The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) has awarded a contract for Hitachi Rail to supply its new Market-Frankford Line rail fleet.
Under this contract, Hitachi Rail will produce 200 M5 modern railcars to replace SEPTA’s ageing fleet on the Market-Frankford Line. The agency will also have the option to purchase up to 40 additional cars in the future.
This initial order is valued at 724.3 million USD, with delivery scheduled to begin in 2029. Full fleet delivery is then expected by the end of 2031.
Upon entering service, the new trains will enhance the customer experience and provide greater accessibility, capacity and reliability.
“The Market-Frankford Line is SEPTA’s workhorse – moving tens of thousands of people every day to work, school, medical appointments, and many other destinations. This is a critically needed upgrade to our fleet, and the SEPTA Board will work closely with staff to ensure that this procurement proceeds on-schedule and on-budget.”
This purchase is supported by a 317 million USD grant from the US Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) as part of the Rail Vehicle Replacement Program funded by the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
“Replacing this fleet is the top priority in our capital improvement plan, and we are grateful for the support of the Southeast Pennsylvania Congressional Delegation in securing this funding. I also want to assure our customers that we have a dedicated staff of mechanics and engineers who are working hard to keep our current Market-Frankford Line fleet safe and reliable while we prepare for the arrival of the new railcars.”
SEPTA is applying lessons from its current fleet to deliver improvements with the new railcars.
The new vehicles will offer:
- Accessible spaces for riders with mobility devices, strollers, or bicycles
- 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
The M5 railcars will be assembled at Hitachi Rail’s new railcar factory in Hagerstown, Maryland.
“It is a great honour to be awarded the contract to deliver our modern, innovative rail cars for SEPTA’s Market-Frankford Line. The new fleet will offer a modern look as well as huge benefits for passengers – providing more capacity, greater reliability and improved customer experience. The trains will feature the latest passenger information systems and open gangways for ease of use by passengers.
“The fleet will be delivered from our new state-of-the-art railcar factory in Hagerstown, Maryland, confirming Hitachi Rail’s commitment as a local player in the US market and creating new economic opportunities in Philadelphia and across the North East.”
