A Sigh of Relief: SEPTA Restores Morning Express Rail and Reopens Center City Trolley Tunnel
The new year is off to a welcome start for Philadelphia commuters, as the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, or SEPTA, has delivered on a promise to bring back two critical pieces of its transit network. Starting Monday, January 12, all morning Regional Rail express service returned to its normal schedule, and the vital Center City T-trolley tunnel once again began welcoming riders for regular daytime service.
For months, travel has been a major headache for tens of thousands of riders. The Regional Rail network, which serves a vast suburban area, saw its morning rush-hour express trips suspended back in October. This change forced trains to make local stops along all lines, leading to intense crowding, delays, and frustrating pass-ups for riders trying to get into the city for work.
The culprit behind this disruption was a federally mandated safety inspection. Federal regulators ordered a thorough check of the Silverliner IV fleet, which includes 223 railcars and makes up about 60% of SEPTA’s entire Regional Rail equipment. The mandate came after a series of five separate fires were reported on those cars between February and September of the previous year.
The good news is that the massive effort to inspect and repair these decades-old cars is paying off. As of the end of the previous week, more than 180 cars had been cleared to return to service. With more cars available, SEPTA was finally able to fully restore all 24 morning express trips across six major routes, including the Paoli/Thorndale and Wilmington/Newark lines. General Manager Scott Sauer called the service return a “major step toward restoring normal service,” which should result in fewer cancellations and shorter commute times. The restoration of express service for the evening rush hour had already been implemented in late November, offering a partial reprieve for travelers.
Meanwhile, trolley riders are celebrating the end of a long diversion. The Center City trolley tunnel, which handles Routes 10, 11, 13, 34, and 36, had been closed since early November. The closure affected an estimated 60,000 riders daily, forcing them to rely on bus shuttles or switch to the Market-Frankford Line between West Philadelphia and Center City.
The unexpected shutdown was the result of a frustrating equipment issue. Earlier attempts to install new, larger parts designed to connect the trolleys to the overhead power wires led to the components wearing out too quickly and, in turn, causing damage to the delicate overhead copper wires. After crews worked around the clock to smooth out and replace the damaged power infrastructure, the tunnel is safe for regular daytime operation once again.
While this marks a significant return to normalcy for city transit, SEPTA cautions that the tunnel will still require ongoing maintenance. Commuters should be aware of planned overnight and weekend closures in the coming weeks as crews complete the full replacement of the overhead catenary systems. For now, however, the restored express trains and the reopened tunnel mean a much smoother morning commute for hundreds of thousands of Philadelphians.