SEPTA, Philadelphia’s transport authority, has awarded a contract to Hitachi Rail for the purchase of modern subway (metro) trains to replace the aging Market-Frankford Line [L] fleet. The new fleet will provide significant improvements to the customer experience with greater accessibility, capacity, and reliability. Under the contract, SEPTA will receive 200 railcars, with the option to order up to 40 additional cars. The total contract amount for the base order is $724.3 million. Delivery of the new railcars is scheduled to begin in 2029 with full fleet delivery by the end of 2031.
In February, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced that SEPTA will receive approximately $317 million toward the purchase of the new metro trains – the largest competitive federal grant the Authority has ever won. The investment was part of the second Rail Vehicle Replacement Program package funded by the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which has now invested approximately $1.3 billion to replace rail vehicles nationwide.
The new M-5 series is characterised by the following new features:
SEPTA is utilizing lessons learned from the current fleet to make significant improvements with the new railcars. The new fleet will enhance the customer experience with designated, accessible spaces for riders with mobility devices, strollers, or bicycles. Other features will include:
- Automatic door operation
- Digital wayfinding displays with real-time data
- Regenerative breaking to conserve energy
- Open gangways with increased passenger flow and visibility for law enforcement
- Greater passenger capacity
- Enhanced passenger communication system
- Longitudinal seating
- Handholds for standees
- Onboard digital technology for greater reliability
Hitachi Rail’s North American headquarters is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The M5 railcars will be assembled at the company’s new railcar factory in Hagerstown, Maryland, which utilizes the latest green and digital technology as part of its manufacturing operations. This investment creates highly-skilled manufacturing and engineering jobs throughout Philadelphia, the Commonwealth, and the Northeast.
