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NTSB issues urgent warning over SEPTA railcar fires
The NTSB has issued an urgent warning regarding SEPTA railcar fires. Here's everything we know.
PHILADELPHIA - The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is recommending SEPTA remove a line of railcars from service due to fire risks, the organization announced Wednesday.
What we know:
The board is recommending SEPTA suspend operation of the Silverliner IV fleet.
An investigation found that the cars' outdated design poses an increased risk of electrical fires, and that SEPTA's maintenance practices put passengers at risk, saying that SEPTA kept defective railcars in service.
The NTSB says the issues cannot be "fully addressed without an extensive fleet retrofit or replacement," in it's report.
Sources with SEPTA tell FOX 29's Steve Keeley that the department head of rail safety maintenance and the Senior Director of Regional Rail Maintenance have both been put on administrative leave.
The backstory:
The NTSB's investigation stems from five separate fires over the last year, including one in Delaware County on Feb. 6, when one of the cars caught fire shortly after leaving Crum Lynne Station in Ridley Park.
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SEPTA train catches fire forcing passengers to evacuate
A SEPTA train caught fire in Delaware County on the way to Newark and all passengers were forced to evacuate.
Investigators said their preliminary findings show the fire started when the car's propulsion system overheated.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: SEPTA train catches fire, passengers evacuated in Delaware County
Four other fires were reported between then and late September. Two of the fires actually involved the same railcar, and investigators found that the second fire was associated with the repairs made after the first fire.
By the numbers:
The Silverliner IV cars entered service between 1974 and 1976.
According to the NTSB report, the Silverliner IV railcars make up 225 of the 390 cars in SEPTA's Regional Rail system — roughly 58% of all cars.
What's next:
The NTSB is recommending SEPTA take the cars out of service until it can figure out what's causing the fires and come up with a plan to stop them. After that, the board recommends SEPTA replace the cars as soon as possible.
SEPTA has 30 days to respond to the NTSB's recommendations, though SEPTA officials told FOX 29's Steve Keeley that they are not taking the cars out of service.
The NTSB's full report can be found here.
‘(We) cannot gamble with the long-term health of SEPTA’
What they're saying:
"Investigators said the recurrence of fires — despite SEPTA's attempted fixes — shows organizational lapses that block effective risk mitigation," the NTSB said in a press release issued Wednesday.
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker called the NTSB's "urgent" recommendations "very disturbing" to her and "all too predictable," in a statement issued Wednesday evening.
"When anyone questioned my concerns and apprehension last month about SEPTA using capital funds for operating costs, this moment is why," the statement reads. "I have been adamant that Philadelphia and our Southest Pennsylvania region need to protect and strengthen our capital investments in SEPTA to ensure the safety, reliability and future of our transit system for the 700,000 people who use SEPTA every day."
She added that the city "cannot gamble with the long-term health of SEPTA by diverting critical capital dollars away from infrastructure, maintenance and safety."
"We anxiously are waiting for the Pennsylvania General Assembly to deliver and approve that sustainable, recurring source to fund operating and capital needs for public transit," the statement also says.
U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement issued Wednesday that the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has issued an Emergency Order ordering SEPTA to take immediate action and follow the NTSB's recommendations.
"At my direction, the FRA is taking swift and immediate action to ensure the safety of all passengers and transit workers on SEPTA. This includes deploying our team of experts to SEPTA's trains, repair shops, and dispatch center, to ensure thorough safety precautions are being implemented," he said.
"Recent fires and ongoing mechanical problems are unacceptable to such a critical rail line," he added. Under President Trump, we will always put the safety of the American people first."
The Source: Information in this story is from the National Transportation Safety Board report, as well as statements from Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.