Silverliner Vs rolling out of the plant

The first Silverliner V production car rolled out of its South Philadelphia manufacturing plant July 2, joining three pilot cars assembled in South Korea.

The car is now bound for the National Research Council in Canada, where it will undergo testing of its heating and air conditioning systems.

Assuming all goes according to plan, the car should be back in Philadelphia by early September, according to Dave Casper, SEPTA’s manager for the Silverliner project.

Hyundai Rotem, the consortium building the cars, expects three more to be completed in August and six to roll off assembly lines in September, Casper told a meeting of SEPTA’s Citizen Advisory Council.

After that, Hyundai Rotem expects to complete between nine and 11 a month, with the last car rolling off assembly lines next summer.

SEPTA has ordered 120 Silverliner Vs to replace 73 aging Silverliner II and III cars.

The first four completed cars — the three pilot cars and the first production car — may be in revenue service around Labor Day.

The pilot cars are currently undergoing engineering testing to check whether the new model can perform on SEPTA tracks. Casper said the cars have been passing their tests with flying colors, though one platform at the Airport may have to be trimmed slightly to ensure a Silverliner V consist can stop there under extreme conditions.

Contact the reporter at acampisi@planphilly.com