PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Gov. Josh Shapiro is providing SEPTA $220 million to help the transit agency get Regional Rail service back to normal by Christmas.
Standing in front of Silverliner IV cars at SEPTA’s Frazer Shop & Yard in Chester County on Monday, Shapiro announced he was authorizing the transfer of funds from the state’s Public Transit Trust Fund to allow SEPTA to repair its 50-year-old Regional Rail fleet.
“With providing these $220 million, we can ensure that for as long as these rail cars are being used, they will be safe and effective modes of transportation for riders in and around the Philadelphia area.”
SEPTA General Manager Scott Sauer said the capital funding was badly needed.
“This is a true lifeline. These are funds that we would have had to find elsewhere to do this work, because this work had to get done,” Sauer said.
He said the money will be used to help SEPTA get its fleet of 223 Silverliners fully back into service by mid-December, after federally mandated fire inspections and repairs. About $17 million of the funding will be used to lease 10 railcars from Maryland and buy 20 more from Montreal’s transit system. There will also be upgrades to the trolley infrastructure and fixes to 13 escalators at SEPTA stations.
Nearly 800,000 people rely on SEPTA every day.