Fall semester officially begins this week and students are preparing for new class loads, new living spaces and for the university’s commuter students which make up half of the university’s enrolled students, commuters will now have to make time for a new kind of train delay.
SEPTA announced on July 3 that it would pull 120 of it’s Silverline V Railroad Cars from it’s regional rail due to defects discovered on the trains. These cars represent almost a third of the trains that usually run and close to 13,000 seats for daily SEPTA riders.
SEPTA is working closely with the rail car manufacturer, Hyundai Rotem to fix the issue and return the cars to service. The issue has caused the transit authority to use interim weekday schedules until further notice, the updated train schedules can be found here.
The transit authority urges its customers to make the most of trolleys, buses and other forms of transportation as alternatives until the full fleet of trains is back in action.
Kevin G. Clark, Temple University Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer sent an advisory to the Temple community about the SEPTA changes on August 26. Temple students and faculty are advised that between 3 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., evening rush hour, riders must pay their fare before going to the boarding platform. SEPTA riders will not be able to purchase their fare from the train conductors or other SEPTA employees once aboard the train.
Students are advised to review the new train schedules and make time for delays or consider earlier trains.
If any commuting Owls opt drive to campus instead, several parking garages are available on campus ranging from $60-240 and can be purchased on a month-to-month basis or for an entire semester. More information about parking options can be found here and students can sign up on the TU Parking Account System.
Students are encouraged to make the most of the commuter lounge the university built in February 2015. It’s equipped with a mini kitchenette, wifi, a TV, lockers and lounge seating.
The full fleet of Regional Rail cars is expected to be running come November.
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