July 25, 2024
Provided Image/SEPTA
SEPTA's new Market-Frankford Line subway cars will be manufactured by Hitachi Rail in Maryland. The new fleet of 200 cars is expected to be delivered by the end of 2031.
Future Market-Frankford Line subway cars will have more space, better accessibility and digital signage with real-time information to help riders navigate Philadelphia, SEPTA officials said Thursday.
The new railcars are to be manufactured by Hitachi Rail at the company's new factory in Hagerstown, Maryland. SEPTA awarded Hitachi a $724.3 million contract for 200 new cars, with an option to add up to 40 more. The first batch of railcars are scheduled to arrive in Philadelphia in 2029. The full fleet will be delivered by the end of 2031, SEPTA officials said.
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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."
SEPTA released multiple renderings of the new railcars Thursday, calling the replacement of its aging fleet the top priority of its capital improvement plan. The subways will have capacity for more passengers, an improved communication system and longitudinal seating instead of the rows of two and single seats on the current railcars. People who stand will have handholds to grab on the new cars.
The gangway connections between railcars also will be open for better passenger flow and to provide more visibility for police. And the railcars will be equipped with regenerative braking, which conserves energy by feeding it back into the third rail when the brakes are activated.
A rendering shows the new SEPTA railcars that Hitachi Rail will manufacture for the Market-Frankford subway line.
A rendering shows the interior of the new SEPTA railcars.
SEPTA passengers will be able to move more easily between Market-Frankford Line railcars, which will be designed with open gangways.
"The new fleet will offer a modern look as well as huge benefits for passengers – providing more capacity, greater reliability, and improved customer experience," said Luca D'Aquila, chief operating officer and head of vehicles at Hitachi Rail.
SEPTA's contract for the new cars was aided by a $317 million federal grant awarded in January. The Market-Frankford Line currently uses about 220 M-4 model cars that are about 25 years old and require more frequent maintenance as they reach the end of their lifespan. The federal funding came from the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, a $1.2 trillion package that included money for public transit improvements.
In April, SEPTA canceled its $185 million contract for 45 double-decker Regional Rail trains that had been ordered from China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation in 2017. SEPTA said it had spent an excess of $50 million on the project as deadlines came and went at the company's U.S. manufacturing facility in Massachusetts. SEPTA is assessing options to recoup costs from that project.
SEPTA is in the midst of a systemwide transition to a simplified and color-coded wayfinding system. The Market-Frankford Line, also known as the El, is now being called the blue "L" line within the SEPTA Metro system that includes the orange Broad Street Line ("B"), the green Trolley Lines ("T"), the yellow Route 15 Trolley ("G"), the pink Media and Sharon Hill Trolley Line ("D") and the purple Norristown High Speed Line ("M").
