Expect PATCO delays during track work

PATCO passengers can expect fewer and more crowded trains, starting Saturday, as a two-year, $103 million track-replacement project begins on the Benjamin Franklin Bridge.

Peak-hour delays will be most serious on Mondays and Fridays, with some trains scheduled to run up to 30 minutes apart. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, trains are scheduled to run five to nine minutes apart during peak hours.

PATCO officials said Monday that waiting passengers may see empty trains zipping by, as crews "stack" trains at the Philadelphia or Lindenwold ends of the line for rush-hour service. One result likely will be standing-room-only crowds on many trains, especially on the first trains after a 30-minute wait.

Starting next week, PATCO will close one of two tracks on the bridge from 11 a.m. each Friday until 3:30 a.m. each Tuesday.

The track-replacement project is slated for completion in early 2016. New schedules are available at train stations and online at www.ridepatco.org

- Paul Nussbaum