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Regional Rail Fares and Zones

Regional Rail fares are based on several factors:

  • The station where your trip starts
  • The station where your trip ends
  • The day of the week you are traveling
  • Time time of the day you are traveling
  • Your payment method

See the Fare Pricing page for specific fares.

Fare Zones

Each SEPTA Regional Rail station belongs to a zone. The zones are somewhat like a series of nested circles, and are used to determine distance when calculating fares.

Download the Fare Zone Map (PDF) or see the Stations & Stops information to find the fare zone for a specific station.

The zone designations are:

  • CC: the five Center City stations — Penn Medicine, William H. Gray III 30th Street Station, Suburban Station, Jefferson Station and Temple University Station
  • 1: stations near Center City
  • 2: Philadelphia and nearest suburbs
  • 3: outlying Philadelphia areas and suburbs
  • 4: distant suburbs, Philadelphia Airport, and Delaware
  • NJ: New Jersey

Zones and Ticket Prices

The more zones a customer travels through, the higher the fare. Some examples:

  • Travel from Malvern Station (Zone 4) to Villanova Station (Zone 3) on the same line is a comparatively small fare.
  • Travel from Malvern Station (Zone 4) to Suburban Station (CC) on the same line crosses more zones and is a larger fare.
  • Travel from Malvern Station (Zone 4) to Wilmington Station (also Zone 4) requires traveling through Center City and back out again, so this trip has the largest fare of the three, even though the stations are in the same zone. Trips from an outlying station on one line to an outlying station on another line often involve changing trains at a CC station.

Tapping In and Out for Fares

Because the starting and ending points are used in fare calculations, customers paying Regional Rail fares with their SEPTA Key Card Travel Wallet need to tap a fare validator on the station platform or at a turnstile at both the beginning and end of the trip.

This is different from transit routes, where the card needs to be tapped only at the starting point.

Travel Times

Weekdays

Weekdays are defined as between 4 am and 7 pm Mondays through Fridays. The time is measured by when trains arrive at or depart from William H Gray III 30th Street, Suburban, and Jefferson stations.

Evenings

Evenings are defined as starting at 7 pm and continuing through the final service of the day on Mondays through Fridays.

Weekends

Weekends: are defined as all day Saturdays, Sundays and major SEPTA holidays.

SEPTA Holidays

  • New Year's Day
  • Memorial Day
  • Independence Day
  • Labor Day
  • Thanksgiving
  • Christmas

Prepayment at Center City Stations

Customers traveling from one of the five Center City stations must tap in their Key Card or have their fare prepaid through another method, such as a Quick Trip ticket, in order to enter through the turnstiles.