PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy are sparring back and forth over SEPTA safety and funding. Federal regulators have ordered SEPTA to pull a majority of its Silverliner IV rail cars for inspections, which has led to overcrowding and cancellations.
In an open letter to the governor on Thursday, Duffy blamed Shapiro for failing to fund SEPTA. He said it is “only a matter of time before SEPTA’s crumbling commuter rail system erupts in flames and kills someone.”
The federal inspections of SEPTA’s rail cars came after five incidents of either fires or thermal emergencies this year. Duffy demanded that SEPTA be ready to transport tens of thousands of additional riders when the World Cup comes to Philly next year.
Duffy added that it’s “time to get SEPTA’s fiscal house in order” and called on Shapiro to “oversee the safety of riders and transit workers.”
In response, Shapiro argued that Duffy should “call his fellow Republicans and get them to fund” his mass transit funding package, adding that “Senate Republicans in Harrisburg have refused to support nearly 800,000 Pennsylvanians who rely on the system every day and continue to hold up our state budget.”
Shapiro said state Republicans are not acting on his $167 million budget proposal that was introduced nearly four months ago.
The Philadelphia House Delegation backed Shapiro, saying in a statement, “Secretary Duffy is three months too late expressing his concerns, placing blame in the wrong direction and playing political games without offering any real solution.
“We have been sounding the alarm for years about the need to find a long-term, sustainable funding solution for SEPTA, and the Pennsylvania House has passed numerous bills to provide that funding for SEPTA and all mass transit systems in Pennsylvania, without raising taxes. Yet Senate Republicans put up roadblocks every time and even urged SEPTA to use their own capital funds to fill the gap.”
The federal train inspections started earlier this month, but SEPTA said it will likely miss the Oct. 31 deadline given to inspect all of its Silverliner IV cars. Pulling those trains from the rails has been impacting commute times and schedules.
“We are really adjusting our service plan every single day, trying to alleviate those conditions,” said SEPTA General Manager Scott Sauer.
He said SEPTA has been in contact with the Federal Railroad Administration about what to do if it misses the Oct. 31 deadline.
SEPTA also announced on Thursday that it is postponing the purchase of nearly 250 new hybrid diesel-electric buses and multiple construction projects to cover the costs of day-to-day operations over the next two years.