The Federal Transit Administration recently awarded the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) a $13.3 million Rail Vehicle Replacement Grant Program grant.
The program provides funding to help transit agencies replace aging passenger rail cars and locomotives and to repair rail systems. SEPTA will use the funding to support the replacement of its aging Silverliner IV Regional Rail cars, the majority of its Regional Rail fleet.
The cars were built between 1974 and 1976 and have become increasingly costly and difficult to maintain. The agency will replace them with Silverliner VI cars. This is expected to reduce maintenance costs, improve reliability and energy efficiency, enhance accessibility and improve riders’ experience.
“Regional Rail is essential for thousands of people across Philadelphia and Southeastern Pennsylvania,” U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-PA) said. “The Silverliner IV cars have served our region for half a century, and this federal investment will help SEPTA move forward with replacing this aging fleet with modern and accessible trains. I was proud to champion the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and I’m thrilled to see another $13.3 million from that law coming home to ensure safer and more reliable service for passengers across our region.”
Updating the cars is part of a long-term modernization of the Regional Rail system.