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Several Repaired SEPTA Trains Back On The Rails Today After July Recall

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The first of SEPTA's repaired Silverliner IV trains are back on the rails this morning.

The transit agency says they hope to have enough cars to return to a normal weekday schedule on the Regional Rails by October 3rd.

A Bensalem company is playing a key role in producing the new beams needed for the repairs.

PennFab president Mike Mabin says each slab is an inch and a half thick and weighs about 4,000 pounds.

"This is a project that we're really doing in a few months that would take six months just to get the materials for it."

It takes about 12 days from the time the beam is cut to the time it's ready to be installed on the cars, and four beams on each of the 120 Silverliner IVs taken out of service.

Septa GM Jeff Kneuppel says the first four repaired cars started running on the Fox Chase line.

"And now we'll just continue to work and return these cars as fast but as safely as we can to service."

SEPTA
Credit: CBS

With the end of vacation season coming on Tuesday, SEPTA expects the highest ridership since the 120 Silverliner IV cars were taken out of service on July 1st. They ask commuters to look at alternates like the supplemental express bus service.

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