SEPTA leases 10 train cars from Maryland to expand capacity on Regional Rail
SEPTA leases 10 train cars from Maryland to expand capacity on Regional Rail
SEPTA says it has leased 10 cars from the Maryland Area Regional Commuter Rail to expand capacity on the Regional Rail following a federally mandated inspection. FOX 29's Dawn Timmeney has the latest on SEPTA's developments.
PHILADELPHIA - SEPTA says it has leased 10 cars from the Maryland Area Regional Commuter Rail to expand capacity on the Regional Rail following a federally mandated inspection.
What we know:
SEPTA in November announced it signed a one-year agreement with the Maryland Area Regional Commuter Rail for 10 coach cars.
The transit authority expects to receive the cars by Friday as repairs continue on the Silverliner IV fleet that was the focus of a federally mandated inspection.
The lease is funded using part of the $220M of state money allocated by Gov. Josh Shapiro last month to support safety upgrades and infrastructure improvements.
SEPTA warns that while the additional rail cars should help expand capacity, riders may continue to face service disruptions.
The backstory:
SEPTA completed a 14-point safety inspection issued by the Federal Railroad Administration ahead of the mid-November deadline.
The emergency order was issued in October in response to at least five fires that broke out on regional rail Silverliner IV train cars.
SEPTA said it met nearly all the safety requirements, but needed additional time to finish enhanced inspections of 223 rail cars and install new high-heat detectors.
SEPTA has until Dec. 5 to install the thermal protection circuits on the Silverliner IV rail cars.
The federally mandated inspection caused cars to be taken out of service, which forced delays and cancellations on SEPTA's heavily trafficked regional rail this week.
What they're saying:
SEPTA General Manager Scott Sauer thanked Gov. Shapiro for his support in easing the strain on the Regional Rail.
"This has been an extremely difficult time for our Regional Rail riders, and the MARC cars will allow us to add much-needed capacity for our customers," Sauer said.
What's next:
The leased train cars will arrive on Friday, traveling from Union Station in Washington D.C. to 30th Street Station in Philadelphia.
SEPTA says it's talking to other transit agencies across the country about a similar arrangement.