U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean P. Duffy today called attention to the gross mismanagement of Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) in a letter to Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro. The transit agency faces a number of growing safety and financial issues that are dangerous for the traveling public.
“The gross mismanagement and neglect of Pennsylvania’s rail and bus systems is alarming,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “As the head of the state, I’m calling on Josh Shapiro to oversee the safety of riders and transit workers. It’s time to get SEPTA’s fiscal house in order.”
In the letter, the Department references five thermal events-including onboard fires – on SEPTA’s commuter rail vehicles in 2025 alone, two of those incidents occurred just last month.
The Secretary is calling attention to the numerous failures on SEPTA’s part that the state has failed to provide proper oversight for including SEPTA’s ever-spiraling $213 million debt which earned them a negative rating from Moody’s Ratings.
Additional USDOT actions against SEPTA:
- On October 1, 2025, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) issued Emergency Order No. 34. This order identifies fourteen conditions that SEPTA must meet to mitigate serious safety risks with its Silverliner IV commuter rail fleet. FRA has also increased the number of rail safety inspectors at SEPTA facilities and on SEPTA equipment to ensure the safety of the traveling public.
- On August 6, 2025, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) demanded information regarding SEPTA’s storage protocols for fire-prone Proterra electric buses to make sure that so-called “green” vehicles do not result in new safety and environmental problems.