SEPTA Receives $87M Federal Grant To Shore Up System Against Severe Weather

By Alison Smith:

SEPTA has received a nearly $87 million federal grant to strengthen its infrastructure against severe storms like the ones we had last winter.

The $86.8 million is coming from the Federal Transit Administration Emergency Relief Program, which was established following Hurricane Sandy.

“SEPTA would like to thank the Southeastern Pennsylvania Congressional Delegation for their work to highlight the critical needs that will be addressed with this funding,” said SEPTA General Manager Joseph M. Casey. “This advocacy from our local elected officials was key in gaining the FTA’s support.”

The grant will fund seven different projects, SEPTA said. They are:

• $32 million to reinforce signal power across the Regional Rail system;
• $9 million to construct a back-up control center facility in Philadelphia to allow for remote dispatching in the event of an emergency;
• $4.5 million to stabilize 2.45 miles of railroad on the Manayunk/Norristown line adjacent to the Schuylkill River in Montgomery County;
• $18.7 million to stabilize and harden soil and rock slopes along the Warminster, West Trenton, Lansdale/Doylestown and Media/Elwyn lines;
• $3.8 million to construct a pumped drainage system that will provide relief from flooding on the Route 102 Sharon Hill Trolley Line in Delaware County;
• $3.7 million for emergency power systems for pump rooms throughout SEPTA’s subway tunnels in Philadelphia;
• and $15 million to study and improve hydrologic conditions at Jenkintown.

“Through the Emergency Relief Program, the FTA is helping SEPTA take proactive measures to limit damage from severe weather events,” Casey said. “This will help keep SEPTA - and the Philadelphia region - moving amid the challenging conditions major storms leave in their wake.”