Due to the Silverliner Vs being taken out of service, SEPTA has reached out for help from neighboring railroads. MARC, New Jersey Transit, and Amtrak have responded to the call.
From MARC, SEPTA obtained 5 single-level Sumitomo railcars. These cars have yet to be seen in SEPTA service. Update: These cars are now running on the Wilmington/Newark Line, train #1297, the 4:55 PM Express from Suburban Station to Newark.
From Amtrak, SEPTA is leasing 2 ACS-64s and 5 Amfleets, including a Cab Car. So far, this train has been confirmed to run on the Paoli-Thorndale Line as the 6:31 AM train from Bryn Mawr (#1580), the 8:31 AM train from Bryn Mawr (#1582), the 4:25 PM train from Suburban Station (#1581) and the 5:50 PM train from Suburban Station (#1583). Yes, all trains are Bryn Mawr Locals!
From New Jersey Transit, SEPTA is leasing 8 Comets and an ALP-46. So far, this train was spotted on the Trenton Line on train #1794 (6:53 AM Express from Trenton) and train #1763 (4:35 PM Express from Suburban Station).
The MARC cars will be maintained by SEPTA, while the NJT and Amtrak cars will be maintained by their respective operators each day. SEPTA crews are operating all cars.
Starting today, SEPTA was able to modifty its Interim Weekday Schedule to include these trains, which frees up some Silverliner IVs so they can enhance service between Glenside and Center City on the SEPTA Main, the source of a number of pass-ups last week. The Cynwyd line is still using shuttle buses instead of trains. As more information comes out about where the leased trains are running, we’ll be sure to update this site with the latest info.
Click the link for more details about the leased cars and how much this is costing SEPTA: http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/real-time/SEPTA-spending-750000-on-leased-fleet.html
