In late September of 2025, two SEPTA’s Silverliner IV Regional Rail trains caught on fire. In response, on the 1st of October, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NPTB) issued a federally mandated inspection.

Since then, those who use the regional rail as their main way of transportation, have begun experiencing mass delays, cancellations, and overcrowded conditions.

In September there were multiple incidents of train fires on Regional Rail lines. Some incidents in particular have been deemed by the NPTB the result of dispatchers ordering trains to continue running following a train’s fault light’s illumination. These incidents have led to continued cases of the train catching fire, and the evacuation of passengers and SEPTA crew.

“It pulled in with a bang, but I didn’t notice anything and got on the train. The lights were out, and the conductor quickly got everyone off the train. They weren’t very clear on what the issue was or if it would be running soon, but I smelled smoke and saw a part under the train glowing red,” said sophomore Ben Barsotti in an email.

SEPTA has now begun conducting regular in-person equipment inspections, maintenance and expanded maintenance staffing, and SEPTA’s Control Center aka dispatchers, monitor the trains’ interiors live to check for any alerts or potential issues. As of today, the inspection has been pushed back two weeks, from its original date of October 31st. A phone call with SEPTA’s help center did not give the caller an option to ask questions, so we have yet to know whether SEPTA will be able to meet the requirements in time to pass the inspection.