The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) will resume regular weekday Regional Rail schedules on Monday, Oct. 3 - marking a return to the normal service patterns and trip frequency that was in place for customers before the Silverliner V fleet was sidelined.
"We are excited to bring Regional Rail service back to the level our loyal customers expect and deserve," said SEPTA General Manager Jeffrey D. Knueppel. "We are grateful to our customers for their patience, and we sincerely regret the inconvenience this situation has caused."
SEPTA's fleet of 120 Silverliner Vs, which represent approximately one-third of the Regional Rail fleet, were taken out of service on July 1 following the discovery of cracks in equalizer beams on most of the vehicles. Equalizer beams are part of the rail car suspension system, and distribute the weight of the vehicle to its axles.
Repairs are ongoing, and vehicles are being returned to SEPTA as they are fixed. By Monday, more than 50 repaired Silverliner Vs will be available for service. The combination of repaired Silverliner Vs and SEPTA's other Regional Rail vehicles, along with leased vehicles from Amtrak, NJ Transit and Maryland's MARC, will allow SEPTA to resume regular weekday schedules.
With the start of Monday's service, customers should refer to schedules dated June 19, 2016 for timetables on all lines except the Media/Elwyn Line, which was adjusted due to summer construction and will have a new schedule with an Oct. 2 effective date. Also, due to the logistics of operating the leased trains, there will be modifications to four trains arriving or departing Center City.
