SEPTA has long been underfunded but, that may soon be improving.
Not long ago, the mass transit provider sounded the alert that it faced a “death spiral,” after years of underfunding has SEPTA set to spend it’s last share of federal COVID funding by April.
Without new funding, SEPTA officials warned riders could be looking at potential fare increases of up to 30% and the possibility of cuts to 20% of services across all modes of transportation.
Officials are expected announce new funds for SEPTA railcars at noon. The event will be livestreamed at the top of this story.
However, that could turn around.
A new investment of $317 million in funding, expected to be announced on Wednesday, will be used to replace aging railcars on SEPTA’s Market-Frankford Line and, the governor has proposed to add more than $280 million in his budget to support mass transit across the state.
The funding will be part of the grants from the Federal Transit Administration Rail Vehicle Replacement Grant Program that will be announced on Wednesday.
In a statement ahead of Wednesday’s event, State Rep. Ed Neilson (D-174th dist.), chair of the House Transportation Committee, said he is excited about the move to replace its aging Market-Frankford Line fleet.
“The Market-Frankford Line is a vital route that makes almost 15 million trips per year,” Neilson said. “The trains haven’t been upgraded in 25 years which leads to delays for passengers who rely on this route and even cancellations.”
Neilson’s office said that the Market-Frankford Line needs approximately 96 cars to maintain levels of ridership, according to SEPTA.
But, they are currently operating with 85, Neilson’s office said..
“This investment is a big deal and is long overdue,” he said in a statement.
This is a breaking news story. It will be updated as new information becomes available.
