SEPTA to add more Regional Rail trains as ridership slowly returns to pre-pandemic levels
Commuters say they're excited about the change as trains have steadily become more crowded.
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- With more workers returning to the office, SEPTA announced it will be increasing capacity on its Regional Rail Line to accommodate more commuters this fall.
The transit system says it plans on adding more trains later this year as ridership has slowly crept back to pre-pandemic levels.
Commuters say they're excited about the change as trains have steadily become more crowded.
"Tuesday through Thursday, there are more," said Charles Whitney from Jenkintown, who added he sees the highest volume of commuters in the middle of the week.
"Remote workers coming into town probably two to three days a week," said Joan Faust of Huntingdon Valley.
READ MORE: SEPTA Market-Frankford Line to get 200 new rail cars thanks to $317M grant
As more people return to in-person work, SEPTA says it has to keep up.
"We are continuing to see increases. We know everything we do matters and we are really focused on increasing that ridership," said SEPTA CEO Leslie Richards.
SEPTA says ridership on Regional Rail Lines is at about 57% of pre-pandemic levels, the highest it's been in four years. It expects that number to keep rising as more workers come back to the city.
"That's why I know that safe and clean is so essential to incentivizing and encouraging people to come back and to ride SEPTA the way that they did pre-pandemic, and we're on our way," said Mayor Cherelle Parker.
To get there, SEPTA says it needs to hire more engineers. It currently has 185 on staff, but has a budget for 213. It's training new workers now and hopes to have a staff surpassing the budget, up to 240 workers by the end of this year.
"We're focused on increasing reliability, we want to make sure we are the transit option of choice," said Richards.
Commuters say they're anxiously awaiting the increase in trains.
"It's easier to coordinate with my time schedule instead of waiting for a whole hour for the next one, the more trains the better, especially during rush hour," said Reggie Duval Saint from North Philadelphia.
SEPTA says its first focus will be bringing back more weekend and evening trips, then it will focus on rush hour.
Meanwhile, regional leaders gathered in Upper Darby, Pa. on Wednesday to celebrate the recently awarded $317 million federal grant to modernize SEPTA's Market-Frankford Line.
The grant from the Biden Administration will allow SEPTA to replace 200 railcars along the Market-Frankford Line, also referred to as the "EL."
"This is truly a historic day for SEPTA," Kenneth Lawrence, the SEPTA Board Vice Chairman, said during Wednesday's press conference.
