SEPTA has officially moved forward with the replacement of its railcar fleet, issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) yesterday via Bidnet.
The proposal outlines an order for 234 cars, intended to replace the existing Silverliner IV fleet (now down to 225 cars from an original 232). The RFP also includes options for up to 92 additional cars, some specifically for an “Airport” configuration.
Performance & Design Shift:
This RFP is a significant update from the Request for Information (RFI) SEPTA released a few years ago. The new cars are proposed to have better performance specs: an acceleration rate of 3 mph/s (matching the Silverliner Vs) and a top speed of 100 mph (up from the 80mph proposal).
Design-wise, unlike the IVs and Vs, the new cars will strictly be in married pairs and are proposed to utilize Full Cabs.
The Critical Need:
The urgency for this replacement cannot be overstated. The aging Silverliner IV fleet has suffered from increasing unreliability and a rise in fire incidents throughout the year.
Following these issues, the FRA mandated new safety guidelines in September. The deadline for inspecting all 225 cars was initially October 31st, but it has recently been extended to November 14th.
The Timeline:
Delivery of the new cars is currently proposed to begin in 2030, contingent on SEPTA successfully securing the required funding.
For more infomation
https://wwww.septa.org/wp-content/uploads/bid/Silverliner-VI-RFP-Technical-Specifications.pdf