AGENCY SPOTLIGHT: SEPTA

SEPTA’s blitz of trolley infrastructure maintenance makes immediate improvements and lays the foundation for its future

SEPTA recently completed its 13th annual Trolley Tunnel Closure in Center City on August 11, finishing a monthlong shutdown for vital repairs, maintenance, and cleaning of its trolley infrastructure.

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This year's closure focused on replacing worn track, clearing pipes, drains, and vent wells, replacing overhead contact wire, maintenance of the tunnel signal system, and heavy cleaning of the stations and track ways. Thanks to the tireless effort of SEPTA’s crews, this work will help trolley operations run more smoothly.

“The blitz gives our crews the opportunity to tackle construction, maintenance, and safety improvement work in a concentrated period of time to reduce the number of outages throughout the year,” SEPTA General Manager Scott A. Sauer said.

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The closure, typically held during the summer months to limit impact on riders, paused all service on routes T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5 from July 11 to August 11.

Ensuring this necessary work is completed is even more important in preparation for next summer. There will be no closure in 2026 as Philadelphia will host an impressive slate of special events, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The construction, maintenance and safety improvement work will also help lay the foundation for SEPTA’s Trolley Modernization program. The program is a key part of the Authority’s vision to upgrade the nation’s largest trolley network into a more accessible, faster, and easier system to navigate for riders.

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