PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — After about a month and a half, SEPTA says it will meet its Friday deadline to inspect 223 Silverliner IV railcars following the Federal Railroad Administration’s emergency order.

Meanwhile, the agency canceled more than 20 trips on Thursday and Friday, and cancellations will continue next week.

SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch says about 80 of the 223 railcars are in service.

“From there, we move on to focusing more on thermal circuit protectors. Those have to be installed in every car per the FRA order by December 5. We’re confident we’re on track for that,” said Busch.

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Busch says crews will also focus on completing minor repairs that surfaced during the inspection, which could take anywhere from an hour to one day.

“We want to make sure that our customers know we’re not going to put anything out on the rails unless it’s 100% safe,” said Busch.

Meanwhile, commuters continue to manage the crowds, delays and cancellations.

“It’s always an adventure,” said Lila Berman, who is one of several riders scrambling for an alternative route after her train was canceled.

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“It’s been draining,” said Cos Coleman, who missed a day of work when his train was canceled. “It should get better, though.”

To improve service, SEPTA leased 10 passenger coaches from Maryland, which should be on the tracks by December.

“That should be good, so it could be less crowded,” said Coleman.

Busch says they look forward to making progress.

“We want to be able to show them that service is going to be reliable, that it’s safe, and we have plenty of room for them on board,” said Busch.

Busch expects SEPTA to return to its normal level of service by the end of the year.

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