Report: SEPTA cancels $185M rail-car contract with CRRC

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) has “terminated for cause” its contract with the China Railway Rolling Stock Corp. (CRRP) for the construction of 45 passenger-rail cars, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

The project was about four years behind schedule. The first cars, intended for use on SEPTA’s Regional Rail service, were long overdue, according to the newspaper.

Owned by the People's Republic of China government, CRRC had performed shoddy work and repeatedly failed to meet production deadlines, the Inquirer reported, citing a statement from SEPTA.

SEPTA in 2017 ordered the double-decker cars to be built by CRRC at a cost of $185 million. So far, the transit agency has spent more than $50 million, according to the statement.