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U.S. gives SEPTA $87M to repair, protect infrastructure

The Obama administration has given SEPTA about $87 million to protect transit properties from future storms, officials said Monday. The $86.7 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration's emergency relief program will be used for seven projects:

SEPTA's Regional Rail Zone 5 pulls into the Malvern station. ( ED HILLE / Staff file photo )
SEPTA's Regional Rail Zone 5 pulls into the Malvern station. ( ED HILLE / Staff file photo )Read more

The Obama administration has given SEPTA about $87 million to protect transit properties from future storms, officials said Monday.

The $86.7 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration's emergency relief program will be used for seven projects:

Railroad embankment and slope stabilization, $18.7 million. To stabilize and harden slopes along a series of 19th century railroad cuts in Montgomery and Delaware Counties used by the Warminster, West Trenton, Lansdale/Doylestown, and Media/Elwyn Regional Rail lines.

Sharon Hill Line flood mitigation, $3.8 million. To build a drainage system to pump floodwaters away from the frequently flooded Route 102 Sharon Hill trolley line in Delaware County.

Railroad signal power reinforcement, $32 million. To reinforce signal power systems across the Regional Rail network, where non-insulated cable and old power-distribution systems have proven highly vulnerable to extreme weather.

Ancillary control center, $9 million. To build a backup control center at a strategic location in Philadelphia to allow for remote dispatching of transit service in the event of an emergency.

Subway pump-room emergency power, $3.7 million. To install a series of emergency power systems for pump rooms throughout subway tunnels in Philadelphia. Pumps are constantly pumping groundwater from the subway tunnels, and the new emergency power network will help protect passengers and equipment from the risk of flooding that could result in case of widespread power outages.

Jenkintown flood mitigation, $15 million. To study and make improvements at Jenkintown, a key rail hub in Montgomery County, where water from three streams (Baeder Run, Tacony Creek, and Tookany Creek) often floods the rails and disrupts service.

Manayunk/Norristown Line shoreline stabilization, $4.5 million. To stabilize 2.5 miles of railroad right-of-way on the Schuylkill in Montgomery County, one of SEPTA's most flood-prone areas.

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