$5.8 Million Federal Grant Awarded for SEPTA's Media-Elwyn Line Extension

Press Release

The U.S. Department of Transportation Wednesday announced a $5.8 million federal grant to the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority. The grant will be directed to implementing and maintaining Positive Train Control systems along SEPTA's Media-Elywn Line. SEPTA is in the process of restoring service along the line to Wawa, Pa. from its current terminus at Elwyn.

"Passenger safety is the top priority of any transit system, and investments into state-of-the art safety technologies can reduce accidents and make our families' commutes to work and school safer," said Congressman Meehan. "As the tragic 2015 crash of Amtrak Train 188 in Northeast Philadelphia showed, Positive Train Control is a system that can quite literally save lives. I'm pleased to see the federal government doing its part to support implementation of this system as SEPTA extends a commuter rail line that already carries more than 10,000 riders per day."

PTC technologies automatically stop or slow a train before certain accidents caused by human error occur, including train-to-train collisions, derailments caused by excessive speed, and movement of a train through a track switch left in the wrong position.

"Positive Train Control is an important safety investment SEPTA has made throughout our Regional Rail system." said SEPTA Board Chairman Pasquale T. Deon, Sr. "All 13 Regional Rail Lines are operating under PTC, and the PTC Grant will allow SEPTA to enhance the performance of the existing system. Additionally, the grant ensures that this critical safety technology will be installed as part of the Elwyn to Wawa service restoration project. We are grateful to the members of our Congressional delegation for making sure this funding was included in the FY 17 appropriations bill."

The grant was funded through a program authorized by the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, supported by Congressman Meehan and signed into law in 2015.

SEPTA expects to complete the project in the summer of 2020. Service beyond Elwyn was discontinued in the 1980s.

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