PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The United States Department of Transportation is investing $13.3 million in SEPTA as the transit agency replaces its 50-year-old Silverliner IV fleet.
During a visit to SEPTA’s Overbrook Maintenance facility on Thursday, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the federal government will purchase a twin rail car for SEPTA.
He said it's part of a $166 million investment in transit around America. It includes $83 million for 45 new light rail vehicles in Allegheny County.
“I see transit in other parts of the world, whether I'm in Asia or in Europe, and it's beautiful,” Duffy said. “I think we have to make the right investments in America. The greatest country on earth should have the same great systems that the rest of the world has.”
Published reports indicate Tokyo’s metro system, largely considered the best in the world, has a $2.2 billion budget in 2026.
Last year, SEPTA pulled 223 Silverliner IVs off the rails for federally mandated safety inspections following several fires.
“We had 30 inspectors on the ground here in greater Philadelphia, and we came up with a solution, and it's working very, very well,” Duffy said.
