SEPTA has allowed the
bids on new low floor articulated cars expire owing to quotes that exceeded $3
million per vehicle. The artics would have freed Kawasaki cars for service on
a restored Route 15-Girard. The latest plan, although still tentative, is to
rehabilitate 19 PCC cars for Girard (SEPTA still has about 30 on hand), then
replace the entire fleet of Kawasakis and PCCs in about 15 years. They are
also considering permanent closure of Callow Hill depot and perhaps replacing
it with a small storage and maintenance facility on commuter rail land. RTOL
has also learned that SEPTA has contacted the Czech firm CKD about possibly
bringing its demonstrator T-6 streetcar, now on loan to the RTA in New
Orleans, to Philadelphia for testing, presumably on Girard. At the moment the
car is out of service due to an air conditioning problem, but it is
anticipated repairs will soon be completed.
