PHILADELPHIA – SEPTA’s aging Silverliner IV rail cars are undergoing crucial safety inspections and repairs, with federal regulators granting more time to complete the process.

SEPTA’s extended timeline

What we know:

The Federal Railroad Administration has given SEPTA until Nov. 14 to finish inspecting its Silverliner IV rail cars and until Dec. 5 to install new heat-sensing technology. 

These steps are part of a federally mandated 14-point safety plan following multiple train fires this year.

SEPTA’s General Manager Scott Sauer stated that riders should not expect immediate improvements, as many cars are still being taken out of service for inspections.

Rider frustrations

What they’re saying:

Damien Lopez from Levittown expressed his frustration, saying, “Absolutely awful. I mean the trains are late, pretty much every day…and when you ride a train you ride like sardines.”

Alyssa Tinsley from North Philly added, “My train is always late,” while Haliee Dreyer, a Thomas Jefferson University student, shared her experience of waiting an hour due to a canceled train.

“Actually we were going to get on the 10:30 train and that one just got cancelled so we are on the 11:30 train from Jefferson Station so we did have to wait an hour” said Dreyer.

SEPTA’s ongoing challenges

The backstory:

The Silverliner IV rail cars, which are over 50 years old, have been involved in five fires this year. 

The inspections have caused widespread delays and cancellations across the system.

SEPTA acknowledges the challenges of maintaining such an old fleet and plans to continue using temporary fixes until new cars are acquired.

What we don’t know:

It remains unclear when SEPTA will acquire new rail cars to replace the aging Silverliner IVs.

SEPTANews