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PA-TEC publishes both independent articles and also provides commentary and links to external sources covering newsworthy events.

01/22/2020 - SEPTA Suspends Route 15 Light Rail Service

Effective January 25, 2020, SEPTA is eliminating rail service on surface route 15 due to failing equipment. In recent years, SEPTA has spent millions rehabilitating track and power systems on the line, parts of which have not been used since shut down by I-95 construction. Given SEPTA's "track record", it remains to be seen if rail service will ever return.

08/24/2017 - Vermont Company Rehabilitating Philadelphia built RDC railcars

WILLISTON, Vt. — In spite of a state report that downplayed the feasibility of commuter rail service in northern Vermont, a private company last week announced the purchase of 12 Budd Rail Diesel Cars with the intent to use them for commuter service between Montpelier, Burlington and St. Albans, Vt. AllEarth Renewables, a Williston-based manufacturer of solar panels and associated systems, formed an affiliate company, AllEarth Rail LLC, which bought the 1950s-built self-powered coaches from Dallas Area Rapid Transit. The RDCs were used in the Trinity Railway Express commuter service between Dallas and Fort Worth from 1996 to 2012 and were previously owned by VIA Rail Canada, which also bid to buy them back from DART but lost out to AllEarth.

08/22/2017 - Blood everywhere on SEPTA Speedline

"My face hit the wall, put a big hole in the wall and I went straight down and I blacked out," Ronnie said. "There was blood everywhere. The driver is all banged up and there was this one girl bleeding out of her face pretty bad." Three of the victims were taken to the Lankenau Medical Center and the conductor was taken to the Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. He was treated and later released, according to SEPTA.

02/06/2017 - SEPTA M4 Market Frankford Cars Failure

Similar to the failure on the Silverliner 5 cars, the M4 Adtranz cars used on the Frankford El are sidelined due to structural problems.