SEPTA Announces $724.3 Million Deal with Hitachi for 200 New Market-Frankford Subway Trains in Philadelphia

SEPTA is set to revamp the Market-Frankford Line with 200 new subway trains and possibly 40 additional ones as they aim to modernize transit in Philadelphia starting 2029, as per an announcement made by the transit agency. In a significant move, SEPTA has tapped Hitachi Rail STS USA, Inc. to supply these state-of-the-art railcars in a deal amounting to $724.3 million, with NBC Philadelphia citing a SEPTA spokesperson, stating the current fleet is due for an upgrade. Delivery of the new gear is on the books for completion by the end of 2031.

The renderings of the new SEPTA trains feature enhancements in passenger capacity, live information displays, and more accessible doorways these modern railcars boast technology aimed at streamlining the transit experience with digital wayfinding, automatic door operation, and regenerative braking that conservatively leverages the spirited momentum of the journey, a full suite of updates, reported by 6abc. The introduction of open gangways is slated as a safety measure allowing officers unobstructed sight across all train cars while handholds for those standing aim to make travel more secure and comfortable.

Reinforcing SEPTA's Market-Frankford Line overhaul is a substantial $317 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration, a fragment of the munificent infusion laid out under President Biden's infrastructure initiative. According to CBS News Philadelphia, the federal grant marks the authority's most prodigious competitive windfall to date, embedding itself in the larger narrative where approximately $1.3 billion has been invested nationwide solely for the evolution of rail vehicles.

With local economies in mind, Hitachi plans to assemble these avant-garde railcars at their new facility in Hagerstown, Maryland. Luca D'Aquila, COO and Head of Vehicles at Hitachi Rail, expressed pride in the contract, “It is a great honor to be awarded the contract to deliver our modern, innovative railcars for SEPTA's Market-Frankford Line [L]," emphasizing the amplified capacity and enhanced passenger experiences on the horizon with these interventions he told CBS News Philadelphia.