PHILADELPHIA — The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority has removed some of its electric multiple-unit railcars from service for inspections related to two fires earlier this year, leading to delays and cancellations of some Regional Rail service.
In an Aug. 14 press release, SEPTA said it has been cancelling some trips because “out of an abundance of caution,” it is “temporarily removing any train cars experiencing certain mechanical issues.” The agency says it has been coordinating with the Federal Railroad Administration and National Transportation Safety Board “to develop and implement enhanced safety and inspection procedures” in the wake of a July 22 fire involving a train that injured a SEPTA employee and a firefighter [see “Crew member, firefighter hurt …,” Trains.com, July 23, 2025]. Another fire in February led to no injuries, but about 350 passengers had to be evaculated [see “Fire engulfs SEPTA railcar …,” Trains.com, Feb. 6, 2025].
The cause of the fires remains unknown.
Trains.com has asked SEPTA for additional information, including the number of cars involved and if a specific car type is involved. The Regional Rail electric multiple-unit fleet includes Silverliner IV cars built by General Electric between 1973 and 1976, and Hyundai Rotem Silverliner V cars built between 2010 and 2013. The preliminary NTSB report on the March fire indicates that car No. 132 caught fire [see “NTSB releases preliminary report …,” Trains.com, March 5, 2025]. An unofficial SEPTA equipment roster indicates that is a General Electric car.
SEPTA says in its release that it has the oldest railcar fleet in the nation: “They are in urgent need of replacement, and while we have plans to acquire new vehicles as part of our capital program, we currently do not have funding for this need. We estimate the replacement cost will be $1.7 billion and take seven to 10 years.”
The railcar issue comes as SEPTA faces a funding crisis that will lead to a 20% cut in service beginning Aug. 24, as the state legislature has yet to address the agency’s budget shortfall of more than $200 million. The state House and Senate have passed budget bills that would provide more funding, but in different fashions: the House calls for an increase in sales-tax money for transit statewide, while the Senate bill would largely divert capital funds for operating money [see “SEPTA begins preparing for service cuts …,” Trains.com, Aug. 15, 2025].
