Philadelphia

SEPTA Shows Silverliner V Cracks That Took 115 Railcars Off Cracks

Nearly two weeks after structural cracks caused SEPTA to take dozens of trains off the tracks, the agency showed off the railcars in question.

SEPTA assistant general manager of operations Ron Hopkins addressed the media Thursday morning and showed off the Silverliner V railcars at SEPTA’s Overbrook shop.

Cracks were found on all but five of the 120 Silverliner V cars that were taken out of service, causing delays that were compounded by signal issues, equipment issues and speed restrictions during extreme heat. [[386797131, C]]

"We obviously are not going to put... a cracked beam back into service," said Hopkins.

SEPTA would run tests to determine its best course of action to correct the problem. While this is no timetable on when repairs could be made, Hopkins said don't expect any before Labor Day.

Earlier, SEPTA general manager Jeff Knueppel said he's not ruling out repairs, but that option looks "unlikely."

SEPTA has borrowed railcars from other agencies after passengers at many Montgomery County and other suburban Regional Rail stations watched packed trains pass during the morning commute.

Knueppel warned the SEPTA slowdown could impact commuters for
the next couple of months.

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