And except for the interstate PATH subway, none of New York City's subways even cross the city line.

Please note, folks, that in most bi- or multi-state metropolitan areas, the service territory of the metropolitan transit agency serving the principal city is located entirely within one state (New York MTA: New York, Regional Transportation Authority: Illinois, Tri-Met: Oregon, MATA: Tennessee; SEPTA: here). Washington, DC, is a special case, and as with the other special cases, action of two state legislatures was necessary (both of Missouri's large cities, e.g.)

Philadelphia doesn't lack subways because of division between states. The lack is a purely Philadelphian (and Pennsylvanian) phenomenon, just as the presence is a purely New York City (and now State) one.

Track gauge isn't the problem. Equipment that runs on mainline railroad tracks must meet Federal Railroad Administration safety, weight, and crashworthiness requirements for Class I railroads; local rail transit equipment faces no such requirement. The two types of equipment cannot operate on the same tracks at the same times of day. Time-of-day separation is why the NJ Transit River Line can use an active Class I railroad track.

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Sandy Smith, Exile on Market Street, Philadelphia
“Basically I figure guns are like gays: They seem a lot more sinister and threatening until you get to know a few; and once you have one in the house, you can get downright defensive about them.” --Theresa Neilson Hayden

which is impossible on the NEC.

__________________
"You down wit OPM?"
Fumo: "Yeah, you know me!"

Then build the DRPA cars to FRA standards. The Acela was beefed-up for the same reason.

Schedule.

and our rails are already at max capacity btw (Septa, Amtrak and NJT all using the same tracks from about broad in north philly down past 30th)

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DRPA's cars are light because they need fast acceleration. Even if the they wanted to build them that way, there's no way a high frequency service would use that bridge. At peak times it's congested and that's assuming the current state of passenger rail continues. it's not unreasonable to think that in the no-sto-distant future we'll be adding more intercity trains. there's long been talk of adding a zoo stop on the R8 but that woudl require extra siding (you're not stopping on the main line) most likely and the R8. I think a subway stopping at 30th and girard (city Maps)is close enough or a split 15 route would work.

__________________
"You down wit OPM?"
Fumo: "Yeah, you know me!"

Do that, and you'd have to replace the rails on the rapid transit line. FRA Class I railroad standards also call for heavier rails on the tracks to support the heavier rolling stock.

The Acela cars could be bulked up because they don't operate anywhere other than on Class I track. That's not the case for rapid transit equipment.

(N.B.: I am aware that many rapid transit yards, including the Broad Street Subway's here, have direct track connections to mainline railroads. These are used solely for the purpose of delivering cars to or from the yards. As the cars are cargo in that case, the usual rules regarding separation don't apply -- they are towed by diesel railroad locomotives.)

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Sandy Smith, Exile on Market Street, Philadelphia
“Basically I figure guns are like gays: They seem a lot more sinister and threatening until you get to know a few; and once you have one in the house, you can get downright defensive about them.” --Theresa Neilson Hayden

Um, I don't see why sidings would be needed for a Zoo stop when the outer pair of tracks on the NEC main from Philadelphia all the way to NYC are used by NJT and SEPTA regional trains -- with stops at station platforms.

About the only reason I could think of is the need to deal with movements through Zoo interlocking, but a station located roughly where the NEC main crosses Girard Avenue itself just west of 34th, right next to the Philadelphia Zoo's entrance, would probably avoid that problem. IIRC, plans that were drawn up a few years ago for a station at the zoo had it located in exactly that spot.

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Sandy Smith, Exile on Market Street, Philadelphia
“Basically I figure guns are like gays: They seem a lot more sinister and threatening until you get to know a few; and once you have one in the house, you can get downright defensive about them.” --Theresa Neilson Hayden

No $hit. I'm guessing you misread where I actually said "West Side of North Philly" and not the river?
If the line could run North up 29th, 33rd, or another street on the East side of the river after the CityBranch, then it could be fed by bus routes coming from both sides of the river. The benefit is that you add underserved neighborhoods to the rail network. That would be a later phase.

At the terminus of Phase 1, Zoo and park patrons can walk across the bridge from a Girard Station rather than tunneling under the river just to hit the zoo at its front door.

are you positive that's the case for the bridge? which tracks ultimately lead to the upper and lower levels?
(NJT is a waste of space there). I suppose the zoo stop woudl be on the R7 since SEPTA ideally wants to reroute the R8.

__________________
"You down wit OPM?"
Fumo: "Yeah, you know me!"

That sorting out doesn't take place until trains are south of Zoo interlocking; the NEC bridge over Girard Avenue is north of it. From Zoo on north, the outer two tracks are used by local trains; northbound R8 Chestnut Hill East trains must cross the Amtrak tracks in both directions at grade somewhere in the vicinity of 18th Street to reach the PRR Chestnut Hill Branch tracks.

You mean to tell me that the Swampoodle Connector remains a priority? What would they pair the rerouted R8 CHE with on the Pennsy side?

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Sandy Smith, Exile on Market Street, Philadelphia
“Basically I figure guns are like gays: They seem a lot more sinister and threatening until you get to know a few; and once you have one in the house, you can get downright defensive about them.” --Theresa Neilson Hayden