Federal officials say SEPTA safety issues stem from management, not funding
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy addressed ongoing safety concerns at SEPTA on Tuesday, following a federal mandate requiring inspections of all Silverliner IV rail cars due to an immediate fire risk.
There are several safety deadlines approaching that SEPTA must meet.
The National Transportation Safety Board ordered the inspections last month. Now, federal and state officials are working together to ensure SEPTA meets those requirements and improves its safety record.
As inspections are underway and oversight ramps up, officials are hoping SEPTA can turn the corner before the next emergency.
Federal officials say the problems go beyond funding.
"The issue with the Silverliner fires has been a management issue and a maintenance issue, not a money issue," said Dave Fink of the Federal Railroad Administration.
RELATED: SEPTA granted extension to finish inspecting Silverliner IV railcars after series of fires
Governor Josh Shapiro met with federal transportation leaders Tuesday morning to address the crisis.
"Scott Sauer acknowledged that in the past, there were management issues," Shapiro said. "On my watch, we brought in Scott. We changed the makeup of the board. I think we're moving in the right direction there."
Also attending the meeting were SEPTA General Manager Scott Sauer, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker, Pennsylvania's U.S. Senators, and PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll.
Shapiro called the meeting productive but also emphasized the need for permanent funding from Harrisburg to Secretary Duffy.
"We're going to continue to work with Pennsylvania to navigate this issue," Duffy said.
On Tuesday, the Federal Railroad Administration provided a status update on SEPTA's regional rail inspections.
"SEPTA has inspected 135 of the 223 cars," Fink said. "Two-thirds of those cars are going to be shopped because they have problems that need to be fixed before they're put back in service. And 18 of the cars have had the final thermal circuit put on."
SEPTA must complete final inspections by November 14, and all cars must be equipped with thermal indicators by December 5. These indicators detect heat that could signal a fire.
In a statement Tuesday, SEPTA said, "The safety of our customers and employees is SEPTA's top priority. Over the last year, we have made major strides in our commitment to instill a culture of safety, accountability and effective leadership at all levels of the organization. We are confident that the service we provide every day for nearly 800,000 riders is safe, and we are committed to working with our partners at the local, state and federal level to ensure that we are continually improving. We will also continue to address the need for more resources to support a safe and reliable system in the short- and long-term, as chronic underfunding has caused SEPTA's state of good repair backlog to grow to more than $10 billion."
"You can't have a transit system that is not safe, that has fires, that's undercapitalized and mismanaged," Duffy added.
The Federal Transit Administration also highlighted recent emergencies on SEPTA's trolley system. SEPTA had been ordered to inspect its entire system of overhead wires by 5 p.m. Friday. Officials said that the inspections will be completed on time.
