Introduction
SEPTA’s Newtown Shuttle Bus was a bus line that operated from Fox Chase Regional Rail Station and Newtown Regional Rail Station. Service started in 1983, and was discontinued in 1998.
This line was split into two individual bus routes in 1998, numbered 301 and 302. Those routes would then go on to be discontinued in 2001, replaced with segments of routes 24 and 130.
The Newtown Shuttle bus was operated out of Comly Bus Depot (district 1) while Routes 301 and 302 were operated for SEPTA by Lion Tours.
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Newtown Shuttle Bus Service Patterns
SEPTA’s Newtown Shuttle bus only operated a psuedo-Limited stop service between Fox Chase Loop and Newtown Station, stopping at key stations along the Newtown Line. The Newtown Shuttle bus operated out of Comly bus depot (District 1).
Like the original Newtown line, the Newtown Shuttle bus did not operate on Sundays or major holidays. The primary stops were as follows:
- Fox Chase Fox Chase Loop, connecting with routes S (later 18), 16 (discontinued), 24, and 28
- Huntingdon Valley Huntingdon Pike and PA 63
- Bryn Athyn Huntingdon Pike and Fetters Mill Road
- County Line Station County Line Road and James Way
- Southampton Station Knowles Avenue and Second Street Pike
- Churchville Station Knowles Avenue and Bustleton Pike
- Holland Station Holland Road and Elm Avenue
- Newtown Station
However, passengers who wished to board or exit at any other location could do so thanks to the suburban bus flag-stop policy.
Newtown Shuttle Bus History
The Newtown Shuttle Bus was created as a shuttle bus for the Newtown Line between Fox Chase Station and Newtown Station on January 18th 1983, when Diesel Rail service on the Newtown line was discontinued. Bus service would start on January 18th 1983, but wouldn’t be scheduled proper until June 6th, 1983. When the Newtown Shuttle Bus was created, it originally only stopped at the stations served by the Newtown Line and was called the Fox Chase-Newtown Shuttle, and would stay so until 1988, when it would simply be called “Newtown Shuttle Bus” and would allow passengers to board/disembark buses at any safe intersection beyond Fox Chase Station, Departure/arrival times from Fox Chase Station were coordinated with the R8 Fox Chase Line.
When service on the Fox Chase Line was temporarily suspended for Railworks between May 2nd 1993 and September 4th 1993, arrival/departure times would instead be coordinated with SEPTA Bus Route 24 which had enhanced express service at the time. Service on the Newtown Shuttle Bus would be replaced with routes 301 and 302 on November 30th 1998.
SEPTA Route 301
SEPTA Route 301 started on November 30th, 1998, and replaced the Newtown Shuttle Bus service between Bethayers Station on the R3 West Trenton Line and Newtown. Route 301 operated for SEPTA by Lion Tours.
This route operated a similar to the Newtown Shuttle bus until Holland, where the Newtown Shutttle bus would’ve run express to Newtown, Route 301 instead operates to Village Shores then Newtown Crossing and then Newtown Grant, then to Newtown Train Station, terminating at the Newtown Township Building on Durham Road.
The spur to the location of Newtown Station was discontinued on April 12th, 1999
The only transit connection that Route 301 would make is with the R3 West Trenton Line, and SEPTA Route 302, at Bethayers Station.
Service on route 301 would operate outbound to Newtown during the AM rush hours and inbound to Bethayers Station during the PM Hours.
Starting April 12th 1999, a new midday service would be created, labeled “Route 301/302 Midday Service” operating through To/From Newtown, through Bethayers Station to Fox Chase Loop, connecting with the Fox Chase Line as well as Routes 18, 24, and 67. This diverted service also provided an addional connection to Gloria Dei Plaza
Route 301 would be discontinued on November 19th, 2000, with service to Newtown being merged into route 130.
SEPTA Route 302
SEPTA Route 302 started on November 30th, 1998, and replaced the Newtown Shuttle Bus service between Fox Chase Station on the R8 Fox Chase Line, through Bethayers Station on R3 West Trenton Line and Southampton/Churchville. Route 302 operated for SEPTA by Lion Tours.
Route 302 made transit connections at the following locations:
- Fox Chase Loop for routes 18, 24, and 28, and the R8 Fox Chase Line
- Holy Redeemer Hospital for route 88
- Bethayers Station for route 301 and the R3 West Trenton Line
Starting April 12th 1999, a new midday service would be created, labeled “Route 301/302 Midday Service” operating through To/From Newtown, through Bethayers Station to Fox Chase Loop, connecting with the Fox Chase Line as well as Routes 18, 24, and 28.
Route 302 would be discontinued on January 15th, 2001, with service to Southampton being merged into route 24.
Other Routes using the same numbers
No routes prior to the Newtown Shuttle Bus operations, used numbers 301 and 302. However despite their numbering, the first 300 series route was numbered 303, which is part of current SEPTA route 68.
New Bus Network Changes
Service on routes 301 and 302 were discontinued on January 15th, 2001. Service to Newtown is provided by Route 130.
Timetables
Below are some historic timetables for SEPTA’s Newtown Line as well as Bus Routes 301 and 302. These are older (out of date) timetable scans with their effective dates listed.
- Newtown Line
- 1993
- 1995
- 1998
- Route 301
- 1999
- Route 302
- 1998
Audio Announcements
The Newtown Shuttle Bus and subquently routes 301 and 302 did not have audio announcements. Drivers called out the stops on these lines instead.