120 Silverliner Vs, one third of SEPTA’s Regional Rail fleet acquired between 2010 and 2013, were pulled when a defect in the Hyundai Rotem trains’ equalizer beams was identified on Friday morning.
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SEPTA needs 788 cars to carry all of its Regional Rail customers; it now has only 549 cars in use, according to a status update from SEPTA.
Most DNC visitors will travel during off-peak hours when trains aren’t as full, Kneuppel said. They hope to get the loaner cars up and running by Monday.
The Philadelphia area’s hobbled transit agency expects most of its sidelined commuter rail cars to remain out of service until at least Labor Day, but officials do not expect the problems to have a major impact on the Democratic National Convention later this month.
On the Trenton line, 12 Silverliner V cars are being replaced with leased cars.
The Silverliner V cars were taken out of service after SEPTA officials found that the undercarriage equalizer bar in one vehicle was broken and others had cracks.
The agency will also add more local service between Glenside and Center City which should reduce pass-bys, and that SEPTA is working with the city and county governments to look into creating a temporary express bus service.
South Philadelphians may consider parking near the AT&T Station at the Sports Complex, where SEPTA has secured 1,600 spots at the former Naval Hopsital, 1600 Pattison Ave., as well as at Broad Street and Pattison Avenue.
The Lansdale/Doylestown line will see an earlier first train to Philadelphia in the morning and additional service between Center City and Glenside.
A new schedule will be available on SEPTA’s website Sunday.
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Vince Fenerty, executive director of the Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA), and Uber general manager Jon Feldman announced Thursday that UberX and UberPool services will be made legal for the next 90 days. The cars are being tested to determine what caused the cracks and the equalizer beams are being replaced.
