PHILADELPHIA — The Southeastern Pennyslvania Transportation Authority has received a $317 million federal grant to replace the railcar fleet on its Market-Frankford Line, which will help fund an $800 million order for 200 new cars, the news site Philly Voice reports.
On Friday, members of Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation, led by U.S. Sens. Bob Casey and John Fetterman, along with Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, announced the $317.16 million grant under the Federal Transit Administration’s Rail Vehicle Replacement grant program. The funds will help purchase approximately 200 new railcars for the line, SEPTA’s busiest.
“Thousands of Pennsylvanians depend on the Market-Frankford Line every day to get where they need to go—to work, to school, to spend time with family,” Casey said in a press release. “With this vital funding, SEPTA can modernize its inventory with American-made rail cars while increasing safety and reliability for all of Southeastern Pennsylvania.”
The 12.9-mile, 28-station, broad-gauge (5-foot, 2¼-inch) Market-Frankford Line handled about 170,000 passengers a day prior to the pandemic. Its current fleet of M4 railcars were built by Adtranz (later Bombardier, now part of Alstom) between 1997 and 1999. SEPTA released the technical specifications for the replacement cars in 2022 and is currently reviewing bids.
