SEPTA Takes 120 Regional Rail Cars Offline, Urges Commuters To Find Alternative Transport

SEPTA has taken 120 of their Regional Rail cars offline and is urging commuters to consider alternative travel plans as their schedule is impacted.

SEPTA said that defects were found in their fleet of Silverliner V Railroad cars, which led to their immediate removal from service.

The precise nature of the defects is unclear.

The entire railroad fleet was inspected following the discovery, SEPTA said. They are now working on analyzing the issue and hope to return the fleet to service over the summer as the defects are repaired.

The 120 cars comprise about a third of SEPTA's entire Regional Rail fleet, and can carry 13,000 customers.

SEPTA noted that given that the cars make multiple trips, especially during peak hours at rush hour in the morning and at night, the impact on Regional Rail's carrying capacity is significant.

SEPTA issued a notice on their website urging commuters to consider alternative forms of transportation while they work to restore Regional Rail to fully capacity. They noted that commuters should consider taking the bus or high speed line or telecommuting, where possible.

Details on the modified schedule are available here.

The schedule will change throughout the summer as more cars are returned to service. SEPTA noted they are also working with NJ Transit and Amtrak to lease trains to supplement their Regional Rail.