SEPTA
SEPTA on April 1 reported that the Exo Board in Quebec has formally approved its $8.58 million bid for 24 coach cars, which will be used to bolster the Regional Rail fleet. The cars, which were built by Bombardier Transportation in the 1980s, will operate with SEPTA’s existing ACS-64 electric locomotives. SEPTA said it is currently working out logistics for transporting the cars from Montreal. SEPTA will perform modifications to the cars’ doors and other systems once they arrive in Pennsylvania, as part of an upgrade program to meet its standards. A timeline for placing the cars into service will be developed later this spring.
Funding for the purchase of these railcars comes from the nearly $220 million in additional capital dollars allocated by Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro in November 2025 to support safety upgrades and infrastructure improvements.
“SEPTA has been in contact with transit agencies across North America in recent months about potential railcar purchases, following FRA-mandated inspections and repairs of its 50-year-old Silverliner IV fleet last fall,” the agency said. “The Silverliner IVs make up approximately two-thirds of the Regional Rail fleet, and large portions had to be removed from service while this work was performed. This caused trip cancellations and reduced capacity for several months.
“While required repairs have been completed on most Silverliner IVs, SEPTA has committed to an enhanced maintenance program moving forward to ensure the fleet remains safe and reliable while replacement rail cars are procured. In an effort to avoid further service disruptions, SEPTA has explored shorter-term alternatives such as leasing and purchasing used railcars from other agencies.”
Earlier this year, 10 railcars leased from MARC in Maryland were placed into service.
“We are grateful for Gov. Shapiro’s continued support of SEPTA, and we are committed to continuing to deliver improvements for our customers,” SEPTA General Manager Scott A. Sauer said. “These additional railcars will help us enhance reliability and expand capacity for our customers while we work toward replacing our aging Regional Rail fleet.”
Further Reading:
- Report: SEPTA Working to Boost Regional Rail Capacity
- NTSB Recommends Sidelining SEPTA Silverliner IVs
- Exo Selects Transdev Canada for Rail Rolling Equipment Operation, Maintenance
- Montreal’s New CRRC Bilevels Entering Service
Amtrak
The North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) Transportation Department late last month released a video highlighting Amtrak’s Heartland Flyer.
“The train nearly stopped last year,” NCTCOG said in the announcement. “When money for the popular passenger rail service did not make it into the final state budget in 2025, Dallas-Fort Worth transportation officials stepped in to keep it on the tracks. Last summer, the Regional Transportation Council (RTC) approved a $3.5 million emergency infusion to ensure Amtrak’s Heartland Flyer could keep moving between Fort Worth and Oklahoma City. The funding represents half the state’s biennial contribution to the operation of the Amtrak route.
“The Heartland Flyer is funded jointly by the states of Texas and Oklahoma, the only two states in which the service operates. The Texas Transportation Commission gave final approval for the RTC funding in August 2025. The emergency infusion lasts for a year, meaning more action will be required to keep the train going until the Texas Legislature reconvenes, in January 2027, and has a chance to revisit the matter.
“Significant growth in ridership could help bridge the gap, as the additional revenue realized would reduce the subsidy and could entice more funding partners to come forward. In Fiscal Year 2025, Heartland Flyer ridership grew 1% to almost 81,000 passengers.”
The new video covers a trip made by NCTCOG staff members, who traveled the route “to experience first-hand the ease of traveling by train,” NCTCOG said. They also visited the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum, Scissortail Park, Myriad Botanical Gardens and The Jones Assembly restaurant and music venue.
