SEPTA announced a major upgrade to their fleet of subway trains on the Market Frankford Line (MFL) that is set to begin in five years.
On Thursday, July 25, 2024, the transit agency awarded a contract to Hitachi Rail STS USA, Inc. for the purchase of modern railcars to replace the aging MFL fleet.
“Under the contract, SEPTA will receive 200 railcars, with the option to order up to 40 additional cars,” a SEPTA spokesperson wrote. “The total contract amount for the base order is $724.3 million.”
The new railcars are scheduled to debut in 2029 with the full fleet delivered by the end of 2031.
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“The Market-Frankford Line is SEPTA’s workhorse – moving tens of thousands of people every day to work, school, medical appointments, and many other destinations,” SEPTA Board Chair Kenneth E. Lawrence Jr. said. “This is a critically needed upgrade to our fleet, and the SEPTA Board will work closely with staff to ensure that this procurement proceeds on-schedule and on-budget.”
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) had announced in February 2024 that SEPTA would receive around $317 million towards the purchase of the new railcars. The spokesperson said it was the largest competitive federal grant in SEPTA’s history. The investment is part of the second Rail Vehicle Replacement Program package that was funded by the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The law has invested around $1.3 billion to replace rail vehicles nationwide, according to the spokesperson.
“Replacing this fleet is the top priority in our capital improvement plan, and we are grateful for the support of the Southeast Pennsylvania Congressional Delegation in securing this funding,” SEPTA CEO and General Manager Leslie S. Richards said. “I also want to assure our customers that we have a dedicated staff of mechanics and engineers who are working hard to keep our current Market-Frankford Line fleet safe and reliable while we prepare for the arrival of the new railcars."
The new fleet will include designated accessible spaces for riders with mobility devices, strollers, or bicycles, the spokesperson wrote. They will also include automatic door operation, digital wayfinding displays with real-time data, regenerative braking to conserve energy, open gangways with increased passenger flow and visibility for law enforcement, greater passenger capacity, an enhanced passenger communication system, longitudinal seating, and handholds for standees.
“It is a great honor to be awarded the contract to deliver our modern, innovative railcars for SEPTA’s Market-Frankford Line [L],” Luca D’Aquila, COO and Head of Vehicles, Hitachi Rail, said. “The new fleet will offer a modern look as well as huge benefits for passengers – providing more capacity, greater reliability, and improved customer experience. The trains will feature the latest passenger information systems and open gangways for ease of use by passengers. The fleet will be delivered from our new state-of-the-art railcar factory in Hagerstown, Maryland, confirming Hitachi Rail’s commitment as a local player in the U.S. market and creating new economic opportunities in Philadelphia and across the Northeast.”
