SEPTA to Add More Regional Rail Cars & Service
July 15, 2016
SEPTA News
Starting Monday, July 18, SEPTA will adjust Regional Rail schedules to address crowding and maximize the use of leased trains already in service, as well as the addition of new cars arriving this weekend.
An additional five cars, which are being leased from the Maryland Area Commuter Service (MARC), will be put into service on SEPTA’s Regional Rail system Monday, and another five are expected by mid-next week. This adds to the 18 leased passenger cars that were put into use this week, including five from Amtrak, eight from NJ Transit and the first five from MARC. When the last of the MARC vehicles arrive mid-next week, SEPTA will have 28 leased passenger rail cars in service. The schedule changes, combined with the deployment of leased cars, will allow SEPTA to better alleviate problems for customers due to the Silverliner V fleet being taken out of service following the discovery of a structural defect.
SEPTA will continue making Regional Rail schedule changes to accommodate riders during this rail-car shortage. “This is an evolving process, and we will continue to make changes to optimize service for our customers,” said General Manager Jeffrey D. Knueppel. “We are extremely grateful for the use of this additional rail equipment. MARC, Amtrak and NJ Transit have been great partners in what is a very challenging time for our customers.” The Regional Rail Interim Weekday Schedule changes effective Monday, July 18 will include enhancements on some of SEPTA’s most heavily traveled lines, including the Glenside Combined, Lansdale/Doylestown, Manayunk/Norristown, Paoli/Thorndale and Warminster Lines.
Timetables for this latest schedule change will be posted online by Saturday, July 16 at http://www.septa.org/service/contingency.html. Customers are urged to continue checking SEPTA’s website for future schedule updates, particularly before the start of the work week. Customers can also go here for information on alternate modes of transit, including bolstered service on the Market-Frankford, Broad Street and Norristown High Speed Lines and Route 101/102 Trolleys.
