (north of City Hall) to a hub at 8th and Market Streets, where it links to the Blue Line. As mentioned, connection to the PATCO High-Speed Line is available here.

The two lines intersect at Philadelphia City Hall, where a free interchange exists which includes the "Green Line" ("subway-surface" trolley line). See also the List of Philadelphia subway stations.

2 Norristown High Speed Line

The Norristown High Speed Line (NHSL), designated as Route 100 of the Suburban Transit Division, is a hybrid between light rail and heavy rail operating between Norristown Transportation Center and 69th Street Terminal, running entirely on its own right of way, inherited from the Philadelphia and Western Railroad, an interurban railroad. The line is unique in its combination of transportation technologies. It has full grade separation, third rail power collection, and high-level platforms common to heavy rail systems, but has small vehicles, onboard fare collection, and frequent stops more common to light rail systems.

See also the list of stations on the Norristown High Speed Line.

3 Regional Rail Lines

SEPTA also operates a number of trains, known as the Regional Rail Lines to and from places in the metropolitan area. All seven of them pass through 30th Street Station30th Street Station is the main railroad station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is the heart of Philadelphia's passenger rail network. Originally known as Pennsylvania Station the Chicago-based architectural firm of Graham, Anderson, Probst & White des, Suburban Station , and Market East Station in Center City, as well as a stop on the campus of Temple UniversityTemple University is a university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Temple University was founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell and became known as Temple College in 1888. In 1907, the college became a fully accredited university. The university is known fo, as part of their route. The regional lines run on former Pennsylvania RailroadThe Pennsylvania Railroad ( AAR reporting mark: PRR was an American railroad existing 1846 1968, after which it merged into the Penn Central. Commonly referred to as the Pennsy the company was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The company's sym and Reading RailroadThe Reading Railroad ( AAR reporting marks RDG , officially known as the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad operated in southeast Pennsylvania and neighboring states. After World War I, however, it was reorganized and became known as the Reading Company. tracks. Lines of the Pennsylvania Railroad ended at Suburban Station, while the lines of Reading Railroad ended at Reading Terminal .

• The R1 line runs from Philadelphia International AirportPhiladelphia International Airport is an airport in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and is the largest airport in the Delaware Valley region. The airport is a hub of US Airways and has service to destinations in the United States, Canada, Latin America, and E to GlensideGlenside is a census-designated place located in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. As of the 2000 census, the CDP had a total population of 7,914. Geography Glenside is located at 40°6'11" North, 75°9'8" West (40. 102960, -75. According to the United State.

• The R2 line runs from Newark, Delaware to Warminster.

• The R3 line runs from Elwyn to West Trenton station in Ewing, New Jersey.

• The R5 line runs from Doylestown to Thorndale. The segment of this line between Center City and Thorndale was known as the "Main Line" in the Pennsylvania Railroad's time, and became the namesake of the affluent Philadelphia suburb of the same name.

• The R6 line runs from Norristown to Bala Cynwyd.

• The R7 line runs from eastern Chestnut Hill to Trenton, New Jersey. This line offers an inexpensive connection to New York Penn Station via New Jersey Transit's Northeast Corridor Line.

• The R8 line runs from Fox Chase to western Chestnut Hill.

Philadelphia: Regional Rail Lines - an extremely detailed guide to SEPTA's Regional Rail system.