Overview
- SEPTA and the governor said the agency is complying with an October FRA order issued after five Silverliner IV fires, which the NTSB called an immediate and unacceptable safety risk.
- Inspections of the roughly two‑thirds‑of‑fleet Silverliner IV cars are complete, equipment upgrades have begun, and some cars returned to service Monday with near‑full regional rail capacity targeted by mid to late December.
- The $219.9 million package includes $95 million for Silverliner IV/V electrical and propulsion upgrades and $48.4 million for trolley catenary replacements and tunnel inspection equipment.
- An additional $51.5 million funds escalator replacements, advanced inspection technology, and control‑center improvements, with $8 million for subway and high‑speed line parts.
- $17 million is set aside to lease 10 railcars from MARC and pursue purchasing 20 from Montreal’s Exo, while longer‑term fleet replacement and recurring funding remain unresolved after earlier use of $394 million for operations.