On Friday, members of the Pennsylvania Congressional delegation and Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker announced SEPTA would receive $317.1 million in infrastructure funding to replace 200 rail cars.
Parker joined U.S. Sens. Bob Casey and John Fetterman, and U.S. Reps. Brendan Boyle, Dwight Evans and Mary Gay Scanlon (all D-PA) in announcing the funding, part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), would replace the cars on the Market-Frankford Line, SEPTAs most heavily-used commuter rail line.
“I voted for the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to bring improvements and funding to the critical infrastructure that forms the backbone of the City of Philadelphia,” Boyle said. “SEPTA is a transportation agency that has seen profound challenges in very recent years. This funding will bring visible improvements that are long overdue at SEPTA and will allow SEPTA to enhance the quality of service for thousands of commuters along the Market-Frankford line—many of whom reside in my congressional district.”
The funding is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Rail Vehicle Replacement Program, created by the legislation. The law makers said the funding is part of more than a billion dollars the delegation has been able to secure from the IIJA for SEPTA. The funding will help the transit agency modernize its fleet, law makers said.
“I fought to pass the infrastructure law because of its promise to bring game-changing investments to Pennsylvania. Time and time again, we have invested in the Commonwealth’s most urgent needs and this time is no exception,” Casey said. “Thousands of Pennsylvanians depend on the Market-Frankford Line every day to get where they need to go—to work, to school, to spend time with family. With this vital funding, SEPTA can modernize its inventory with American-made rail cars while increasing safety and reliability for all of Southeastern Pennsylvania.”