The Federal Transit Administration recently awarded Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) a combined $96 million in Rail Vehicle Replacement Program grants.
PRT was awarded $82.8 million to support the replacement of its aging light rail fleet. The current fleet has exceeded its intended service life, making the system costlier to operate and maintain.
“This investment will help us move forward with a new fleet of rail cars that will provide riders with a safer, more accessible, more comfortable, and more reliable experience for decades to come,” PRT CEO Katharine Kelleman said.
SEPTA was awarded $13.3 million to support the replacement of its approximately 50-year-old Silverliner IV fleet with new Silverliner VI rail cars. The aging cars represent two-thirds of SEPTA’s Regional Rail fleet and are among the oldest operating passenger rail cars in the United States.
“This grant will help SEPTA jump-start the purchase of new Regional Rail cars to replace a current fleet that dates back more than 50 years,” SEPTA General Manager Scott Sauer said. “SEPTA has established a robust maintenance program to keep the current fleet operating safely and reliably, and we look forward to delivering these new vehicles for our customers.”