SEPTA Unprecedentedly Had To Remove 120 Trains From Service And Are Currently Fucking Up A Lot Of People's Lives

PV –
Service is expected to be impacted for a few months after the discovery of a structural defect caused the agency to remove 120 cars – about 13,000 seats or one-third of all SEPTA’s Regional Rail trains – for the foreseeable future. PTA’s Regional Rail commuters on Tuesday morning were dealing with modified schedules, bypassed stops and crowded trains after 120 Silverliner V trains were removed from service to fix a structural defect. Riders packed the platform at Cornwells Heights, a popular stop along the Trenton Line thanks to ample parking near the station. With one train running past the station every hour – with additional trains at 7:18 and 7:35 a.m. – riders waited as the 8:18 a.m. train slipped to 10 minutes, then 20 minutes late. “I decided to take an earlier train, just to see what it would be like today,” Christina Borkowski of Bensalem said as she waited for the train. For the foreseeable future, Regional Rail lines will run on a modified Saturday schedule after the Silverliner V trains – a third of SEPTA’s fleet accounting for about 13,000 seats – were taken out of service after inspectors found a defect in the suspension system. Most lines will have extra trains scheduled in the morning and evening.

Oh no big deal. Just 1/3 of people who usually rely on mass transportation aren’t gonna be able to get to work for the foreseeable future. Fuck it. Thanks SEPTA. Like coming off the Holiday bender wasn’t rough enough. I get that safety is supposed to come first but I wouldn’t mind risking a derailment over dealing with this clusterfuck. And it goes without saying taking the train/bus is a necessary evil, anyways. Riding SEPTA is easily one of the most hated things about Philadelphia. Every sense is tested to its breaking point. The sights of fupas everywhere taking up multiple seats. The distinct smell of stale urine. The sounds of animals who feel the need to scream into their phones. You can even taste the lack of dignity in the air. Everything is downright miserable.

Eh, maybe it’s for the best for most people to take a break from riding the rails for a bit. SEPTA riders are a strange breed. I don’t think anyone wants to be mixed in with these creatures.