Amtrak to SEPTA?

[Lonnie]

Just bought tickets to go to Philadelphia and discovered on the ticket this: "FREE SEPTA TRANSFER: This ticket is valid for free travel on SEPTA Regional Rail trains between 30th Street, Suburban Station and Jefferson Station."
What does that actually mean? I can only go to those specific stations? Or I can ride anywhere on SEPTA between the 30th Street station, where we get off, and those two stations?

 

[MARC Rider]

It means you can go up to the SEPTA level at 30th St. use your Amtrak ticket to get through the faregates and ride any SEPTA train into Center City (either Suburban Station or Jefferson Station, where you can then use the Amtrak ticket to exit through the faregates. I'm not sure whether they've set up the faregates to be able to scan Amtrak ticket bar codes or whether you just show the ticket to the attendant at the faregate, who will let you out. If you want to go anywhere else on SEPTA, you'll need to buy a ticket. I'm not sure whether any other SEPTA Regional Rail Stations have faregates, but there are conductors on the trains who will check your ticket.

 

[Lonnie]

Thanks for this most complete reply!

 

[joelkfla]

Thanks for this most complete reply!

See here for instructions:
http://www4.septa.org/key/updates/bar-code-scanner.html
There's also this on the SEPTA website:

Amtrak Tickets as Fare​

Amtrak paper tickets and e-Tickets, purchased for the same date of travel and presented for inspection, will be accepted as a fare to ride on Regional Rail trains between 30th Street Station and Jefferson Station.

Customers with e-Ticket confirmations should present their personal device (iPad, laptop computer, smart phone, etc.) to the barcode reader located at the Wheelchair Accessible gate and the conductor on the train for visual confirmation of the Amtrak fare.

 

[MARC Rider]

... and the conductor on the train for visual confirmation of the Amtrak fare.

In all the years I've been doing that ride, I've never had a conductor ask for a ticket between 30th St. and Jefferson Stations.

 

[PaTrainFan]

Yes, now it is necessary to scan the QR code at the gate. Conductors will not ask to see it or scan it on the train.

 

[Naturelover80]

Scanning the QR code has only worked for me once and I have no idea why it worked that time. Basically, you need there to be a SEPTA employee to scan you in and out for this to work, or sneak out the "emergency" exit when there is no one to scan you out.

 

[joelkfla]

Or I can ride anywhere on SEPTA between the 30th Street station, where we get off, and those two stations?

It only works on Regional Rail, and there are no stations in between. It's not valid on streetcars or the subway.

(Ooops! I just noticed that this is a zombie thread.)

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Scanning the QR code has only worked for me once and I have no idea why it worked that time. Basically, you need there to be a SEPTA employee to scan you in and out for this to work, or sneak out the "emergency" exit when there is no one to scan you out.

I’m assuming you were using the correct scanner. I had no issues at 30th Street or Jefferson Station a few weeks ago.

 

[zephyr17]

At 30th Street the only gate that accepts the Amtrak scan are the wide handicapped ones. At Jefferson, exiting, same thing. I did it and it works. I had to ask a SEPTA employee after several unsuccessful tries on regular gates and he told me which gate to use. After that, I successfully scanned in, I did not need him to do the scan for me.

 

[joelkfla]

At 30th Street the only gate that accepts the Amtrak scan are the wide handicapped ones. At Jefferson, exiting, same thing. I did it and it works. I had to ask a SEPTA employee after several unsuccessful tries on regular gates and he told me which gate to use. After that, I successfully scanned in, I did not need him to do the scan for me.

It actually says that on the SEPTA website:

Amtrak Tickets as Fare

Amtrak paper tickets and e-Tickets, purchased for the same date of travel and presented for inspection, will be accepted as a fare to ride on Regional Rail trains between 30th Street Station and Jefferson Station.
Customers with e-Ticket confirmations should present their personal device (iPad, laptop computer, smart phone, etc.) to the barcode reader located at the Wheelchair Accessible gate and the conductor on the train for visual confirmation of the Amtrak fare.

https://www5.septa.org/travel/fares/ways-to-pay/

 

[zephyr17]

It actually says that on the SEPTA website:

Amtrak Tickets as Fare

Amtrak paper tickets and e-Tickets, purchased for the same date of travel and presented for inspection, will be accepted as a fare to ride on Regional Rail trains between 30th Street Station and Jefferson Station.
Customers with e-Ticket confirmations should present their personal device (iPad, laptop computer, smart phone, etc.) to the barcode reader located at the Wheelchair Accessible gate and the conductor on the train for visual confirmation of the Amtrak fare.

https://www5.septa.org/travel/fares/ways-to-pay/

Yeah, never looked at the SEPTA website before that trip, was just using use the free ride to get to Reading Terminal Market, then walk to Independence Hall. I didn't intend to use SEPTA otherwise. I was just going by what Amtrak said about it.