Retro Trolleys Returning to Philadelphia

The freshly restored vintage fleet will maintain service frequency on Route 15 before eventually being replaced by newer models.

1 minute read

July 11, 2023, 5:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Vintage green Phialdelphia trolley moving down street

A vintage green SEPTA trolley moves down Girard Avenue. | Kyle / Adobe Stock

Philadelphia’s iconic vintage trolleys are coming back to Girard Avenue this September, reports Asha Prihar for Billy Penn at WHYY.

“Those vehicles — a model of streetcar called Presidents’ Conference Committee (PCC) cars — haven’t been carrying passengers along the route since January 2020. But they are in the testing phase right now, and you can expect some of them to be rehabbed and back on the route in about two months,” Prihar explains.

The route is currently served by buses, but SEPTA says it is close to completing restoration and testing work on the trolleys. “Eventually, the retro cars will be replaced with a newer fleet of trolley cars, a SEPTA official told KYW earlier this year — but that’s still several years down the road.” SEPTA is working to upgrade its trolley service with accessibility improvements and potential route expansions.

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