SEPTA morning express trips are returning to the Regional Rail schedule as more Silverliner IV railcars come back into service following FRA-mandated inspections and repairs, according to a SEPTA press release.

SEPTA morning express trips restored on Regional Rail
A Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority Silverliner IV railcar.

This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

That federally required work followed recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board after Silverliner IV railcars were involved in multiple fires within a three-month period.

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SEPTA General Manager Scott Sauer said bringing back morning express service is a meaningful step toward normal operations. He added that express runs help SEPTA serve high-volume stations more efficiently, which can reduce crowding and limit delays and “pass-ups” on local trains.

SEPTA morning express trips and the express schedule

Evening express trips returned in late November, SEPTA said, but more railcars were needed before morning express trains could fully come back. To keep service running while repairs continued, the agency received 10 rail coach cars it leased in December from Maryland Area Regional Commuter Rail, as previously covered by Railway Supply.

Silverliner IV railcars repairs and fleet progress

SEPTA said work on the older fleet is still in progress. Repairs have been completed on 180 of the 223 railcars—about two-thirds of SEPTA’s total Regional Rail fleet—and the railcars are roughly 50 years old, as reported by Mass Transit.

FRA-mandated inspections and the replacement fleet plan

Sauer said SEPTA has committed to enhanced inspection and maintenance routines for the aging railcars to ensure safe and reliable service while the authority works through a multi-year process to purchase a replacement fleet. He also said the railcars that have returned to service are performing extremely well, and SEPTA expects that to continue.

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