SEPTA Completes Federally Mandated Railcar Fleet Inspections

PHILADELPHIA — SEPTA has completed the federally mandated inspection of its Silverliner IV Regional Rail trains, officials said.

The inspections were required by the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) after the NTSB said more than half of SEPTA's railcar fleet posed risks of electrical fires.

SEPTA General Manager Scott Sauer took time to thank employees at the authority's maintenance shop, where crews worked around the clock for weeks to conduct the complex inspections and address any needed repairs.

"I appreciate the hard work and dedication by our workforce to achieve this major milestone,"
Sauer said. "I am confident that, through continued collaboration with the FRA, we can maintain safe
Silverliner IV service for our customers."

The FRA outlined 14 safety-related requirements in an Emergency Order issued on Oct. 1 in response to recent fires involving the Silverliner IV fleet.

SEPTA met nearly all the required actions by the FRA’s initial Oct. 31 deadline. The FRA granted SEPTA an extension to finish enhanced inspections of the 223 railcars and install new high-heat detectors.

SEPTA will meet the new deadline of Dec. 5 to install the thermal protection circuits on the Silverliner IV railcars. The circuits are a safety mechanism designed to interrupt the flow of electricity to an overheating device, providing an added layer of protection.

Now that the inspections are completed, Regional Rail reliability is expected to improve through the end of the year as more railcars are repaired and returned to service. The Philadelphia Inquirer is reporting it may take until December for the service to improve.

"We understand that the recent service disruptions on Regional Rail have wreaked havoc on the daily lives of our riders," Sauer said. "We appreciate their patience as we work to mitigate the canceled trips, long delays, and crowded railcars."

SEPTA has signed an agreement with the Maryland Area Regional Commuter Rail system to lease 10 rail coach cars, which will help provide some relief to customers in the coming weeks.