The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has awarded $166 million in Rail Vehicle Replacement Grants program funding to transit agencies to upgrade passenger rail vehicles. According to the FTA, one-third of subway and commuter rail vehicles in the U.S. are more than 25 years old. The older railcars contribute to delays, increased maintenance costs and customer dissatisfaction. 

Projects awarded funding include:  

• $82.7 million to Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) to buy 45 new light rail vehicles, replacing some models that have been in service for nearly 50 years. 

• $70 million to Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) to replace 53 light rail vehicles originally purchased in the 1990s. 

• $13.3 million to the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) to replace 50-year-old Silverliner IV electrical multiple unit commuter railcars in service on its regional rail system. 

"These funds will buy new, safer light-rail vehicles that have been in service for decades. New transit infrastructure will help commuters avoid delays and improve their passenger experience," said U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. 

PRT says the new vehicles will feature upgraded propulsion systems and modern interior designs intended to improve energy efficiency, ride quality and passenger comfort. PRT estimates that replacing its more than 30-year-old technology with modern, high-efficiency vehicles could reduce energy consumption across the light-rail network by up to 5%. The trains will also feature on-vehicle wheelchair lifts and flat interior floor layouts. 

"This investment will help us move forward with a new fleet of rail cars that will provide riders with a safer, more accessible, more comfortable and more reliable experience,” said PRT CEO Katharine Kelleman. 

 As Mass Transit magazine previously reported, in October 2025, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) urged SEPTA to eliminate fire risks that are associated with Silverliner IV railcars. Along with the NTSB's recommendations, the Federal Railroad Administration issued an emergency order that required SEPTA to develop a plan to determine the direct and contributing causes of each fire or thermal incident that has occurred in 2025 and identify the root causes, circumstances, personnel, funding or other conditions that have caused the fires and thermal incidents to occur in this period. 

In April 2026, SEPTA purchased 24 rail cars from Exo to help service levels in place of the Silverliner IV railcars, as those railcars make up approximately two-thirds of the Regional Rail fleet.