SEPTA may have pushed the Secret Service to be less secretive about how people will get into and out of town for Pope Francis’ visit on September 26th and 27th, but it’s kept the workings of the website for ordering the special one-day Regional Rail passes, www.septa.org/papalvisitphilly, under tight wraps. “Most transactions were not completed, and therefore, most of the Regional Rail One Day passes are still available for customers to purchase when sales resume”.
Advertisement
SEPTA tweeted on its official Twitter account: “RRD: The Papal E-Commerce site is temporarily closed while resolve problems”. Customers with a valid PA Disability Transit ID Card or Medicare Card can purchase reduced fare passes through the e-commerce site for $5; they will then be required to show their valid ID along with the Papal Pass at the time of boarding. “We apologize/will update when more info.is available”.
No. The only passes accepted on September 26 and 27 will be the ones sold online. There will be no PATCO service or operations at any other station. The same three-day pass will also let you ride city transit services (Market-Frankford and Broad Street lines, trolleys and buses), but these will not be required to board those transit services in the city.
Until this morning, when the site went live at 9 a.m. So, like all of you, we just got a chance to take it for a test run.
Passes must be purchased for a specific station and departure period. Return trips will operate from 5:30 p.m.to midnight each day. To help alleviate congestion and enhance safety, SEPTA will have two travel slots, the first from 5:30 a.m.-8:30 a.m., the second 8:30 a.m.-noon at each station except Cornwells Heights and Croydon.
The Delaware River Port Authority, which oversees the PATCO Hi-Speedline from South Jersey to Philadelphia, began selling special advance passes Monday morning for its trains for Pope Francis’ visit to the city September 26-27.
On subways, trolleys, and buses, customers can also use tokens, and regular weekly and monthly passes. When the sale resumes, go to SEPTA’s special section and select the station you want to travel from. Parking will be limited at SEPTA stations and surrounding locations, and spots are expected to fill up quickly both days. Passes cost $10 plus shipping and handling. The deadline for PATCO’s online purchases is Sept 1. There’s a limit of 10 regular-fare passes and one reduced-fare pass per purchase, and you may purchase passes for only one station and travel slot per transaction.
Advertisement
Current holders of PATCO Freedom cards can use their existing Freedom cards, at $2.50 per one-way trip.
