SEPTA gets $13.3M federal grant to replace aging Silverliner IV trains in Philadelphia
SEPTA receives $13.3M to replace 50-year-old Silverliner IV railcars
SEPTA will receive $13.3 million from the federal government to upgrade its decades-old Silverliner IV regional railcars and invest in new trains.
PHILADELPHIA - SEPTA will get $13.3 million from the federal government to upgrade its decades-old Silverliner IV regional railcars and invest in new trains, according to officials. The funding is part of a broader $166 million nationwide transit investment, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced Thursday at SEPTA's Overbrook maintenance facility.
What we know:
The Silverliner IV cars are more than 50 years old and are the oldest railcars still in operation in the country, according to SEPTA. SEPTA said they are well past due for replacement.
The $13.3 million grant comes from the Rail Vehicle Replacement Grant Program, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in 2021.
Federal officials said that SEPTA will rent 10 railcars from Maryland's commuter rail agency and has plans to buy 24 more railcars from Montreal, though the Montreal trains have not yet arrived.
"We are making great investments in transit around the country and so here today we're announcing 166 million dollars in total investment in transit around America," said Federal Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
Duffy said this grant is part of a larger nationwide effort that will also fund upgrades in Pittsburgh and Dallas.
Five Silverliner IV railcars caught fire in 2025, which led the Federal Railroad Administration in October of that year to order SEPTA to perform additional emergency inspections on all the cars. The inspections caused major disruptions on the regional rail system.
SEPTA’s general manager thanked agency workers for their role in keeping the railcars running.
What's next:
A previous grant is being used to replace railcars on SEPTA’s Market Frankford Line.
Starting Sunday, SEPTA will change schedules on the Paoli-Thorndale line for an Amtrak infrastructure project. The transit authority said most inbound trains will leave five minutes earlier than usual and trains will travel a different route between Overbrook and 30th Street stations.
SEPTA said Amtrak’s work will continue through early November.
What we don't know:
Officials did not say when the new Montreal trains will arrive or when the older Silverliner IV railcars will be fully replaced.
The Source: Information from the U.S. Department of Transportation, SEPTA, and the Federal Transit Administration.