SEPTA finishes inspecting Silverliner IV railcars; workers now installing thermal protection circuits

SEPTA has completed federally required inspections on all 223 Silverliner IV Regional Rail cars, meeting an extended deadline set by the Federal Railroad Administration after multiple fires were reported on the cars in recent months.

While the inspections are completed on time, there will still be impacts, and leaders admit it will be some time before the full fleet is back out on the tracks.

Now, all cars are being outfitted with thermal protection circuits , which have sensors that detect if a car is overheating. If those sensors go off, they can kill the power to that car, stopping the overheating and preventing fires before they happen.

SEPTA says in that case, the rest of the cars would power the train to the next stop, so it wouldn't just shut down on the tracks.

SEPTA Reg