The ACES service between Atlantic City, NJ, and New York via Newark Penn Station will start on Friday, February 6th.  This weekend only train will operate several trips a day, using two 4-car trains of multi-level equipment.  First Class accommodations are available on the first floor, with coach on the lower level.  Additionally, kiosks that sell food and beverage will be available as well.

Tickets are $50 dollars for coach and $75 dollars for First Class.  These are One-Way tickets, and will start being sold on January 15th, 2009.  Once in Atlantic City, shuttle buses will take riders to the boardwalk and casinos.

For more information about the ACES train (including the schedule), please visit the website at http://www.acestrain.com/.

Due to PennDOT bridge construction work, the R6 will be bussing between Elm Street, Norristown and Conshohocken/Miquon on January 10th and 11th.  Inbound trains will pick up at Conshohocken, while the outbound trains will drop off at Miquon Station.  Please visit the following link for the schedule for that weekend.

Schedule: http://www.septa.org/travel_advisory/R6_NOR_shuttleBus_2009-01a.pdf

Starting January 12th, the first car on certain R5 Express trains will be designated as "Quiet Cars".  Cell phone use in this car will be prohibited, electronic devices will be placed on silent, and conversation will be limited and reduced to a whisper.  This is a pilot program and will last until Friday, March 13, 2009.

These are the trains:

• Train #507 Departs Doylestown 6:12 a.m.
• Train #505 Departs Lansdale 6:20 a.m.
• Train #4711 Departs Doylestown 6:41 a.m.
• Train #509 Departs Lansdale 6:49 a.m.
• Train #6595 Departs Doylestown 7:02 a.m.
• Train #515 Departs Lansdale 7:46 a.m.

• Train #6596 Departs Suburban Station 4:15 p.m.
• Train #6572 Departs Suburban Station 4:44 p.m.
• Train #6576 Departs Suburban Station 5:17 p.m.
• Train #6598 Departs Suburban Station 5:34 p.m.

 More information here: http://septa.org/service/quietride.html

The new route 23 schedule starts today.  This essentially ends the 23 shuttle service, as well as service on Stenton Ave, due to the end of construction on Germantown Ave.

See the new schedule here: http://septa.org/service/sched/pdfs/bus_1_40/023.pdf

There is also a new 204 schedule, which has major revisions.  Check them out in this schedule document: http://septa.org/service/sched/pdfs/bus_81_x/204.pdf

A few of the members on the foums has told me about the existence of PTVforums.com. Philadelphia Transit Vehicles is not affiliated with this site.  The Offical link to our forums is and will always remain!

http://www.philadelphiatransitforums.cjb.net/

On February 15, 2009, PATCO will turn 40 years old.  Soon PATCO will have events commemorating 40 years of service and are looking for people to share their experiences with the system over the last 40 years.  Vintage photos would also be greats.  If you have anything you would like to share, please contact PATCO at info@lists.drpa.org.  Hurry up, because the deadline is January 30th.

For those of you who are interested in SEPTA's Ivy Ridge line through Manyunk, you may be interested in a guided tour of the former railroad right-of-way.  Lower Merion Conservancy is sponsoring a special hike of this ROW.  See the details below, copied from the SEPTA website, for more details.