Trains to and from Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)

Philadelphia International, with the IATA code of PHL, is located approximately 7 miles from the downtown area of Philadelphia, a city in the state of Pennsylvania. This American airport is a popular air gateway to the Delaware Valley, with over thirty million passengers per annum, of which almost five million are international travellers. It is an airport that is extremely well equipped with facilities for its passengers, and it strives to provide services of the highest quality. Passengers in need of ground transportation have access to the Philadelphia International Airport trains, which are considered as one of the most convenient ways to travel between the airport and the city.

The city of Philadelphia’s airport is busy, with a number of terminal buildings, but is still fairly easy to navigate. There are seven terminals, all lettered for recognition purposes, and are each served by various airline companies. They are all quite close by to one another, besides Terminal F, which is one of the newer buildings and which is used by US Airways Express. Free shuttle buses run from this terminal to Terminal A and Terminal C. There are two ‘A’ terminals (East and West – the A West Terminal is used for international flights), and Terminals B and C are the main US Airways terminals. Terminals D and E are used by a number of airline companies, such as Southwest Airlines, AirTran, Alaska Airlines, Virgin America and United Airlines. Between Terminals B and C there is a large area provided for shops and restaurants, known as the Philadelphia Marketplace.

Once passengers have arrived at the airport, and have their luggage items in hand, they can proceed to the ground transportation areas. The buses leave from outside the terminals’ arrival levels, and the SEPTA Airport Regional Rail Line platforms can be accessed from the pedestrian walkways between the terminals and the baggage claim areas. Terminal F passengers will need to transfer to Terminal E in order to reach the train station. SEPTA is the company that operates the public transportation services in the counties of Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery, and their name stands for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority.

Train Services at the airport

Besides the public SEPTA bus services, the trains are one of the cheapest ways to travel from or to Philadelphia Airport. The trains to the city centre leave the airport station every half an hour, and operate between the times of 05:09am and 12:09am. They take passengers from the airport to Eastwick, University City, 30th Street Station, Suburban Station and Market East, which is the last stop the train makes. It will take approximately twenty-five minutes to travel by train to the city centre of Philadelphia. The station at Market East is convenient for passengers who would like to reach the Greyhound Bus Terminal and the 30th Street station is convenient for connections to Amtrak’s 30th Street Station. Further regional rail services are available at the Suburban Station. Amtrak is the railway company of the United States that operates various trains between the major cities of the country. Although their services are not as widely used as in the past, they still operate many useful railway routes. Those between the larger and more popular cities are still frequently used by travellers.

When travelling to the airport by train, the route available from the city centre (Suburban Station) runs between the times of 04:25am and 11:30pm, and approximately every half an hour as well. Train tickets are available at the station or from the conductor.

A one-way fare to the city centre of Philadelphia will cost $7.00 per person. The fare is accepted in cash only. Passengers who require a connection to other SEPTA Regional Rail Lines at the three main stations of Market East, Suburban and 30th Street will need to pay an additional $3.00. Up to two children under the age of four are allowed to travel for free, provided that they are accompanied by a fare-paying adult. Travelling by train may even be cheaper if one of the passes available are purchased. Passengers have a choice between the Individual Independence Pass and the Family Independence Pass. The first-mentioned can be purchased for $11.00 from the conductor, while the Family Pass is available for $28.00, and is available for a family travelling together of up to five people. The passes allow for unlimited travel for the whole day on SEPTA buses, trolleys, subways and regional rail lines. One-way fares to the airport from the city will cost $6.00.

Philadelphia International Airport is designed to facilitate the movement of disabled passengers, with clear walkways, pavement ramps, elevators and suitable restrooms. There are also several forms of ground transportation that can be used by persons with mobility challenges. The SEPTA airport trains are one of these options, as the platforms are all considered as accessible, and the stations between the airport and Market East are all wheelchair accessible.

Further information regarding the Philadelphia trains is available online, at http://www.septa.org, or the airport’s ground transportation information desk can be called at 215-937-6958.