Rail Outlook 2015: SEPTA's Joseph Casey

Joseph Casey, General Manager, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA)

Aside from the federal funding question, what will be an important issue for your transit agency in 2015 and how do you plan to address it? What's your biggest concern in meeting passengers' expectations in 2015?

This is an exciting time for SEPTA and its customers. In 2015, the authority is embarking on many new initiatives that will impact riders and play a fundamental role in moving the Philadelphia region forward while ensuring that the transit system will be around for future generations. A few highlights of the upcoming year will include:

• Rebuilding for the Future. Shortly after the November 2013 passage of Act 89, Pennsylvania's comprehensive solution for transportation funding, SEPTA launched a new capital construction program, "Rebuilding for the Future," to address a $5 billion backlog of critical capital construction projects such as bridge replacements, power substation overhauls and new vehicle purchases. SEPTA has already begun to perform some of the work associated with the new program. In 2014 alone, the authority awarded contracts for more than $100 million in new capital projects that had been deferred in recent years due to funding constraints. Within five years, SEPTA projects its annual capital budget to exceed $600 million, or more than double the $300 million annual amount SEPTA has had available for improvements in each of the last four years.

• Positive train control (PTC) implementation. Utilizing SEPTA in-house forces and contractors, an automatic train control and advanced civil speed enforcement system is being installed throughout the authority's commuter-based Regional Rail system. The two systems will provide the functionality of the PTC system mandated to be operational by Dec. 31, 2015.

• Part of SEPTA's PTC work calls for the separation of freight and commuter-rail service along the authority's West Trenton Regional Rail Line. This effort, which is a partnership between SEPTA and CSX Transportation, will separate passenger- and freight-rail operations and will help with the coordination of traffic during peak times along a six-mile portion of CSX-owned track. Work will also include the installation of a third track, which will be located between SEPTA's Woodbourne and Yardley stations. Despite the technological complexity, the challenge of completing installation, testing and training, SEPTA is on track for a PTC photo finish.

• Modernizing fare collection. In 2015, SEPTA will begin transitioning to its modernized fare collection system, the SEPTA Key. Customers will use a contactless SEPTA Key branded card that can be purchased from local retailers, at station kiosks, SEPTA sales offices, and online to access SEPTA services. This will start a transition from outdated fare instruments including tokens, paper tickets and magnetic stripe passes.

• Vehicle purchases. SEPTA ridership is at an all-time high, particularly on Regional Rail. To accommodate the increased demand for service, SEPTA plans to update and expand its fleet, which will address current capacity constraints and allow for future growth. SEPTA will start the bid cycle and award a contract for new electric locomotive engines in 2015. The new engines will replace AEM-7 locomotives manufactured in 1987 that are operating beyond their useful service lives. In addition, SEPTA will begin the procurement process for new bi-level coaches, which will add to the authority's current push-pull fleet and have the ability to transport more customers in a single trip during peak travel periods.

How will congressional action/inaction on the funding front impact your agency in 2015?

SEPTA was very fortunate that the state came through last year with the passage of Act 89. Although the resultant resources will enable SEPTA to address some of the most critical state-of-good-repair projects, it was by no means sufficient to address all of the transit needs in the southeastern Pennsylvania region. It is often said that it's a shared responsibility between the state and federal delegation to provide funding. A longtime transportation bill that complements what was done in Pennsylvania to preserve and improve our transportation system for the future will be the forefront of our conversation with federal elected officials.