SEPTA buys 24 Exo rail cars for Regional Rail

SEPTA rail car purchase efforts are focused on adding 24 passenger rail cars from Exo. The purchase is intended to support the agency’s Regional Rail fleet. It follows disruption linked to inspections and repair work on older trains.

On 7 April 2026, SEPTA said it is buying the vehicles from Exo. Exo is the public transport agency serving the Montreal area. In a SEPTA announcement, the agency said Exo’s board approved the deal in March. It put the value at 8.58 million USD. The cars are coach vehicles built by Bombardier in the late 1980s.

SEPTA rail car purchase funding and fleet needs

Funding for the purchase comes from capital support allocated by Josh Shapiro in November 2025. According to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, that money is part of a broader package. Also, it covers safety improvements and infrastructure work across the network.

SEPTA General Manager Scott A. Sauer said:

We are grateful for Gov. Shapiro’s continued support of SEPTA, and we are committed to continuing to deliver improvements for our customers. These additional rail cars will help us enhance reliability and expand capacity for our customers while we work toward replacing our aging Regional Rail fleet.

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The acquisition follows disruption tied to inspections and repair work on SEPTA’s Silverliner IV trains. Some of those vehicles are about 50 years old. They make up a substantial share of the Regional Rail fleet. Many were taken out of service temporarily during maintenance work last year. That reduced capacity and led to some cancelled services.

Exo passenger rail cars for Regional Rail service

Most Silverliner IV cars have since returned to operation. Still, SEPTA has launched an expanded maintenance programme. It is also considering interim measures to limit further disruption until replacement trains are procured. At the same time, the added cars fit that interim period. SEPTA is working to replace its aging fleet.

Separately, earlier in 2026, the agency brought in 10 leased rail cars. They came from Maryland Area Regional Commuter. The newly purchased Exo passenger rail cars will operate with SEPTA’s existing ACS-64 locomotive fleet.

Before the vehicles enter service, they will need modifications. These include changes to door systems and other equipment so they meet SEPTA requirements. Plans are being developed to move the rail cars from Montreal. As Railway Supply noted, SEPTA expects a timeline later in the spring. That timeline will cover the cars’ introduction into service.

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