Overview

• The Federal Railroad Administration issued an emergency order requiring SEPTA to inspect every Silverliner IV car, determine the root causes of recent fires, and implement added reporting, with compliance steps due within 30 days.
• SEPTA began enhanced inspections and proactively removed Silverliner IV railcars from service, leading to cancellations, delays, and crowded trains starting Monday evening and worsening Tuesday morning.
• The Silverliner IVs entered service in 1974–1976 and account for about 225 of SEPTA’s 390 Regional Rail cars, or roughly 58% of the fleet now being scrutinized.
• The National Transportation Safety Board urged suspension of the Silverliner IV fleet after five fires this year and reported maintenance and organizational lapses that it says put passengers at risk.
• SEPTA says it is exploring mitigation options and has staff assisting riders at Center City stations, as state and local leaders press for long-term funding after a recent approval to shift $394 million in capital funds to operations.