FTA to invest money to upgrade SEPTA’s Silverliner IV railcars – NBC10 Philadelphia

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is set to announce what officials described as a “major investment” into SEPTA’s Silverliner IV railcars.

The announcement is set to take place on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026, at 2 p.m. at the SEPTA Overbrook Maintenance Facility in Philadelphia and will be livestreamed in the video embedded on top of this article.

According to officials, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is investing money into passenger rail vehicles across the nation, including “millions” to upgrade the Silverliner IV fleet.

In August 2026, Pennsylvania approved an updated long-term transportation plan that includes the $2 billion project to replace all 218 of SEPTA’s Silverliner IV railcars.

The trains are more than 50 years old, with the oldest built during the Nixon administration. SEPTA said they are the oldest railcars still in operation in the country and are well past due for replacement.

In 2025, SEPTA inspected all of its Silverliner IV railcars under a federal mandate from the National Transportation Safety Board following multiple fires involving the trains.