Alt Text 1

Septa's Bus Roster

General Overview

Last Updated: July 31st 2008

The SEPTA bus fleet consists of approximately 1400 buses which operates out of nine (9) depots throughout the Philadelphia metropolitan area. These depots are Allegheny, Comly, Callowhill, Frankford, Frontier, Midvale, Southern, and Victory. The ninth depot, Germantown, is mainly used as the brake shop for the bus system, but is also where contracted routes 310 (Horsham Breeze), 312 (Cornwell Heights Shuttle) and 316 (LUCY) are based out of. Additionally, this is where the RTS and New Looks of the SEPTA Historic Fleet are stored. This section will contain any information regarding to the bus fleet in general, for the latest depot assignments please go here.

The Feet



Neoplan AN-460QR
Photo Taken at Fox Chase
By Jayayess1190

New Flyer DE40LF
Photo Taken at City Hall

By Brandon Shaw.

Eldorado Transmark RE-29
Photo Taken at Willow Grove
By Brandon Shaw

American Ikarus 416.08TA
Photo Taken at Darby Transportation Center
Taken By Joe Butler

New Flyer E40LFR
Taken by Brandon Shaw

New Flyer D40LF
Photo Taken on Chestnut Street
Taken By Brandon Shaw

 

 

 


Neoplan AN-460

Neoplan Artic

#7247 Taken @ Moreland Ave by Brandon Shaw (Tritransit Area)

There are 155 60 foot Neoplans in service, built in 1998-2000.  These units are based out of Allegheny (and are the only buses Allegheny operates) and Midvale depots. These buses can hold as many as 120 people with 60 seats and 65 standees. These buses are mainly used in Northern Philadelphia; however, three (3) of those routes (namely routes 22, 27, 55) venture out into the suburban areas as well. These buses are powered by an powerful Detroit Diesel Series 50 engine and a Allison B-500R-5 Transmission. It's been noted that that the power of these buses has been horrible strictly due to the turbo lag of the series 50.

 


El Dorado Transmark RE-29

The El Dorado's were built in 2001 to replace the existing 35 foot Neoplan AN-435s and some of the 40 foot Neoplan AN-440As that were in operation. These buses mainly dominate the streets in the suburbs however they also run on several routes in the city as well. According to several reports the SEPTA bus fleet has overgrown the size of 30 foot buses meaning that the buses replacing these will likely be meet with 35 foot units. These buses are powered by the Cummins ISB 230 Engine with the Allison 5 speed transmission. They mainly operate out of the suburban depots (Frontier and Victory). and also on several low ridership routes such as the 35, and 77. Germantown depot also operates these buses on route 310. Also several of these buses have the special LUCY scheme, which is based on the regular SEPTA scheme.  However, instead of red and blue as the base colors, green and yellow are used.

 


American Ikarus 416.08TA

#5018 taken@ Penns Landing by Dante Angerville ( Bikeyorph)

The American Ikarus (NABI) currently run out of 8 of the 9 depots.  These NABIs were the first buses to feature the Automatic Stop announcement systems. Also were the first 102 inch wide buses bought since the 1980s.  The NABIs were the first buses delivered in today's SEPTA scheme.  The only difference is that they featured a black trim around the windows. As well as the SEPTA logo over the last windows on the left and right side of the bus (as a wrap).  In 2001 these buses underwent a retrofit of CARD which is advance of GPS/AVL being used by the fleet. 

 


New Flyer D40LF

 5876 in Lansdowne,  Taken by Joe Butler (SEPTA3371CSX1)


 

The New Flyer over the past several years has become the main standard bus in operation. Over 600 units in operation, these low floors currently serve 8/9 depots.  The New Flyers are the first and currently the only low floor buses SEPTA has in operation.  Also, the New Flyers are the first buses ordered with the Twin Vision LED signs, as well as the first buses since the experimental group of Neoplan DK (1986) buses to have rear route identification signs.

There are two main orders of D40LF.  The first order was made in the year 2000 for the order of 300 units; the second order being made in 2003 of 300 units with the option of 20 more per year. The second order of New Flyers received the ZF transmission instead of the Allison transmission.  These units, 5713-5830 and 5851-5950, started delivery in Spring 2004.  In October 2004, Detroit diesel pulled the Series 50 off of the production line, and SEPTA chose the Cummins ISL for their next 120 buses (8000-8119), which were built in 2005. SEPTA keeps these buses at Southern Depot due to their usage of ULSD #1 fuel.

