Shapiro directs $219.9 million in additional capital funds to SEPTA

Governor Josh Shapiro directed Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) Secretary Mike Carroll to allocate $219.9 million in additional capital funding to the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) on Monday to support urgent safety upgrades and infrastructure improvements.

Following recent orders from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), the Shapiro Administration’s action will ensure SEPTA can comply with federal orders, accelerate needed repairs, and maintain safe, reliable service for the nearly 800,000 Pennsylvanians who rely on SEPTA every day.

“Nearly 800,000 Pennsylvanians rely on SEPTA every single day – to get to school, to work, to medical appointments, and wherever else they need to go safely and reliably,” said Shapiro. “Mass transit is absolutely critical to our Commonwealth’s economy, our communities, and the everyday lives of Pennsylvanians.

“My Administration is stepping up once again to provide SEPTA with the funding it needs to complete critical repairs, meet federal safety requirements, and restore full service – but we need a long-term solution. I will keep fighting for additional recurring funding for mass transit in Harrisburg so that we can invest in mass transit systems, including SEPTA, all across the Commonwealth.”

The $219.9 million in additional PennDOT capital funding will allow SEPTA to accelerate critical safety upgrades, comply with FRA and FTA orders, and maintain reliable service for riders throughout the region. Key investments include:

Upgrades to the Regional Rail Fleet — $95 million

• Enhancements to Silverliner IV safety and electrical systems
• Upgrades to Silverliner V propulsion, electrical systems, and reliability

Railcar Leasing & Procurement — $17 million

• Lease 10 railcars from MARC (Washington–Baltimore region)
• Pursue purchase of 20 railcars from Montréal’s Exo system

Metro Fleet Upgrades — $8 million

• Overhauls of metro fleet traction motors
• Door operator upgrades to ensure safe, reliable service

Utility Fleet & Power Infrastructure Upgrades — $48.4 million

• Replacement of aging overhead catenary wires across SEPTA’s trolley and rail networks
• Purchase of new equipment to allow for more efficient inspections and maintenance of trolley infrastructure

Other Safety-Critical Infrastructure Investments — $51.5 million

• Upgrade of 13 escalators at SEPTA stations
• Purchase advanced inspection technology
• Implement safety improvements at SEPTA’s Control Center to ensure continuity of operations

These investments will allow SEPTA to comply fully with federal safety orders, accelerate Silverliner IV and trolley repairs, and maintain reliable service for residents and visitors.

“These funds are going to make a significant difference in our efforts to overcome this current crisis — and to prevent problems moving forward,” said SEPTA general manager Scott Sauer. “With these new capital dollars, we can advance initiatives that will improve service across the system. This money will be directed to projects that can begin quickly and will enhance safety and reliability for our riders. Thanks to the dedication of our employees, who have been working around the clock, we’re already returning up to five railcars to service each day. We expect to be close to full strength by mid-December, and these new funds will help keep us on the right trajectory as we bolster our preventative maintenance and vehicle overhaul efforts.”

“Again, Governor Shapiro is stepping in to ensure Philadelphia and counties including Montgomery, Chester, Delaware, and Bucks have access to safe, reliable public transportation,” said Senate Democratic Appropriations Chair Sen. Vincent Hughes (D-Philadelphia). “The state Senate has had the opportunity to pass a long-term, sustainable public transit funding solution five times, and time after time, Senate Republicans have blocked our ability to get it done. Now the Republican-led federal government is sounding the alarm about SEPTA’s need for safety and infrastructure improvements, and state Senate Republicans still choose to do nothing. I’m thankful Governor Shapiro is taking action that will end service delays and disruptions. And I will continue to implore my Senate Republican colleagues to work with Democrats to introduce a funding plan that will ensure our buses, trains, and trolleys are able to fully and safely operate for the people who rely on public transportation.”

Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman (R-Indiana) chose to highlight Senate Republicans’ support for a strong and robust transportation network across all regions of Pennsylvania in a statement.

“In August, Senate Republicans passed substantial funding for transportation investments, using existing, and unused taxpayer dollars, coming from the Public Transportation Trust Fund (PTTF). There is value in supporting both road projects and transit, and we took a significant step to unleash those dollars to help all 67 counties across Pennsylvania. At that time, our commonsense solution was rejected by Democrats and Governor Shapiro in an effort to score cheap political points.

“We have been consistent in recognizing the value of transit while making it clear investments by taxpayers need to include reasonable accountability measures. State taxpayers already invest more than $1.5 billion every year for mass transit programs statewide and until our members exposed the massive $2.4 billion in unused funds sitting in the PTTF, those resources remained in the couch cushions of the PennDOT bureaucracy. It was not until our transparency efforts shed light on the massive fund balance that the Governor’s hand was forced to finally make these resources available for their intended use. I am glad the Governor continues to take our advice and use existing resources to support public transit. It’s unfortunate that just one year ago, he took $153 million of funding from critical infrastructure projects to fund transit, neglecting the needs of those who use our roadways every single day.”

Pennsylvania is preparing to host millions of visitors in 2026 for the America 250 celebrations, NCAA March Madness, FIFA World Cup, and MLB All-Star Game.

Steve Ulrich is the managing editor of PoliticsPA.