PHILADELPHIA, PA — SEPTA will receive nearly $1.18 million in federal disaster recovery funding to repair rail signaling and communications infrastructure damaged by Hurricane Ida along its Manayunk/Norristown Regional Rail Line, accounting for most of a $1.42 million Federal Emergency Management Agency allocation for Philadelphia disclosed by U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick.
The funding includes $1,175,709.15 for repairs to signal and communications systems along 7.5 miles of the rail corridor, according to a statement from McCormick’s office.
The allocation addresses damage associated with Hurricane Ida, which struck the Philadelphia region in September 2021 and caused extensive flooding and infrastructure disruptions.
The Manayunk/Norristown Line connects Center City Philadelphia with communities in Montgomery County, making its signaling and communications systems part of SEPTA’s regional commuter rail operations.
The federal assistance is intended to support repairs to infrastructure affected by the storm, rather than finance a new rail expansion.
A second FEMA allocation of $248,376.57 will go to the City of Philadelphia to reimburse expenses associated with administering federal disaster assistance grants.
Together, the two awards total $1,424,085.72, with approximately 83% designated for SEPTA’s rail infrastructure repairs and the remainder directed toward the city’s disaster grant administration costs.
“People want their train to run on time, and we need to maintain our infrastructure to do that,” McCormick, a Pennsylvania Republican, said in the October 26 statement.
McCormick also indicated that the funding would support Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker’s administration as the city continues addressing disaster-related costs.
The awards reflect two components of federal disaster recovery: repairing damaged public infrastructure and reimbursing local governments for eligible expenses incurred in managing disaster assistance.
For SEPTA, the funding targets signaling and communications equipment used in rail operations along the Manayunk/Norristown corridor. For Philadelphia, the reimbursement covers administrative expenses associated with federal disaster assistance grants.
The allocations are part of FEMA’s continuing financial support for recovery from past disasters, including infrastructure damage sustained during Hurricane Ida.
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