Philadelphia's Overcrowded Commuter Rail in Need of New Trains

The newest members of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority's fleet of commuter trains, 120 Silverliner V trains that have arrived since 2010, have not been sufficient in alleviating crowded rail lines.

1 minute read

October 19, 2014, 1:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


A SEPTA R5 commuter train heading for Doylestown, Pennsylvania from Lansdale station.

jpmueller99//flickr / SEPTA Rail Train

"SEPTA is shuffling equipment and workers to try to deal with chronic crowding problems on Regional Rail trains, as ridership rises and old cars and locomotives break down more frequently," reports Paul Nussbaum.

"About 15 percent of SEPTA's rail cars are out of service on any given day, while passenger counts are up 4 percent from last year and 50 percent from 15 years ago."

Planners are currently drawing up orders for new trains, expected for delivery in 2017.

Thursday, October 9, 2014 in Philadelphia Inquirer

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