Category: Uncategorized

As of today here is the current status of the new bus deliveries being diligently tracked by the transit enthusiast community.

Here is the current retirements:

On 12/1/2018, it marked the last time when the AEM7 and ALP44 last ran in service.

SEPTA Regional Rail train on the Chestnut Hill Line going past “Austin tower” this tower apparently was closed during the PRR era and interlocking controlling operations were moved to the station building before being based from A tower along the Airport line briefly and soon after the SEPTA headquarters controlled by SEPTA-6.

Since it’s closure, This building was renamed as “Austin Tower” by SEPTA.

Today, SEPTA officials has announced the next tier of their fare increases starting January 1, 2025, due to ongoing financial challenges and a lack of state funding support. The fare hike will raise base fares for buses and metro lines to $2.90 and increase Regional Rail fares by up to $13.00 depending on the zone. A trip from Center City to Ardmore (or other zone 2 stations) go from $5 to $9 on the weekends on while paying on board the train! This fare increase is part of a broader plan to address a budget gap and prevent further financial decline, which SEPTA refers to as a “transit death spiral.” This is back to back of another fare increase which is set to occur on December 1st 2024.

Currently 5th Square and several other advocates urges Governor Shapiro to use executive action and flex federal highway dollars to avert transit crisis. This is similar to back in 2005 when Governor Rendell done the same thing. ( Check it out ). As there may not be any time to stop the December 1st 2024 increases, there may be time to stop more increases from occuring on January 1, 2025,.

In addition to the fare hikes, SEPTA also plans major service cuts, including scaling back its bus revolution and eliminating some routes. These reductions, which could total up to 20% of services, are necessary to bridge the funding gap but will not fully resolve the financial issues. The fare increase is expected to generate about $50 million annually, but a decline in ridership (from Covid) and service cuts may impact this revenue.

SEPTA’s financial struggles have been exacerbated by the expiration of federal COVID relief funding, and a previously proposed $161 million state funding boost was rejected by Pennsylvania legislators earlier this year. While fare increases and service cuts are imminent, SEPTA officials emphasized that these measures are painful and only temporary solutions unless further state intervention occurs. Public hearings on the fare increases will begin on December 13, 2024, with service cut hearings expected in the spring and summer of 2025.

For more infomation check out https://wwww.septa.org/news/proposed-fare-adjustments-winter-2025

The December 1st 2024 fare increases are slated to be voted in late this month.

Check out all of the fare increases

On August 25th, SEPTA roll out their bus/trolley and subway service changes,

The biggest highlights are at follows:

-15 sees service adjustment with every other trip terminating at Frankford and Delaware loop throughout the week. Also there were some headway mid-day headway increases as well.
-22 will now operate with a artic buses full time on the weekdays
-56 sees improve service midday service on Saturdays

The rest are the addition of school trips, service time adjustments.

Regional Rail

Yesterday, the Regional Rail schedule has changed: Now thoughout the weekends – 99 new trains has been added to the schedule with 24 additional trains: (https://wwww.septa.org/news/septa-to-increase-regional-rail-service-new-schedules-for-all-lines-effective-sunday-sept-8/)

On Friday, new buses (New Flyer XDE40) has hit the Delaware and Montgomery and Chester Countries. These buses are in the 3700 series and are assigned out of the Victory depot. It is not quite known yet how many new buses Victory district will receive. Thus far the range is 3700-3712. If you ride on routes throughout these areas – a new bus may arrive at a stop near you in the near future.

Here are some Progress photos at Ardmore station from 9-8-2024. As you can see, it is coming along. The platforms are finally fully installed and the station building is being built out.

New Jersey Transit (NJT) is offering a fare holiday from August 26th through September 2nd, 2024. During this week, all rides on NJT buses, trains, and light rail services are free as a way to thank customers for their loyalty, especially after a summer of service disruptions. This includes the West of Hudson Metro North lines as well.

So get out there and take advantage of it!

To catch up and to touch base, there has been several questions floating around as to what SEPTA is currently purchasing on the new vehicles front. So let’s break out these orders:

Trolley Modernization Program: Back in June 2023, SEPTA has awarded a contract to Alstom Transportation for the purchase of 130 new Citadis light rail vehicles. This contract, valued at approximately $714 million, includes an option for an additional 30 vehicles. These new LRVs will replace the current fleet, which has been in service since the 1980s. The delivery of these vehicles is expected to begin in 2027 and be completed by the end of 2030. These trolleys will feature modern amenities such as low floors, wider pathways, and spaces designed to accommodate wheelchairs, strollers, and bicycles.

Canceled Double-Decker Rail Cars: Up until earlier this year, SEPTA had planned to add double-decker rail cars to its regional rail lines, with a contract initially valued at $185 million. However, this deal was canceled in early 2024 due to various challenges, including financial considerations, delays and issues with the manufacturing and changing ridership patterns thoughout the system.

SEPTA bus delivery– The delivery of new buses are still occuring – the highest number vehicle on property is 3730. These buses are going to Comly. It is expected that Comly would get get the majority of what remains the 2022 model year order of buses. There has been some hints that Victory, yes Victory may get the tale end of this delivery portion. Later on this year the 2024 model of buses (3745 and up) will be going to Midvale, Frankford and Allegheny to replace the remaining DE40LFs there. During the July 2024 SEPTA broad meeting, SEPTA voted to amend the contract to provide additional funding for meeting the latest EPA standards on the 2024 model of XDE40s.

Commuter Rail Cars: SEPTA has plans to upgrade its commuter rail fleet with new multi-level cars. Although the double-decker rail car order from CRRC was canceled, SEPTA continues to explore options for acquiring new rail cars to replace the older Silverliner IV vehicles, with the goal of improving capacity and passenger comfort. Earlier this year, SEPTA put an experission of interest out there.

New Electric Buses: SEPTA has plans on expanding its fleet of electric buses as part of its efforts to reduce emissions and modernize its bus fleet.

New Market Frankford Line Cars: SEPTA has recently awarded a $724.3 million contract to Hitachi Rail to build 200 new railcars for the Market-Frankford Line (MFL), with an option to purchase up to 40 additional cars. These new vehicles will replace the M-4 cars, which have been in service since the late 1997. The first of the new railcars are expected to arrive in 2029, with the full fleet delivered by 2031. The new MFL cars will feature several improvements, including more passenger capacity, longitudinal seating, digital displays for real-time information, and open gangways between cars to allow for better passenger flow and visibility. Additionally, the cars will include regenerative braking systems, which conserve energy by feeding it back into the power grid when the brakes are applied.

New Trackless Trolley buses: Starting next year or in 2026, SEPTA has plans on replacing their aging trackless trolley buses with new trackless trolley. These are expected to have off wire capilibites using a battery as opposed to a diesel generator. More infomation to come.