SEPTA to keep aging fleet despite warning from national safety bureau

The spotlight on SEPTA isn’t going away anytime soon. 

The National Transportation Safety Board issued a warning to the Southeast region’s transit agency Wednesday to take immediate action to address fire risks in its fleet of Silverliner IV railcars. The move comes following a series of fires on railcars this year, including two in September – and during a budget impasse in Harrisburg that forced SEPTA to rely on capital funds to cover its $213 million operational deficit. 

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced that the Federal Railroad Administration issued an emergency order to SEPTA, urging the agency to follow several safety-related steps to prevent future risk of fires and other malfunctions. 

“At my direction, FRA is taking swift and immediate action to ensure the safety of all passengers and transit workers on SEPTA. This includes deploying our team of experts to SEPTA’s trains, repair shops, dispatch center, to ensure thorough safety precautions are being implemented,” Duffy said in a statement. “Recent fires and ongoing mechanical problems are unacceptable to such a critical rail line. Under President Trump, we will always put the safety of the American people first. SEPTA must take action to correct these persistent dangers.”

The order cites five instances of fires: Feb. 6 in Ridley Park, June 3 in Levittown, July 22 in Paoli, Sept. 23 in Fort Washington and Sept. 25 in Philadelphia, stating that the outdated design of the Silverliner IV railcars – combined with ongoing maintenance issues – represents “an immediate unacceptable safety risk.” The latest incident, which took place last Thursday, resulted in 25 passengers and four crew needing to evacuate. 

During a news conference on Wednesday, SEPTA General Manager Scott Sauer said the transit agency developed a comprehensive set of 40 mitigation measures in cooperation with the FRA and NTSB, which include additional notifications and safety checks, audible alarms for fault lights and personnel. 

Despite the call to suspend the Silverliner IV fleet – railcars that make up more than half of the Regional Rail vehicles – Sauer said he’s confident the railcars are safe.

“Due to these efforts, we are confident that we can safely continue service with the Silverliner IV fleet,” said Sauer. 

Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker said the issues are “very disturbing” and “all too predictable” for the struggling transit system that’s using capital funds to remedy financial woes.

In a statement, Parker affirmed her support for SEPTA leadership and called on state lawmakers to come together and pass a transit funding package.

“I have been adamant that Philadelphia and our Southeast Pennsylvania region need to protect and strengthen our capital investments in SEPTA to ensure the safety, reliability, and future of our transit system for the 700,000 people who use SEPTA every day,” Parker said in the statement. “The NTSB’s action and recommendations today underscore the importance of approving a sustainable, recurring funding source for SEPTA’s operations – funding that does not come at the expense of capital improvements.”