PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — As Regional Rail riders share stories of crowded and delayed trains, SEPTA officials said it could be months before service returns to normal.
At a Philadelphia City Council transportation committee hearing Thursday, SEPTA General Manager Scott Sauer said the transit agency had completed federally ordered fire inspections of 52 of its 225 Silverliner IV rail cars, but couldn’t guarantee SEPTA would get them all done by the Oct. 31 federal deadline.
“My commitment is to make every effort to hit the deadline,” Sauer said. “Should we not be able to do that, then we would have to talk about alternatives, none of which I have at this moment.”
One of those alternatives is to seek an extension from the Federal Railroad Administration.
“What I can say is that service will improve as we go along,” Sauer said. “As we inspect more cars, as we make changes to our processes and practices, that service will improve. What I am unable to commit to at this point is when service will look like what it looked like prior to this.”
Commuters, meanwhile, said they are frustrated.
“This is the kind of thing that just drives riders absolutely crazy. People are furious, never knowing if their train is going to come or not,” said Regional Rail rider Mitch Tannen.
"It would be great to know when I walk to the station if there will be a train there or not."
Sauer said SEPTA crews are working around the clock to meet the inspection deadline, but warned it could take until the end of the year before a return to "normal" service.