New PATCO schedule greeted by complaints

PATCO riders greeted a new weekday schedule Monday morning with complaints on social media about crowded and late trains.

Under the new schedule, all trains in both directions are operating on the south track across the Ben Franklin Bridge for the next two months so that rail replacement work on the north track can be completed by the end of the year.

"This phase of the construction has been timed to take place during the summer, when ridership is lower, with many people on vacation and schools not in session," John Rink, PATCO's general manager, said in a statement.

Be that as it may, riders on Monday reported packed trains.

"Changed my work hours so I could accommodate the new terrible PATCO schedule," Melissa Roach (@LissRoach) tweeted. "Day 1 & I'm still late bc as usual ... late, overcrowded trains."

Further complicating things, unspecified equipment problems forced PATCO to cancel the westbound train that was slated to leave Lindenwold at 7:56 a.m.

Steve Ehrlich (@smehrlich) tweeted that the 7:14 a.m. train out of Lindenwold was standing room only after two stops.

A little after 8 a.m., a rider at the Westmont station said two trains that arrived were too packed to board.

"I have never seen this many people left behind going to Philly on @RidePATCO," another rider, Soren Straarup (@Xride), tweeted earlier.