PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The snowstorm is over, but the lingering cold could still present problems for SEPTA.
Several Regional Rail lines had up to 20-minute delays early Tuesday morning following the first winter storm of the year.
Although rail switches have electric heaters, SEPTA spokesman Andrew Busch said the snow and ice are causing some to freeze up. They have moving parts that need to be tested, inspected and repaired in this extreme cold.
“If a switch does go down, it’s going to cause delays,” he said. “Of course on Regional Rail if we have a prolonged delay on one line, that can easily cascade onto the other lines because the system is so interconnected.”
Busch said with the ongoing cold weather, crews will be focusing on maintaining switches and signals for the rest of the week.