 


Champion Defender

champion

2095 taken by Brandon Shaw (Tritransit Area)

Built and delivered in 2004, these buses are the smallest buses in the fleet.  The Champions are based out of Frontier and Germantown divisions, being used on routes with lower ridership.  Also, the Champions are used by Krapf's Transit for routes contracted out to them by SEPTA.

 


 


Entire Bus Roster (As of June 23rd, 2008)

Year

Manu.

Model

Length

Width

Seating

Engine

Trans.

#

Active

1996-7

American Ikarus

416.08TA

40

102

American Seating Innovator - 850 Detroit Diesel 50 Allison B400 5001-5400

397

1999

Coach & Equipment

Phoenix

25

TBA

TBA Ford Ford 2052-2069

<5

1998

Neoplan

An460

60

102

American Seating Innovator - 850 Detroit Diesel 50 Allison
B500
7101

1

1999

Neoplan

An460

60

102

American Seating Innovator - 850 Detroit Diesel 50 Allison
B500
7102-7108

7

2000

Neoplan

An460

60

102

American Seating Innovator - 850 Detroit Diesel 50 Allison
B500
7109-7255

147

2001

El Dorado

Transmark
RE-29

29

96

American Seating
Model 6468
Cummins ISB Allison
B300
4501-4581

80

2001

New Flyer

D40LF

40

102

American Seating Innovator - 850 Detroit Diesel 50 Allison
B400
5401-5500*

 100

2002

New Flyer

D40LF

40

102

American Seating Innovator - 850 Detroit Diesel 50 Allison
B400
5501-5600*

100

2002

 New Flyer

 DE40LF

 40

 102

USSC Group Aries Cummins ISL Allison
E drive
5601H-5612H*

12

2003

New Flyer

D40LF

40

102

American Seating Innovator - 850 Cummins ISL
Allison B400 5613-5712

100

2004

New Flyer

D40LF

40

102

USSC Group Aries

Detroit Diesel
50**

ZF 6HP-592 5713-5830/5851-5950

218

2004

 Champion

 Defender

 27

 96

Freedman CitiSeat N/A  Allison 1000  2070-2097

 28

2004

New Flyer

DE40LF

40

102

USSC Group Aries Cummins ISL Allison  E drive 5831H-5850H

32

2005

New Flyer

D40LF

40

102

USSC Group Aries Cummins ISL ZF 6HP-592 8000-8119

120 

2007

 Champion

Defender

 27

 96

Freedman CitiSeat N/A Allison 1000 2098-2099 2
2007  New Flyer
 E40LFR  40  102 USSC Group Aries  N/A

TBA

 800  *
2008  New Flyer
 E40LFR  40  102 USSC Group Aries  N/A

TBA

 801-837  31*

 

Notes:

  • El Dorado's 4503 and 4526 have Twin Vision ALL-LED Orange Signs, which they received during their overhaul process.

  • New Flyers 5599-5600 have USSC seats like the 2004 New Flyers.  Also, 5601H-5602H have the American Seating seats, like the 2001-2003 New Flyers

  • New Flyer 5401 was built in 2000

  • All New Flyers sport a rear designation Twinvision All-LED sign in a unique position.  The D40LFs have theirs on the roofline of the bus on the right side. The DE40LFs have theirs mounted on the a/c grill in the upper right hand corner.  Most New Flyers With other Agencies which have rear designation signs place them in the center of the bus above the engine.

  • The Champion Cutaways seat 23 with plastic and cloth seats built by the Freedman company.

  • The Champion Defender cutaways are built on a Freightliner Truck Chassis.

  • Most of the fleet is bike rack equipped aside from the Neoplan AN-440 buses

  • The second batch of 2004 New Flyers (5851-5950) have Catalytic Converters installed on them rather than the particulate trap installed on the rest of the D40LFs

  • 2003-2004 New Flyers D40LF are set to be Retrofitted with Cummins ISL 280 engines, during their overhauls

 

Philadelphia Transit Vehicles 2006