NTSB urges SEPTA to pull Silverliner rail cars due to fire risk

The National Transportation Safety Board Wednesday urged the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) to act immediately to eliminate fire risks in its fleet of Silverliner IV rail cars.

The NTSB concluded that the outdated design of the Silverliner IV rail cars, in combination with SEPTA’s maintenance and operating practices, represents an immediate and unacceptable safety risk because of the incidence and severity of electrical fires that can spread to occupied compartments, according to an NTSB press release.

The board also found that the risks posed by the design cannot be fully addressed without an extensive fleet retrofit or replacement. SEPTA's current operating practices have failed to protect passengers and crews because defective rail cars have been kept in passenger service, NSTB officials said.

The NTSB issues urgent recommendations to address immediate, critical issues that threaten lives or property. The NTSB does not need to wait until the end of investigations to issue recommendations. Recipients have 30 days to respond. The board's safety recommendations can be viewed by clicking here. 

The recommendations stem from the NTSB’s investigation of a Feb. 6 fire in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, as well as four other Silverliner IV fires: Levittown, New Jersey, June 3; Paoli, Pennsylvania, July 22; Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, Sept. 23 and Philadelphia on Sept. 25.

SEPTA officials said they will not be following the NTSB guidance, according to a CBS News report. In a press conference, SEPTA General Manager Scott Sauer said the agency plans to keep the 225 Silverliner IV cars in service — about two-thirds of the Regional Rail fleet — citing measures already in place to address the fires, according to the news report. 

"We've been working to develop a comprehensive set of 40 mitigation measures," Sauer said. "Due to these efforts, we are confident we can safely continue service with the Silverliner IV fleet."