SEPTA adds five more leased commuter-rail cars

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) today added five leased Maryland Area Regional Commuter rail cars to its commuter-rail fleet after pulling 120 defective Silverliner V cars from service.

One of SEPTA's Silverliner V rail cars
Photo: SEPTA

Five additional units are expected to enter service mid-week, SEPTA officials said in a press release.

The cars are in addition to the 18 leased units that SEPTA put into service last week. The Philadelphia-area transit agency has leased passenger cars from Amtrak, New Jersey Transit and the Maryland Transit Administration. Following the deployment of all the leased units this week, SEPTA will have leased a total 28 passenger cars.

SEPTA also is making schedule adjustments to some of its most used commuter-rail lines, including the Glenside Combined, Landsdale/Doylestown, and Manayunk/Norristown lines. Coupled with the deployment of leased cars, the changes are aimed at alleviating crowding.

On July 3, SEPTA withdrew all 120 Silverliner V cars from service due to a problem discovered in their main suspension systems. The units represent about one-third of the agency's commuter-rail fleet.

"This is an evolving process, and we will continue to make changes to optimize service for our customers," said SEPTA General Manager Jeffrey Knueppel.