SEPTA Halts ADA Complaince Project, Bus Purchases Due To Fund Reallocation

PHILADELPHIA — SEPTA will no longer be purchasing new buses, working on a rail station accessibility project, or building a new structure at one of its railroad facilities.

This news comes as SEPTA's board Thursday voted to amend the FY26 Capital Budget and FY26 Program of Projects by transferring $394 million of federal, state, and local Capital funds to the Operating Budget.

That measure was taken to prevent major service cuts for the next two years.

The transferring of capital funds to support operations requires capital project offsets, however.

As a result, SEPTA will no longer purchase 247 new hybrid diesel-electric buses by three years ($256 million), purchase of hydrogen and electric-powered buses for SEPTA’s zero-emission pilot program ($41 million), or retrofit existing hybrid buses to run exclusively on electric power ($11 million)

Additionally, SEPTA will not continue the project designed to bring Bristol Station on the Trenton Line into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act ($46 million), or complete the final phase of an expansion to the Frazer Railroad Facility ($39 million).

"The Board supports these project deferrals because they do not compromise safety by stopping crucial repairs," SEPTA Board Chair Kenneth E. Lawrence Jr. said. "We also do not want to disrupt projects that are already underway, including the replacement of the Market-Frankford Line [L] and Trolley cars."

Under this amendment, SEPTA will postpone:

These deferred initiatives are on top of the 44 planned infrastructure projects that SEPTA had previously paused to cut $1.8 billion to address a gap between the costs of the work and available funding in the original FY26 Capital Budget.

"Using capital funds for operations keeps us moving today, but it pushes those critical investments further down the road," SEPTA General Manager Scott A. Sauer said. "We stand ready to continue working with leaders in Harrisburg to develop a long-term solution that addresses both our operating needs and the capital investment so critical to our future."

Capital funds are expected to be available for Operating relief in January 2026.