SEPTA's Center City Trolley Tunnel Set to Reopen in Mid-January After Month-Long Repairs
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) announced Friday that it has completed repairs on its Center City trolley tunnel, which was closed since November for overhead wire maintenance. The five-mile stretch of track under Market Street is expected to reopen by mid-January, pending successful test runs and a final inspection.
According to SEPTA officials, the repairs were necessary after a maintenance crew accidentally replaced three-inch sliders with four-inch pieces in an effort to reduce wear and tear on the system. However, this change damaged the overhead infrastructure, resulting in two mass evacuations in October.
To mitigate the disruption, SEPTA has been running shuttle bus service along Market Street between 15th and 40th streets to connect trolley riders during the repairs. The agency's workers reinstalled the original sliders and closed the tunnel again after an initial reopening on November 13.
SEPTA officials have expressed optimism about the completion of the repairs, stating that "we have seen some progress with the testing that is ongoing in the tunnel" and are working to build on this momentum. While a specific reopening date has not been set, SEPTA's media relations director Andrew Busch cautioned that the agency may need to revisit its timeline if any issues arise during the test runs.
The repairs and closure are unrelated to SEPTA's annual maintenance blitz, which blocks off the tunnel for about a month each summer. The agency has also been running shuttle buses on two Delaware County trolley lines since December due to inclement weather events that caused hazards in the area.
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) announced Friday that it has completed repairs on its Center City trolley tunnel, which was closed since November for overhead wire maintenance. The five-mile stretch of track under Market Street is expected to reopen by mid-January, pending successful test runs and a final inspection.
According to SEPTA officials, the repairs were necessary after a maintenance crew accidentally replaced three-inch sliders with four-inch pieces in an effort to reduce wear and tear on the system. However, this change damaged the overhead infrastructure, resulting in two mass evacuations in October.
To mitigate the disruption, SEPTA has been running shuttle bus service along Market Street between 15th and 40th streets to connect trolley riders during the repairs. The agency's workers reinstalled the original sliders and closed the tunnel again after an initial reopening on November 13.
SEPTA officials have expressed optimism about the completion of the repairs, stating that "we have seen some progress with the testing that is ongoing in the tunnel" and are working to build on this momentum. While a specific reopening date has not been set, SEPTA's media relations director Andrew Busch cautioned that the agency may need to revisit its timeline if any issues arise during the test runs.
The repairs and closure are unrelated to SEPTA's annual maintenance blitz, which blocks off the tunnel for about a month each summer. The agency has also been running shuttle buses on two Delaware County trolley lines since December due to inclement weather events that caused hazards in the area.
So, I think it's awesome that they're almost done with the repairs! I mean, who doesn't love a good trolley ride under Market Street 
? And instead of just sitting around waiting for everything to be fixed, SEPTA has been keeping us informed and providing shuttle buses to help us out. That's just so considerate of them 
. Plus, they're being super proactive about testing the tunnel to make sure it's safe and running smoothly - that's some top-notch maintenance right there 
. And let's be real, who needs a specific reopening date when you can count on SEPTA to get everything done eventually? They'll just keep working their magic until we can enjoy our favorite trolley ride again 
.
I'm not surprised to hear that SEPTA's Center City Trolley Tunnel is set to reopen in mid-January after a month-long repair session 
. The whole ordeal seems like an avoidable mess, if you ask me 
. Those sliders were meant to reduce wear and tear, but it ended up causing more problems than it solved 
. And the fact that they had to shut down the tunnel twice for testing and inspection is just a waste of time 
. I guess we can look forward to some reduced commute times and smoother rides ahead 
, but it's not like this was a seamless process from the get-go...
. anyway, hopefully they've learned their lesson and are being more careful with the repairs from now on 
. and yay for shuttle buses... who needs a trolley when you have a reliable bus ride, right? 
... like, can't they just get it right from the start? 3-inch sliders vs 4-inch pieces? come on! 
i mean, i'm all for keeping our trolley system running, but do we really need to test and retest for a month? mid-January is still pretty early for a reopening... let's hope they know what they're doing 
! i know how frustrating it must've been for people stuck without a reliable way to get around midtown philly. and wow, who would've thought that replacing some sliders could cause such major issues? 
at least septa's being proactive about it though, running shuttle bus service the whole time to make up for it.
. let's hope it's back to normal soon!
. And good on them for running shuttle buses during the repairs - that's some great customer service! 
at least they're running shuttle buses, but still... just great timing, right? mid january is basically winter in philly... can't wait for the snow to come back too 
so imo the fact that they had to evacuate twice already says more about how crazy busy and packed the tunnel is lol its not a surprise that they needed extra time for repairs, but it's still good that they're being honest about the potential for issues during testing, i guess some ppl might say they should just open it up earlier and deal with any problems later, but im all about prioritizing safety 