SEPTA General Manager Jeff Knueppel speaking to reporters Friday.
Credit: SEPTA
SEPTA officials told reporters Friday afternoon that they are working to ease the commute for Regional Rail travelers after roughly one third of the agency’s trains were taken out of service late last week.
Since the entire 120 car fleet Silverliner V has been out of service, SEPTA has operated on a modified schedule and customers have complained of crowded trains.
SEPTA General Manager Jeff Knueppel said the transit agency is working to repair the cracked equalizer beams that has caused the Silverliner V cars to be sidelined. However, Knueppel said the problem is “very substantial” and it does not have a quick fix.
Officials are expecting some delays and modified service on SEPTA Regional Rail lines throughout July and August. An updated schedule will likely be released Sunday.
SEPTA regularly runs 297 trains per day but has had to cut down to 205 trains in service on the days since the Silverliner V cars were pulled out of service. Knueppel said that there are currently 231 Silverliner IV cars (the older ones) being used and 26 spare cars being put into service.
The good news announced Friday was that SEPTA has leased several trains from Amtrak, New Jersey Transit and Maryland Area Regional Commuter train service, adding 1,700 seats to the Regional Rail lines most likely starting in the days ahead, Knueppel said.
The added trains will be added to the Trenton Line and West Trenton Line, which Knueppel admitted had drawn fire for overcrowding over the past week.
SEPTA and Hyundai-Rotem, which manufactured the flawed Silverliner V fleet, are continuing to work together to fix the problem. Officials have said before that the cars are covered under warranty.
Knueppel said SEPTA will bring in a Montgomery County firm to inspect the Silverliner V cars once they return to service. He said the inspection will involve the whole car and not just the suspension issues.
Officials said they don’t yet have firm numbers but staff overtime costs for the first week will be “substantial.”
“I have to say that SEPTA is a regional system, and we have truly been supported by the entire region,” said Knueppel before the room full of reporters. He also thanked customers, other transit agencies and government officials for working with SEPTA during their crisis.
