Some Residents, Lawmakers Skeptical Over SEPTA KOP Rail Extension

KING OF PRUSSIA, PA — In the wake of last week's announcement that the proposed SEPTA rail extension to King of Prussia project had been revived, some residents and lawmakers have expressed serious concerns.

The proposal by the KOP Rail Coalition would expand the existing Norristown High Speed Line, adding an elevated rail with four stops in King of Prussia.

The project has been kicking around in some form since 2015, and in that time residents and community groups have expressed a number of concerns about the plan.

Officials recognize the opposition could derail the plans and are asking supporters of the project to publicly endorse it here.

Opponents have expressed a wide variety of concerns, ranging from the potential impact of residents, especially of Valley Forge Homes, and the fact that the rail does not event connect to center city Philadelphia. The city terminus of the high speed line is the 69th Street Transportation Center. Riders heading to center city would have to transfer from there to the Market-Frankford Line and ride for another 18 minutes.

Upper Merion Supervisor Greg Philips says that while Upper Merion's Board of Supervisors has not yet issued an official position, he does not support the plan as it is currently laid out because he believes a SEPTA rail has much more potential.

"I believe that it is a huge missed opportunity," he said. "First, Upper Merion Township is seeing renaissance of home and apartment construction. The Village at Valley Forge would be the perfect place to have a station. Second, there are no plans to develop a rail extension along the 422 corridor...Why not provide a rail line to significantly reduce that volume?"

The proposed four mile extension would stop once at Henderson Road before following the Pennsylvania Turnpike into the King of Prussia Mall. There would be two stops at the mall and another in the KOP business park. The final stop would be at the Valley Forge Casino.

There have been several proposed projects to build a rail along Route 422 for years. The Schuylkill Valley Metro, a proposed 62 mile rail that would roughly follow Route 422, is one. An Ursinus College student, meanwhile, proposed in an award winning project that the Phoenixville Industrial Track freight railroad line should be brought back in service as a passenger line.

Supporters of the new proposal cite the environmental benefits and the potential to greatly reduce regional traffic.

Philips also expressed concern over the funding of the project. According to him, the project will cost around $1 billion, with only half of that being covered by federal funds.

Public hearings will be held on Monday, Nov. 13 from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the DoubleTree Hotel Valley Forge in the Jefferson Ballroom. That is located at 301 West DeKalb Pike in King of Prussia. There will also be hearings at the Norristown Municipal Building from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 15.

You can view the draft environmental impact statement here, and comment on it here.

For more information on the project, see the original story here.

Images courtesy VisitKOP.com