Gov. Josh Shapiro announced Monday that his administration is providing $219.9 million in emergency capital funding to SEPTA to address urgent safety repairs and infrastructure improvements after federal orders.
The Democratic governor made the announcement at SEPTA’s Frazer Shop and Yard in Chester County where crews have been working around the clock to inspect and repair the transit authority’s aging Silverliner IV rail car fleet.
“Nearly 800,000 Pennsylvanians rely on SEPTA every single day – to get to school, to work, to medical appointments, and wherever else they need to go safely and reliably,” Shapiro said. “Mass transit is absolutely critical to our Commonwealth’s economy, our communities, and the everyday lives of Pennsylvanians.”
The funding comes after the Federal Railroad Administration issued an emergency order requiring SEPTA to inspect its entire fleet of 223 Silverliner IV rail cars after a series of fires on the vehicles, including one at the Levittown Regional Rail Station earlier this year.
The Federal Transit Administration also ordered repairs to overhead wiring systems used by trolleys in Philadelphia.
SEPTA General Manager Scott Sauer said the transit authority completed the point-by-point inspections of all rail cars within the FRA’s 45-day deadline and has already returned more than 100 repaired cars to service.
The agency announced this week that evening express trains would resume with the afternoon commute.
Sauer said SEPTA expects to restore close to full regional rail capacity by mid-December.
“These past few weeks have been an extremely difficult time for our customers,” Sauer said. “We’ve worked through problems with the regional rail fleet and a prolonged shutdown of the Center City Trolley Tunnel for repairs to the overhead wires.”
The emergency funding will allow SEPTA to complete repairs identified during the federal inspections and install mandated high heat detection equipment on rail cars.
The money will also support leasing up to 30 additional train cars from transit systems in Maryland and Montreal, as well as purchasing new equipment for maintaining overhead catenary wires.
The state funding will also support artificial intelligence cameras for remote fleet inspections, third rail replacements on subway lines, and escalator repairs at 13 stations, SEPTA officials said.
“We are going to address areas of need in a more proactive manner, and that is going to maximize our ability to provide reliable service,” Sauer said.
PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll said the funding comes from the state’s Public Transit Trust Fund, which provides flexible capital dollars for mass transit projects across Pennsylvania.
The emergency allocation of funding for SEPTA leaves approximately $140 million remaining in the fund, Carroll said.
“Just as we repair and maintain bridges for communities in our rural and suburban communities across Pennsylvania, we owe it to Pennsylvanians in our cities and suburbs who take mass transit to be there for them and their families,” Carroll said.
The funding announcement represents the second major financial intervention by the Shapiro administration for SEPTA this year.
In September, the governor approved SEPTA’s request to transfer $394 million from its capital budget to cover operating expenses for the next two years after the state legislature failed to reach agreement on recurring transit funding.
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker praised the governor’s action.
“Governor, you didn’t just talk the talk, you walked the walk,” Parker said. “And you and our secretary have made it matter for mass transit here on a day.”
The transit authority faces a state of good repair backlog exceeding $10 billion, and SEPTA receives significantly less funding than peer transit agencies nationwide for projects such as rail fleet replacements and ADA upgrades.
State Sen. Vincent Hughes, the Democratic appropriations chairman, said that 42 percent of Pennsylvania’s economy comes from the SEPTA region.
The emergency repairs are critical as Pennsylvania prepares to host major events in 2025 and 2026, including FIFA World Cup matches, the MLB All-Star Game, and America 250 celebrations marking the nation’s 250th anniversary.
The governor acknowledged that while the emergency funding addresses immediate safety concerns, Pennsylvania still needs a long-term solution for transit funding across the commonwealth.
“My administration is once again stepping up to provide SEPTA with much needed capital dollars to perform these crucial repairs so this system can continue to help people get where they need to go safely,” Shapiro said. “Because hear me on this, we cannot let SEPTA fail.”
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