In light of SEPTA’s 20% service reduction beginning on Sunday, August 24, ambassadors will be at multiple stations and stops starting on Monday to assist riders with the changes, NBC10 reported.
Ambassadors will be present at the following locations:
- Frankford Transit Center
- 69th St (North Terminal, West Terminal)
- Paoli RR Station
- Fort Washington RR Station
- Wissahickon Transit Center
- 13th & Market
- 15th and JFK
- Norristown Transit Center
- Darby Transit Center
- Woodland and 49th
- Arrott Transit Center
- Spring Garden BSL
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported this morning that some elected officials continue to push back against the service cuts.
“Our people are going to get hurt, and you’re going to get hurt, too. I think that’s the part you’re not grasping,” Rep. Ed Neilson of Philadelphia said on the House floor last week. “You will get hurt, everybody in this commonwealth is going to get hurt. If we shut down the economic engine by not getting people to jobs in Philadelphia and Southeast Pa., there are no taxes being paid to this commonwealth.”
Governor Josh Shapiro and other officials met in closed-door negotiations over the weekend to try to reach a budget and mass transit deal, The Inquirer said.
In related news, SEPTA officials announced on Thursday that a train experienced a fire at Paoli Station in July, the second train fire in recent months. The transit agency said it is working “to develop and implement enhanced safety and inspection procedures” as the cause of the fire is investigated.
Some Regional Rail trips across all lines have been cancelled “out of an abundance of caution” and train cars “experiencing certain mechanical issues” have been temporarily deactivated, according to the announcement.
From the announcement:
SEPTA has the oldest rail fleet in the nation. Many of our trains, including some of our Regional Rail fleet, date back to the Nixon Administration. They are in urgent need of replacement, and while we have plans to acquire new vehicles as part of our Capital Program, we currently do not have funding for this need. We estimate the replacement cost will be $1.7 billion and take seven to 10 years.
In the meantime, SEPTA’s engineering and maintenance teams are being proactive and working hard to keep our aging Regional Rail fleet safe and operational. While we continue to conduct inspections, customers will experience increased delays and cancellations – we apologize for the inconvenience. We encourage you to use the SEPTA app or website to see if your train is affected.
NBC10’s video coverage regarding SEPTA’s ambassadors is below:
Screengrab: NBC10