SEPTA Buying 200 New, Modern Railcars For Market-Frankford Line

PHILADELPHIA — SEPTA's fleet of aging railcars on the Market-Frankford Line will be replaced with new cars starting in 2029, the transit authority said.

SEPTA Thursday announced it will receive 200 new railcars through a $724.3 million contract with Hitachi Rail STS USA, Inc.

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These new railcars are scheduled to be delivered in 2029. The full fleet will have been delivered by the end of 2031, SEPTA said.

Additionally, the contract allows SEPTA the option to order up to 40 additional cars.

The new fleet will enhance the customer experience with designated, accessible spaces for riders with mobility devices, strollers, or bicycles, SEPTA said.

Other features include:

• Automatic door operation
• Digital wayfinding displays with real-time data
• Regenerative breaking to conserve energy
• Open gangways with increased passenger flow and visibility for law enforcement
• Greater passenger capacity
• Enhanced passenger communication system
• Longitudinal seating
• Handholds for standees

Hitachi Rail’s North American headquarters is in Pittsburgh, and the railcars will be assembled at the company’s railcar factory in Hagerstown, Maryland, which SEPTA says uses the latest green and digital technology as part of its manufacturing operations

In February, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration said SEPTA will receive about $317 million toward the purchase of the new railcars – the largest competitive federal grant the authority has ever won.

The investment was part of the second Rail Vehicle Replacement Program package funded by the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which has now invested approximately $1.3 billion to replace rail vehicles nationwide.

"The Market-Frankford Line is SEPTA’s workhorse – moving tens of thousands of people every day to work, school, medical appointments, and many other destinations," SEPTA Board Chair Kenneth E. Lawrence Jr. said. "This is a critically needed upgrade to our fleet, and the SEPTA Board will work closely with staff to ensure that this procurement proceeds on-schedule and on-budget."