The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) has temporarily sidelined 18 Silverliner V rail cars that had been repaired by manufacturer Hyundai Rotem. A recent inspection of the rail cars, made jointly by Hyundai Rotem and SEPTA, found a clearance issue that resulted in minimal, occasional contact between old and new components. A design modification will be made to the foot that supports the new equalizer beam at both ends.
"SEPTA is committed to making sure the repair process is done correctly to ensure a long-lasting life," said Jeffrey D. Knueppel, SEPTA general manager. "This is why we are conducting thorough tests and inspections, such as the one on Saturday that revealed this problem."
The inspection was part of the ongoing effort to evaluate the performance of the new system. The decision to pull the cars from service, made jointly by SEPTA and Hyundai Rotem, reflected concerns over causing damage that would require increased inspection and maintenance efforts. Hyundai Rotem made a design change, and cars the cars will be available for service later this week. The time-frame for completing repairs and returning all Silverliner Vs to service remains early-to-mid November.
Knueppel added, "All parties involved are working around the clock to restore the Silverliner V fleet to service in a timely fashion. We sincerely regret the continued inconvenience to our customers."
Hyundai Rotem is still expected to return enough rail cars to allow for normal weekday Regional Rail schedules by October 3, or October 10, at the latest. The use of leased locomotives and rail cars makes it possible for SEPTA to resume regular weekday schedules by this date before repairs are completed on all Silverliner V rail cars.
Service updates related to the Silverliner V repairs can be found at SEPTA's Interim Weekday Service Information page.