SEPTA’s Vision Toward Best-in-Class Transit
Accelerate, SEPTA’s vision for safe, clean, reliable and accessible transit across Southeastern Pennsylvania, represents a generational transformation of the state’s largest transit system. Accelerate is our plan for “where SEPTA is going” over the coming years, the improvements our riders will see and feel and the projects and initiatives required to get there.
Our region deserves and demands a transit system that works better for more people. We are ready to create that system, together.
- Safer transit where every rider feels secure and confident throughout their journey.
- Reliable service you can plan your life around, and use to arrive on time for job interviews, childcare and medical appointments.
- Fully accessible modern connections that reach every neighborhood, serve every mobility need and work for everyone.
We can’t do it alone — we need everyone’s help. This vision supports our partners, riders and neighbors.
See what Accelerate means for riders and the communities we serve:
and Accelerating Toward a Best-In-Class Rider Experience
SEPTA is building a transit system that works for every rider, every step of the way. Explore how we’re improving the rider experience, from trip planning to final destination, on our Interactive User Journey Map.
Where We Are, Where We’re Going
What SEPTA already offers the region today:
800,000+ Daily SEPTA Riders
10x the daily passengers of PHL Airport
Industry-Leading Operating Efficiencies
with operating cost per-passenger 34% below industry average
$4.17B Annual Statewide Economic Impact
directly generated by SEPA employment & procurement
When combined, Accelerate’s program of improvements means:
Over 2 Million People Within a Quarter Mile of Frequent Transit
up from just 900,000 today
Nearly Half of Regional Jobs Within a Quarter Mile of Frequent Transit
up from 1 in 4 today
100% of All Trips Go Through an Accessible Station
up from 59.7% today
Trolley Modernization
A generational investment to transform SEPTA’s trolley lines into a fully accessible and frequent light rail network across Philadelphia and Delaware County.
Better Frequency
5-minute peak service on the 
.
15-minute peak service on the 
Room for Everyone
New wider doors and open gangways
100% Accessible
Fully ADA-compliant transit system
SEPTA’s Trolley Modernization program marks a transformative milestone for one of America’s most extensive streetcar networks, replacing the entire 40-year-old fleet with 130 state-of-the-art low-floor vehicles. This investment brings trolley travel fully into the 21st century, making the system accessible while renewing core infrastructure.
Modern light rail vehicles feature multiple wider doors, spacious interiors and near-level boarding that eliminates barriers for riders using wheelchairs, families with strollers and cyclists.
Operational improvements, stop consolidation and traffic signal priority unlock:
- Shorter travel times
- More frequent service with the same number of operators
- Faster, more reliable trips
New and upgraded tunnel and on-street stations provide lighting, shelter, seating, modern wayfinding and real-time passenger information. Designed as community gateways, stations will integrate with sidewalks, bikeways and surrounding streets, enhancing safety and mobility. Earlier peak service beginning at 2 pm better supports school dismissals, flexible workdays and evolving rider needs.
Trolley Modernization will bring full accessibility, enhanced reliability and schedules and increased capacity to 60,000+ daily riders across Philadelphia and Delaware County.
Modern Metro for a Modern Region
In addition to Trolley Modernization, new 
, 
and 
Line vehicles, plus a robust station improvement program creates a SEPTA Metro that is fully accessible, more reliable and more efficient.
230,000 Daily Metro Riders
benefit from new vehicles and station improvements
10% Fleet Reduction
through improved reliability and reduced maintenance needs
25% Shorter Headway
capabilities on the from new vehicles and signal systems
Modern subway cars for the arrive in 2029, marking a major leap forward in safety, customer experience and operational efficiency. These open cars with centered-bench seating/longitudinal seating and open gangways increase capacity, improve passenger flow and enhance visibility to create safer and more comfortable travel experiences for riders.
Digital wayfinding displays and enhanced communication systems provide real-time service information throughout each trip. Automatic door operation streamlines boarding and reduces delays, while regenerative braking captures energy during stops, lowering costs and advancing SEPTA sustainability goals. Paired with a new signal system, the will support service as frequency as three-minute headways.
Modernizing the Region’s Busiest Line
New cars for the and follow in the years ahead, bringing the SEPTA Metro fleet to the cutting-edge of transit.
A fully accessible Metro is the result of generational efforts to rebuild every station, with upgrades including elevators, gleaming new headhouses, and new lighting, communications, and safety systems that go beyond compliance to create seamless access for all riders.
New vehicles improve reliability and achievable frequencies for the 130,000 daily riders on SEPTA’s busiest line.
Delivering the Future of Regional Rail
Fast, frequent, integrated and accessible Regional Rail to make our rail network more useful for more people through station upgrades and better transit integration.
75 Miles of New Frequent Rail Service
500K+ People Within a Quarter Mile of Frequent Regional Rail
15-Minute Service
to Airport, Wawa, Fox Chase, Paoli, Chestnut Hill East & Norristown
Reimagining Regional Rail delivers more consistent and frequent service that better serves diverse travel needs beyond traditional rush-hour commuting patterns. Nearly half of our 150+ stations will feature train service every 15 minutes or better, seven days a week, essentially doubling the existing frequent rail network provided today by SEPTA Metro.
High-level platforms and fully accessible entries at every Regional Rail station opens the system to every rider, regardless of age or ability. Paired with new trains, these improvements speed up boarding and reduce crewing needs, enabling SEPTA to run quicker, more frequent, and even more efficient Regional Rail service across both high- and low-platform stations.
Silverliner VI Vehicles Deliver More Reliable Service
Between 2030 and 2035, state-of-the-art Silverliner VI vehicles replace the 50-year-old fleet, delivering wider aisles and doors for 35% faster boarding, dedicated bicycle storage and modern rider information systems. Energy-efficient components cut costs, saving over $12 million annually, while supporting SEPTA’s vision for frequent, reliable and sustainable regional mobility.
Along with vehicle and infrastructure upgrades, fully accessible Regional Rail stations, like the recently completed Paoli Station, speed up boarding and reduce crew needs, unlocking 15-minute service on Regional Rail’s three new “S Lines.”
A New Era of Bus Travel
New Bus Network upgrades 21 routes to full-week frequency, more than doubling the number of people within a quarter mile of frequent bus service.
800,000 More People Within a Quarter Mile of Frequent Buses
Enhanced Service
during middays, evenings and weekends to better meet the needs of today’s riders
21 Newly Frequent Routes
more than triple the number of frequent routes running every 15 minutes or better, 7 days a week
Since 2021, SEPTA has held hundreds of community and pop-up events across the region and dozens of virtual meetings to guide our bus network redesign. The message was clear: people want buses that come reliably and more often, with more night and weekend options. In recent years, travel patterns and commutes have shifted substantially, and SEPTA’s New Bus Network is designed to meet those evolving needs.
New Bus Network, SEPTA’s first comprehensive bus network redesign in our 63-year history, brings 800,000 more people within a quarter mile of “show up and go” bus service as we upgrade 21 routes to full-week frequency. Additionally, SEPTA GO zones will introduce on-demand bus service in high-need areas where dispersed destinations make providing fixed route service challenging.
Along with new routes and more frequent service, SEPTA is comprehensively replacing tens of thousands of bus stop signs across the region, installing ePaper displays with real time information at bus and trolley stops, building new transit centers for easier and more accessible service, and partnering with roadway owners to roll out red bus lanes and improve neighborhood bus stops.
Enhanced scheduling and route design will enable frequent buses to serve more communities and destinations while supportive on-street and transit center upgrades keep buses on-time and easier to use.
Building This Future Starts Now
Improvements are already underway for a modernized system.
From an expanded transit police force to new red bus lanes, and from critical vehicle repairs to cutting-edge construction techniques, SEPTA’s 9,000 employees are working day-in, day-out to make our region’s transit safer, more reliable and fully accessible. A renewed focus on safety and cleanliness is delivering measurable results across the system.
SEPTA has expanded the Transit Police force to its largest size in more than a decade, and 100 new full-height fare gates at nine Metro stations are in place to deter fare evasion and enhance security. Deeper and more frequent cleaning of trains, buses and stations is improving the rider experience.
Toward Best-in-Class Transit
Upgraded wayfinding signage, digital communications and real-time passenger information are making SEPTA easier to use for everyone. SEPTA was the nation’s first commuter rail network to introduce contactless payment, simplifying fare payment for every trip. In 2025, more than 1.7 miles of red bus lanes and camera-assisted transit enforcement helped keep buses moving and on schedule.
Across the region, upgraded facilities continue to open each season. Recent improvements at Wissahickon Transit Center delivered safer, more comfortable transfers and amenities to 7,000+ daily route riders, accelerating toward a best-in-class SEPTA that we can realize together.
Reaching our full potential starts with the decision to invest.
We must choose to invest and realize a best-in-class transit system…
Our region is at a crossroads. The choice between transformation and managed decline isn’t theoretical — it’s immediate. With more than 800,000 daily trips across five countries, the demand is real. The question is whether we’ll meet it.
After years of chronic underfunding, Accelerate sets a new direction:
- Reliable service you can plan your life around, making sure you arrive on time for job interviews, childcare and medical appointments.
- Safer transit where every rider feels secure, more reliable service you can plan your life around and fully accessible connections that work for every rider, in every community.
Otherwise, the region will face the consequences of system dismantlement and regional decline.
There is no status quo. With mounting prices and aging infrastructure, maintaining current funding levels does not mean business as usual, it means dismantling the state’s largest transit system, piece by piece.
The moment to choose acceleration over managed decline is now. Our region deserves and demands a transit system that works better for more people. We are ready to create that system, together.