SEPTA Completes Trolley Tunnel Blitz
Written by Jennifer McLawhorn, Managing Editor
Courtesy of SEPTA
PHILADELPHIA - SEPTA finished its work on trolley tunnel on August 11 as part of the 2025 Trolley Tunnel Blitz.
On July 7, RT&S reported SEPTA would be closing the Trolley Tunnel from July 11 to August 11 as part of the transit’s “Trolley Tunnel Blitz,” an annual closure to work on track and power maintenance. PennDOT worked on the tunnel located under the Schuylkill River, and it has reopened for service on schedule.
The work is now completed after crews worked on track, power, and signal maintenance. They spent the closure “replacing worn track and overhead contact wire, clearing drains, cleaning platforms, removing graffiti, painting, and performing lighting upgrades.” These efforts prepare SEPTA for “Trolley Modernization,” an effort to transform the network with new vehicles and enhanced stations.
Because of the closure, SEPTA says it has advanced its Trolley Modernization efforts through three ways. The first way it has advanced its efforts is by upgrading the tunnel’s electric system to prepare for fully-accessible trolleys. Second, the replaced track and overhead wire allow for better reliability. SEPTA states it has performed work and tests on the entire system. Third, by clearing off graffiti and paint, it “improves the customer experience.”
