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Press Release -- August 30, 2012
Delaware Owned Commuter Rail Car Commemoration Ceremony
Wilmington --
At a ceremony today, Delaware Transit Corporation (DTC) Executive Director Lauren Skiver announced the delivery of the first Delaware State-owned commuter rail cars. The four Silverliner V cars were purchased from Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) as part of the 120 rail car SEPTA procurement from Hyundai Rotem USA in Philadelphia. The rail cars will be used by SEPTA on the Wilmington/Newark Regional Rail Line. The project was funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. Joining Ms. Skiver as speakers were U.S. Senators Thomas R. Carper and Chris Coons, U.S. Congressman John Carney, SEPTA General Manager Joseph Casey and Stephen Gardner, Amtrak Vice President of NEC Infrastructure and Investment Development.
The new Silverliner V offers a larger cabin, bigger windows, and wider seats with seating capacity for up to 109 people. The new commuter cars are fully ADA Accessible with an improved sound system, both internally and externally, as well as digital screens to clearly display stop and route information inside the car, while improved destination signs enhance the outside. And each car is equipped with a video security system. The cars utilize a Green Braking system which allows the AC drive motors to create their own electricity to feed the onboard lighting, heating and cooling. The electricity not used is fed back in the overhead electrical system for other trains to use.
Ms. Skiver said, We are very excited to accept the delivery of four Silverliner V Commuter Rail Cars, the first passenger rail cars ever owned by the State of Delaware. This investment will enable SEPTA to add and improve regional rail services to and from Delaware. DelDOT Secretary, Shailen Bhatt, and I are fully committed to expansion of commuter and intercity passenger rail services in Delaware.
These new SEPTA cars will further improve our air quality by reducing harmful emissions since fewer cars will be on the road and less time will be spent idling in traffic. By promoting public transportation, we will be using less energy and reducing our dependence on foreign oil. Furthermore, these new cars will allow people to travel more efficiently through Delaware, said U.S. Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.). It is a win-win-win solution.
Investments made in our interstate rail infrastructure allow our region to benefit from faster, more reliable transportation, while also improving our economy and environment, Senator Coons said. Every day thousands of Delawareans commute to Pennsylvania for work and often find themselves stuck in traffic on Interstate 95. These traffic jams can lead to longer commutes and less time at work or home. The delivery of these four new SEPTA rail cars to Delaware will provide more options to commuters. The rail cars will help decrease the number of cars on the road, which will not only shorten commuting time, but also decrease air pollution. I applaud the work that SEPTA and the Delaware Transit Corporation have done to improve public transportation and look forward to continuing to work for infrastructure development along the Northeast Corridor.
Investments in infrastructure are investments in the future of our nation, said Congressman Carney. Increasing the capacity of passenger rail not only creates jobs, but protects the environment by taking more vehicles off of the road. With these four new passenger cars, riders will have even more access to the tremendous economic development projects being done in the Wilmington LOMA District, the Riverfront, and the new STAR campus of the University of Delaware.
These new Silverliner rail cars help bring to life our vision for improved commuter rail service and a better experience for all riders, said Delaware Governor Jack Markell. Cities and states that can offer quality commuter transportation options are more likely to keep and attract job-creating enterprises that will grow our economy.
Delaware Department of Transportation Secretary Shailen Bhatt stated, The mission of DelDOT is to provide excellence in transportation. To do that we must be able to continually improve the service we provide in every mode of transportation, including commuter rail. With public transit ridership on the increase, the ARRA funds that made the purchase of these cars possible could not have been more timely or appropriate given our need to work with SEPTA on expanding their capacity in Delaware.
Service improvements for the SEPTA Wilmington/Newark line go into effect Sunday, September 9, 2012. The new schedule includes expanded morning express service both northbound and southbound between Wilmington and Center City Philadelphia, as well as a later evening train to and from Newark. Pocket schedules are currently being printed and should be out for distribution next week; however, it can be viewed on http://www.septa.org/schedules/rail/pdf/future/wil-2012.pdf.
The Delaware Transit Corporation purchase of cars for the Silverliner V fleet created a great opportunity for SEPTA to expand service to a growing transit market in the State of Delaware. Working with DTC we are improving the vitality of the region by offering enhanced convenience, comfort, and travel quality for SEPTA customers who live and work in the First State. Joe Casey, SEPTA General Manager. More information on the Silverline V cars can be found at http://www.septa.org/service/rail/silverliner.html.
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Last Updated: Friday, 24-May-2013 07:44:26 Eastern Daylight Time
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