SEPTA is warning passengers of possible cancelations, delays and crowded conditions on Regional Rail Monday night as the transit agency begins to inspect more than half of its fleet following a warning from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and an emergency order from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).

On Wednesday, Oct. 1, the NTSB released a report recommending that SEPTA suspend its Silverliner IV railcars following multiple train fires that occurred throughout the Pennsylvania region this year.

The FRA then issued an emergency order in which they required SEPTA to take several actions, including operator and mechanical personnel training, installing new thermal detectors, daily inspection regimes and a comprehensive inspection of every Silverliner IV railcar.

In compliance with the order, SEPTA crews are currently performing enhanced safety inspections and removing Silverliner IV railcars from service. SEPTA released a statement on Monday, Oct. 6, stating that there would possibly be Regional Rail cancellations, delays and crowded conditions during the Monday evening commute due to the inspections. The possible delays coincide with Game 2 of the NLDS between the Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

Regional Rail passengers should check the SEPTA app and website for updates on any delays or cancellations.

Currently 225 of SEPTA’s 390 passenger-carrying railcars (including passenger coaches, cab cars and self-propelled units) are part of the Silverliner IV fleet. Officials said the fleet hasn’t been refurbished since its original deployment.

The Silverliner IV fleet – which began entering service between 1974 and 1976 – was operated by the Reading Company before it was absorbed into Conrail in 1976. SEPTA then took over commuter rail operations and the Silverliner IV fleet from Conrail in 1983.

NTSB officials said the Silverliner IV design predates federal fire safety standards established in 1999 and amended in 2002.

“Under Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 238.103, new railcars and refurbishments must meet the performance standards, design standards, and testing procedures described in Appendix B of the same part,” the NTSB wrote.

In addition to suspending the fleet, the NTSB also recommended seeking funding from “appropriate sources” as soon as possible to replace the fleet or include modern feedback systems to meet the regulations under the Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations.

Finally, the NTSB recommended that pending the replacement of the trains, SEPTA implement a plan to monitor the success of their “risk-mitigation” approach to the fleet, including provisions for immediately removing the trains from service again if their mitigation fails to prevent future fires.

The five train fires – all involving Silverliner IV railcars – took place on Feb. 6, 2025, in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, June 3, 2025, in New Jersey, July 22, 2025, in Paoli, Pennsylvania, Sept. 23, 2025, in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, and Sept. 25, 2025, in Philadelphia.

The NTSB recommendations come as SEPTA continues to face a financial crisis after Pennsylvania lawmakers failed to reach a deal to secure funding for a $213 million budget deficit. SEPTA initially implemented major service cuts to their buses, subways and trolleys in August and planned to implement further cuts to Regional Rail service in September in order to deal with the crisis. After a lawsuit and judge’s order, however, SEPTA restored their service, tapping into their state capital assistance funding over the next two years.

SEPTA still implemented a 21.5% fare increase. George Bochetto, the Philadelphia-lawyer who filed the initial lawsuit that led to the judge’s order, recently said he plans to sue SEPTA again in order to get them to stop the fare hikes.

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SEPTA is warning passengers of possible cancelations, delays and crowded conditions on Regional Rail Monday night as the transit agency begins to inspect more than half of its fleet following a warning from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and an emergency order from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).

On Wednesday, Oct. 1, the NTSB released a report recommending that SEPTA suspend its Silverliner IV railcars following multiple train fires that occurred throughout the Pennsylvania region this year.

The FRA then issued an emergency order in which they required SEPTA to take several actions, including operator and mechanical personnel training, installing new thermal detectors, daily inspection regimes and a comprehensive inspection of every Silverliner IV railcar.

In compliance with the order, SEPTA crews are currently performing enhanced safety inspections and removing Silverliner IV railcars from service. SEPTA released a statement on Monday, Oct. 6, stating that there would possibly be Regional Rail cancellations, delays and crowded conditions during the Monday evening commute due to the inspections. The possible delays coincide with Game 2 of the NLDS between the Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

Regional Rail passengers should check the SEPTA app and website for updates on any delays or cancellations.

Currently 225 of SEPTA’s 390 passenger-carrying railcars (including passenger coaches, cab cars and self-propelled units) are part of the Silverliner IV fleet. Officials said the fleet hasn’t been refurbished since its original deployment.

The Silverliner IV fleet – which began entering service between 1974 and 1976 – was operated by the Reading Company before it was absorbed into Conrail in 1976. SEPTA then took over commuter rail operations and the Silverliner IV fleet from Conrail in 1983.

NTSB officials said the Silverliner IV design predates federal fire safety standards established in 1999 and amended in 2002.

“Under Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 238.103, new railcars and refurbishments must meet the performance standards, design standards, and testing procedures described in Appendix B of the same part,” the NTSB wrote.

In addition to suspending the fleet, the NTSB also recommended seeking funding from “appropriate sources” as soon as possible to replace the fleet or include modern feedback systems to meet the regulations under the Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations.

Finally, the NTSB recommended that pending the replacement of the trains, SEPTA implement a plan to monitor the success of their “risk-mitigation” approach to the fleet, including provisions for immediately removing the trains from service again if their mitigation fails to prevent future fires.

The five train fires – all involving Silverliner IV railcars – took place on Feb. 6, 2025, in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, June 3, 2025, in New Jersey, July 22, 2025, in Paoli, Pennsylvania, Sept. 23, 2025, in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, and Sept. 25, 2025, in Philadelphia.

The NTSB recommendations come as SEPTA continues to face a financial crisis after Pennsylvania lawmakers failed to reach a deal to secure funding for a $213 million budget deficit. SEPTA initially implemented major service cuts to their buses, subways and trolleys in August and planned to implement further cuts to Regional Rail service in September in order to deal with the crisis. After a lawsuit and judge’s order, however, SEPTA restored their service, tapping into their state capital assistance funding over the next two years.

SEPTA still implemented a 21.5% fare increase. George Bochetto, the Philadelphia-lawyer who filed the initial lawsuit that led to the judge’s order, recently said he plans to sue SEPTA again in order to get them to stop the fare hikes.

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.