SEPTA is delaying several purchases and projects, including one to make a train station more accessible for people with disabilities, because of its ongoing funding crisis, the Philadelphia-based transit authority announced Thursday. 

SEPTA’s board voted to amend its budget to transfer $394 million in capital funds into the operating budget. 

That transfer means SEPTA has to postpone these projects: 

  • The purchase of 247 new hybrid buses
  • A project to make Bristol Station compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act
  • The final phase of an expansion of the Frazer Railroad Facility
  • The purchase of hydrogen and electric-powered buses for a zero-emission pilot program
  • A project to retrofit hybrid buses to run on electric power alone

These cuts are in addition to dozens of other projects that were paused previously to help with the budget deficit, according to SEPTA.

The announcement comes months after SEPTA implemented major service cuts and fare increases in an attempt to deal with a more than $200 million budget deficit. 

SEPTA officials wanted to keep some service running without dipping into capital funds meant for infrastructure needs and improvements, but a lawsuit forced the agency to reverse the cuts. 

PennDOT approved an emergency request that allows SEPTA to use those funds to avoid service cuts for the next two years. 

Fare increases remain in effect across the system, and SEPTA says efforts are underway to crack down on fare evasion and reduce crime.

Railcar inspection 

Meanwhile, SEPTA is under federal scrutiny because of safety concerns on Silverliner IV railcars, which make up part of the Regional Rail fleet.

The Federal Railroad Administration, part of the Department of Transportation, on Oct. 1 ordered top-to-bottom safety checks on the fleet following five fires on the model in the Philadelphia area since February. 

A SEPTA spokesperson said Thursday staff have inspected 82 of 223 Silverliner IV cars. Of those that have been checked, 17 were put back into service. About 150 of the cars are in the repair shops, according to the spokesperson.

SEPTA officials previously said they might not be able to complete all of the inspections before the Oct. 31 deadline and might have to ask for an extension. Regional Rail riders have faced delays and crowded trains because of the ongoing inspections.

Transportation secretary weighs in 

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy sent a letter to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro Thursday expressing concern about the “current safety and financial state” of SEPTA.

According to the letter, the Federal Railroad Administration has increased the number of rail safety inspectors on the SEPTA system.

The letter says that if SEPTA does not complete all of the safety measures ordered by the Federal Railroad Administration order, the FRA could force SEPTA to take all of the unrepaired Silverliner IV cars out of service.

The letter also criticizes the transit system for using capital funds for daily operations and says the system owes the federal government $55 million for a failed effort to buy railcars from a Chinese company.

Pennsylvania state legislators still have not passed a budget, in part because of disagreements about how to fund SEPTA and public transportation across the state.

A SEPTA spokesperson said in an email to CBS News Philadelphia that the transit authority is working through the steps outlined by the Federal Railroad Administration with the goal of getting all the railcars back in service as soon as possible.

CBS News Philadelphia has reached out to the governor’s office and is waiting to hear back.

Joe Holden

contributed to this report.