SEPTA says that, starting Monday, some of the 225 Silverliner IV cars will return to service for the first time since October.
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — SEPTA officials said the additional $220 million being sent to the transit agency will allow the full completion of repairs to the regional rail fleet by Christmas.
Officials said there will eventually be fewer delays and cancellations of trains and buses in the coming months since they now have additional funding to plan future improvements, instead of just barely hanging on.
“SEPTA has the oldest rail fleet in the country and it needs extra care to stay in good running order,” said SEPTA General Manager Scott Sauer.
Officials said the number of people who ride SEPTA during the week peaked at 800,000 passengers per day this past year — the highest level since the pandemic.
They said SEPTA will use part of the newly allocated money to finish completing repairs and upgrades to the Silverliner 4 fleet, which is used by a large percentage of riders in southeastern Pennsylvania.
SEPTA has faced tight repair deadlines since October after federal officials ordered the transit agency to inspect and repair the fleet due to several fires.
NTSB issues urgent safety warning for SEPTA’s railcar fleet
The $220 million in capital funding Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is sending to SEPTA is coming from the state’s Public Transit Trust Fund, the same pot Shapiro tapped into over the summer to prevent massive cuts to services.
“We cannot let SEPTA fail,” Gov. Shapiro said. “We have to continue to be there for SEPTA and for all mass transit agencies.”
“It is quite frankly the lynchpin of our city and our regional economy,” added Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker.
SEPTA’s GM said they also plan on leasing and purchasing additional train cars from transit systems in Maryland and Montreal that use similar rail cars.
State officials said the ultimate goal is to replace the entire fleet with new cars, but said that will take at least 10 years.
For now, the agency has put plans into motion for repairs and improvements for fewer mechanical issues by the new year.
Copyright © 2025 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved.