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Responding to the Federal Railroad Administration Emergency Order

Service Information updated Nov. 23, 2025

Riders should expect crowded conditions, skipped stations, delays and cancellations as Regional Rail trains undergo repairs following the completion of federally mandated inspections. Starting Nov. 24, express trains will return for the evening rush only. Please check SEPTA.org/alerts and listen for platform announcements for the latest information.

Summary: Federally Mandated Safety Actions

On Oct. 1, 2025, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) issued an Emergency Order in response to recent fires involving SEPTA’s Silverliner IV Regional Rail trains. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released a report also on Oct. 1 on its investigation of the fires. SEPTA takes these urgent safety directives and recommendations seriously for the safety of the region’s Regional Rail riders, and responded immediately to implement the required safety improvements to equipment inspections, maintenance, and operations. 

Nothing is more critical than safety when it comes to our riders and employees. While these steps have temporarily caused delays, cancellations or overcrowded conditions, they are essential to ensuring long-term safety and reliability for our customers and employees.  As part of our compliance with the FRA Emergency Order, Silverliner IV railcars will be rotated from service for detailed inspections, testing and important safety upgrades. Operations staff will continue to remove from service all vehicles that raise safety concerns.

SEPTA will keep customers informed through our Alerts and Advisories page, social media channels and real-time travel tools. We understand that safety concerns and service disruptions can cause inconvenience, and we sincerely appreciate our riders’ patience and understanding as we complete this critical safety work.

“Our customers remain at the center of every decision SEPTA makes. We understand safety concerns can raise questions, and we want our riders to feel assured we are taking every step possible to ensure their safety as we work to provide critical service.”

Scott A. Sauer
SEPTA General Manager  

SEPTA Employee Inspects a Silverliner IV Train

SEPTA’s Actions for Improved Silverliner IV Safety

FRA Emergency Order No. 34 requires SEPTA to take 15 specific actions including operator and mechanical personnel training, installation of new thermal detectors, daily maintenance quality control inspections and a comprehensive, point-to-point inspection of every Silverliner IV railcar following an aggressive FRA-approved schedule. SEPTA is committed to fully complying with the FRA Emergency Order, and we are confident that full compliance will also achieve the goal of the NTSB report recommendations.

In response to the FRA’s Emergency Order and NTSB report, SEPTA has added the following additional measures:

  • In-person inspectors are now present on all trains passing through Center City stations to conduct safety checks and respond quickly to any equipment issues
  • Mid-run inspections have been added to review fault indicator lights and other critical systems while trains are in operation, supplementing existing pre- and post-run inspections
  • Live video monitoring allows SEPTA’s Control Center supervisors to view train interiors in real time to check indicator lights and system alerts, ensuring quicker response to any potential issues
  • Expanded maintenance staffing ensures that inspection and repair work can be completed more quickly and around the clock to meet the FRA’s deadlines
  • Enhanced employee safety briefings and trainings are being conducted to ensure all operators, mechanics, and inspectors understand new reporting and inspection protocols
  • Improved documentation and data sharing have been implemented so that all inspection results, repairs, and follow-up actions are logged, tracked, and reported directly to FRA for review
  • Public communication measures are in place to keep riders informed about safety progress, expected service adjustments, and ongoing compliance updates.

Together, these actions strengthen SEPTA’s safety culture, modernize oversight of the Silverliner IV fleet, and ensure that every possible precaution is taken to protect riders, employees, and the region’s rail system.

SEPTA Silverliner IV Safety Progress Requirements Timeline

  • SEPTA began removing Silverliner IV cars for emergency mechanical inspections under FRA-approved schedule
  • Posted Order
  • Provided Order to all Rail Employees
  • Provided and ensured employees are following all procedures
  • Conducted Stand-down to explain requirements of Order and delivered written notice providing the dates, locations and consequences of the five fires and thermal incidents that have occurred in 2025

  • Submitted a plan to FRA to determine root causes of each 2025 fire/thermal event
  • Developed a plan to determine the direct and contributing causes of each fire or thermal incident
  • Developed an emergency mechanical inspection schedule
  • Addressed FRA audit requirements
  • Reviewed ITM and propose needed amendments to FRA
  • Updated SEPTA Supplemental Division Notice Number 7-20C and any other relevant operating rule
  • Issue notice on reporting sluggish equipment/poor performance within 5 minutes
  • Completed stand-down/briefing with maintenance employees on review of all fire and thermal incidents, the known direct and indirect causes, and to solicit feedback from the employees to identify improvements that SEPTA can make in its maintenance programs and practices

The FRA approved SEPTA’s request to extend the original October 31 deadline for completion of the first two actions below.

