The SEPTA board, during its monthy board meeting yesterday, has approved the purchase of an 16 additional Silverliner V cars, adding on to the already 104 cars in the order. This will bring the total up to 120 cars expected to be delivered by 2011. The first pilot cars are expected to arrive later next year. These units will replacing the the 73 Silverliner II, and III cars which have been in service for nearly 50 years and are in need of being replaced!!

Also, the Delaware Transportation Corporation (DTC aka DART First State) has agreed to fund the purchase of four of these additional cars.  These cars will be paid for through federal funding and funds matched by the DTC.  The DTC owned cars will be used for service improvements on the R2 Newark line to address the rising ridership on this line.

The surplus of 47 cars is to address the current overcrowding problems throughout the rail system. Hopefully by 2012, SEPTA will be inundated with enough cars to fully supply service during rush hours without standees.

The total contract price would be $274,076,714.
http://www.pr-inside.com/septa-board-approves-purchase-of-r106578.htm

Also considered is the fact that many people already have to drive to Newark from Maryland in order to take SEPTA into Philadelphia.  If MARC were to extend the Penn Line up to Elkton, Maryland;  Delaware is prepared to extend SEPTA's R2 Newark Line down to Elkton to meet it!  This would make SEPTA Regional Rail unique in the fact that it would serve four states!

Currently, service between Elkton and Newark is provided by DART First State's route 65.

More information is available at this webpage: http://www.cecilwhig.com/articles/2007/03/19/news/01.txt.

As a desperate funding measure, SEPTA is seeking permission to sell two stories of its downtown building as ad space.  They tried it last year with Dunkin' Donuts, but it turned out to be illegial due to zoning laws.  Now, SEPTA is trying again (the right way this time) so that they can get a few extra pennies in their pocket.

On May 26, SEPTA is starting a new service called the Zoo Link.  This route will run from 30th Street Station to the Philadelphia Zoo on weekends. The schedule can be found on SEPTA's website at the following location: http://www.septa.org/service/sched/pdfs/bus_81_x/315ZOOLINK.pdf