WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Transportation escalated its intervention in Philadelphia’s transit network on Tuesdau, issuing new federal orders to force the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) to correct persistent safety failures after a series of fires, electrical breakdowns and oversight lapses that federal officials say placed riders and workers at risk.
Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said Gov. Josh Shapiro’s announcement of $220 million in emergency capital funding for SEPTA is a direct response to repeated federal directives demanding that Pennsylvania address what USDOT has labeled systemic mismanagement of one of the nation’s most heavily used transit systems.
“This substantial investment is a significant step in the right direction for a system that has been on the brink of collapse for too long,” Duffy said. He added that additional funding must be paired with a concrete, enforceable safety plan. “My team will continue our strict oversight of PennDOT’s management of SEPTA to ensure Philadelphians get where they need to go safely and on time.”
Federal scrutiny has intensified since October 2025, when the Federal Railroad Administration issued an Emergency Order after multiple onboard fires aboard SEPTA’s aging Silverliner IV rail cars. FRA required immediate mechanical inspections and emergency scheduling reforms. Shapiro’s new funding package includes $112 million for propulsion motor overhauls, electrical upgrades and reliability improvements across both Silverliner IV and V fleets.
That same month, the Federal Transit Administration opened a separate investigation into failures of SEPTA’s overhead catenary system (OCS) — breakdowns that triggered 11 injuries, stranded nearly 500 passengers and caused widespread service disruptions across Philadelphia’s trolley and rail lines. In response, Shapiro earmarked $108 million to repair catenary wires, upgrade the trolley tunnel’s aging infrastructure, modernize SEPTA’s Control Center and purchase advanced inspection technology.
FTA Administrator Marc Molinaro said the intervention reflects federal concern for the daily riders who rely on trolleys and buses to move through the city. “For riders, this is about trust,” Molinaro said. “Philadelphia’s trolley system is a lifeline… The FTA’s intervention will help ensure those trolleys stay safe, reliable, and available.”
On Wednesday, FTA escalated its actions by issuing Special Directives — legally binding federal orders — to both PennDOT and SEPTA.
The directive to SEPTA identifies two major failures:
- Critical defects uncovered in the urgent OCS inspection from Oct. 31–Nov. 7 remain uncorrected.
- The agency lacks a formal inspection and maintenance program for its catenary network.
SEPTA must now complete six mandatory actions between December and April 2026, including implementing a comprehensive maintenance plan and correcting documented safety hazards.
The directive to PennDOT found that:
- The agency lacked sufficient technical capacity to oversee SEPTA’s safety work.
- It failed to independently investigate repeated OCS failures or verify emergency corrective actions.
PennDOT must now deploy new technical resources, evaluate SEPTA’s forthcoming inspection program, conduct onsite verifications and submit monthly oversight reports to FTA.
The new directives follow a sharply worded Oct. 23 letter from Secretary Duffy to Shapiro warning that SEPTA’s mounting safety failures — combined with its $213 million debt load — demanded urgent correction. The letter cited five “thermal events,” including onboard fires, that federal officials said endangered passengers.
With new funding announced and federal mandates in place, USDOT said it will continue monitoring PennDOT and SEPTA until both agencies demonstrate sustained compliance and measurable improvements.
Duffy emphasized that the department’s intervention will continue until the region’s transit system “meets the safety standards expected of an agency responsible for moving millions of Americans every year.”
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