  • Complete all actions under the emergency mechanical inspection schedule that has been approved by FRA, including inspection of all Silverliner IV EMUs for precursor conditions that increase the likelihood of a fire or thermal incident
    Complete ✓
  • Install thermal protection circuits at all critical locations on every Silverliner IV EMU
    In Progress – Target completion date: December 5
  • Document all inspections and repairs made to the Silverliner IV EMU fleet and present a graphical depiction of significant defects identified to the employees performing the work to clearly show to the employees leading and trailing indicators
    Complete ✓
  • Review all technical documents such as repair procedures, part lists, bills of materials, maintenance and modification instructions, tooling, and inventory requirements, and revise as needed to ensure all are up to date
    Complete ✓
  • Ensure that the mechanical department reviews and updates employee training requirements and proficiency tests to address any deficiency identified in the implementation of this Order
    Complete ✓
  • Complete, or cause to be completed, a comprehensive update of all root cause analyses begun in response to fire or thermal incidents and develop a corrective action plan to prevent their recurrence and implement continuous monitoring of mechanical systems performance
    Complete ✓

SEPTA Silverline IV Safety FAQs

There are 225 Silverliner IV rail cars and they represent about two-thirds of SEPTA’s Regional Rail fleet. These rail cars date back to the mid-1970s and are SEPTA’s oldest rail cars.

Replacing these cars will be a lengthy and costly process; to fully replace the fleet of cars, it may take up to a decade. Due to funding constraints that have prevented their replacement, SEPTA has had to keep these rail cars in service long beyond their recommended useful life through a robust maintenance and vehicle overhaul program. SEPTA does not currently have sufficient funding in its capital budget to replace these cars. 

While we develop a proper funding plan to undergo this work, SEPTA will continue to monitor the safety of these cars and ensure quality service.

Since the majority of SEPTA’s Regional Rail fleet is made up of the Silverliner IV rail cars, we anticipate all lines will be subject to rail car shortages. SEPTA does not designate specific cars to specific lines — they run everywhere.

To comply with the FRA Emergency Order, SEPTA will temporarily remove Silverliner IV railcars for detailed inspections, testing, and the installation of new safety measures, before returning them back to service. Prioritizing the safety of our riders will cause delays and cancellations.

We understand that these service disruptions can be inconvenient for many. We appreciate our riders’ patience as we finish this critical work.

We will keep our riders updated through various channels of communication, including our Alerts and Advisories page, social media channels, and real-time travel tools (such as the SEPTA app).

By October 31, SEPTA must finish all inspections of the Silverliner IV cars, install additional safety measures, update maintenance plans, submit training and documentation to the FRA, and continue to monitor the lines.

After October 31, FRA will continue with its oversight of SEPTA and we will continue to provide our riders with safe service.

SEPTA will immediately remove the rail car from service for additional inspections and maintenance. It will not go back into service until the work is fully completed for safe and reliable service.

The lack of a long-term funding solution for SEPTA has prevented the replacement of these Silverliner IV rail cars. SEPTA does not have the capital funds to get new rail cars.

We are working on an alternative funding solution, likely through a loan, which would require SEPTA to incur additional costs.

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Alternative Regional Rail Service to/from Center City

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About SEPTA’s Mitigation Measures

Following a fire in February 2025, SEPTA worked closely with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to develop a comprehensive set of 40 mitigation measures aimed at preventing similar incidents. These measures focus on enhancing inspections, improving system monitoring, and strengthening safety protocols across SEPTA’s Regional Rail operations.

Since then, SEPTA has made significant progress, from expanding safety notifications and visual checks to installing audible alarms for fault lights and adjusting vehicle usage to reduce operating hours on aging Silverliner IV cars. The FRA’s Emergency Order No. 34 and the NTSB’s accompanying recommendations formalize many of these actions and add additional requirements to ensure consistent, verifiable safety improvements.

SEPTA is confident that, through continued collaboration with federal safety partners, we can maintain safe Silverliner IV service. This webpage will be updated regularly to share progress on each directive and keep the public informed.

Regional Rail Service Update

We have completed safety inspections as of November 14; inadequate Regional Rail vehicle availability — and associated service disruptions — will begin to subside. Service should gradually improve through the end of the year as the inspected vehicles are repaired and returned to service.  

SEPTA is working hard to run the best service we can while we work around the clock to ensure the system is safe.

Please note that due to technology limitations, any deviations from the regular schedule may not be reflected in schedule data in the app, website or digital signage.  

During this ongoing service disruption, we recommend that Regional Rail riders: 

  • Explore using the SEPTA Bus and/or Metro network for your trip. See options using the Alternative Service page or the SEPTA.org trip planner.
  • Consider riding at off-peak times to ease crowding.
  • Check for the latest service alerts for your route at septa.org/alerts, and listen for platform and on-board audio announcements about service changes during your journey.
  • Sign up to receive push notifications for service alerts about your line using the SEPTA app (from the schedule tab, look up trip and tap the heart in the top right) or Transit app (from the home screen, tap your line and tap the “pin” button in the top right). 

We understand that the current service disruptions on Regional Rail have caused extreme disruption to the daily lives of our riders. We deeply apologize, and thank you for your patience as we work to restore safe and reliable service.