SEPTA completes Silverliner IV inspections, but full service could still be weeks away

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- SEPTA announced Friday it has met a federal deadline to complete inspections of its aging Silverliner IV Regional Rail fleet, a key step in addressing safety concerns raised by the Federal Railroad Administration.

However, the transit agency says it could be up to a month before things are back to normal.

Crews finished point-by-point inspections of all 223 Silverliner IV cars earlier in the day at SEPTA's Overbrook Maintenance Facility. The transit agency said it will now begin repairs and install thermal detectors designed to shut down overheated train cars.

"This is our new normal. We've learned a great deal from this process," said SEPTA General Manager Scott Sauer.

The inspections follow a federal mandate issued after the 50-year-old cars were deemed flammable. At least five fires have occurred on Regional Rail trains this year, including one in February near Crum Lynne Station in Ridley Park, where more than 300 passengers were aboard.

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Greg Buzby, manager of Regional Rail engineering, said the new thermal detectors will act like thermostats.

"The wires will come together and act as a thermostat and it will indicate that something is over temperature," he said.

SEPTA faced pressure to meet the inspection deadline or risk having the entire fleet pulled from service.

The effort led to widespread train cancellations and overcrowding, particularly this week as more cars were taken offline to complete the inspections.

"This week, particularly, has been rough," Sauer said. "We reached a point in the process where we knew we had to put a push in to get to this deadline."

Sauer added that SEPTA expects to return about five cars per day to service and projects it will take another month to rebuild the fleet.

To ease the strain on commuters, SEPTA has leased 10 coach cars from Maryland.

The agency also plans to begin replacing the Silverliner IV fleet, a process expected to take 10 years and cost approximately $2 billion.