WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Federal Railroad Administration has issued an emergency order directing the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority to take sweeping corrective measures after multiple fires aboard its passenger rail cars this year, federal officials announced last week.
Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said the directive follows at least five incidents in 2025 involving fires or “thermal events” on SEPTA’s Silverliner IV trains, a decades-old fleet that serves hundreds of thousands of riders across the Philadelphia region.
“At my direction, FRA is taking swift and immediate action to ensure the safety of all passengers and transit workers on SEPTA,” Duffy said. “Recent fires and ongoing mechanical problems are unacceptable for such a critical rail line. Under President Trump, we will always put the safety of the American people first.”
The order gives SEPTA seven days to begin implementing an emergency plan to identify the root causes of the fires and 30 days to complete systemwide inspections of every Silverliner IV electric multiple unit. The inspections will cover high-voltage control systems, propulsion components, braking systems, HVAC units, and other electrical elements.
FRA is also requiring SEPTA to retrain its maintenance workforce, improve mechanical quality controls, and install thermal protection circuits to prevent overheating. Train crews must immediately report any abnormal braking, sluggish acceleration, or mechanical anomalies.
The order mandates daily audits of repair work across multiple shifts, quarterly progress reports to the FRA, and full documentation of all findings and repairs. SEPTA must also update its mechanical maintenance and inspection plan to detect and prevent future failures.
The agency faces potential penalties and expanded federal oversight if it fails to comply.
The emergency action marks one of the most aggressive federal safety interventions on a U.S. commuter rail system in recent years. SEPTA’s Silverliner IV cars, built in the 1970s, remain the backbone of the system’s regional rail service, which moves millions of passengers annually throughout Philadelphia and its suburbs.
Federal investigators and technical specialists will remain on-site to monitor compliance as inspections and safety reviews proceed.
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