STV was selected by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) to lead the procurement for up to 200 new, state-of-the-art M5 metro railcars for SEPTA’s Market-Frankford Line (MFL).

The firm will provide project management, design, engineering, testing, inspection, commissioning, and maintenance support services for the planned procurement.

The new vehicles are a key part in the rejuvenation of SEPTA’s MFL, the cornerstone of its rapid transit network. The MFL carries approximately 54,000 commuters a day from the 69th Street Transportation Center just outside West Philadelphia, through Center City to the Frankford Transportation Center in Northeast Philadelphia.

SEPTA’s Upgraded Railcars

The M5 vehicle procurement is the key component of a larger suite of improvements for the MFL, which last received new vehicles in the late 1990s. At the time, they were the first heavy railcars in SEPTA’s fleet to feature electronic destination signs.

Between 2003 and 2006, the cars underwent minor rehabilitations and upgrades to the interiors.

SEPTA’s MFL upgrades will be partially funded by a $317 million Federal Transit Administration (FTA) grant the authority recently received courtesy of the 2021 Infrastructure and Investment in Jobs Act.

STV has been a long-standing partner with SEPTA and its vehicle procurement programs for more than 20 years, providing professional services for the authority’s Silverline V commuter cars and currently supporting SEPTA’s Trolley Modernization.

Additionally, the firm’s vehicles team has supported the Amtrak Airo Intercity Trainsets, Amtrak Long Distance Fleet Replacement, NJ TRANSIT ALP-45DP Dual-Powered Locomotive, Metro-North Railroad Dual-Powered Locomotives, Metra Bi-level Coaches, and the Maryland MTA Baltimore Metro Subway programs.