With no state funding commitment in place SEPTA must move forward with 20% service reductions and a 21.5% fare increase. Ten days from now—on August 24— vehicles across our Bus and Metro network will run less frequently and with 32 fewer bus routes. On September 1 base transit fares will rise to $2.90 and Regional Rail fares will increase by 21.5%. Regional Rail service cuts begin September 2.
State lawmakers are still negotiating a budget for Pennsylvania and funding for SEPTA is still on the table. If that funding is approved—we will work as quickly as possible to reverse the service cuts but it would take time for us to do so.
The service cuts are the first of several steps SEPTA will take this year to fill a $213 million budget deficit—absent a legislative solution. Additional measures include a second wave of service cuts on January 1, 2026 that include the elimination of five Regional Rail Lines, a 9PM curfew on all rail services, and the elimination of 18 additional bus routes to achieve an overall 45% reduction in service.
We understand that these measures will cause great hardship for our riders and for the city and Southeastern region as a whole. These cuts are new territory for all of us. We will keep fighting to bring service back and deliver the SEPTA that our riders, city, and region deserve.
-via Press Release