Trolley tunnel to remain closed until at least Nov. 30
SEPTA says it needs extra time to finish repairs to the overhead catenary system in the tunnel.
SEPTA is extending its trolley tunnel closure through at least Nov. 30, hoping to use the extra time over the Thanksgiving holiday to complete repairs to the overhead catenary power system.
The tunnel has been shut down for most of the last two weeks as crews work on the problem.
Riders should use the Market-Frankford El to travel through Center City, catching the trolleys at 40th and Market Streets.
“My wife, daughter and I are totally dependent on the trolley to get us to work and school, and with a prolonged trolley-tunnel diversion, the system has become unreliable and, frankly, unusable,” Will Tung, a Southwest Philly resident, told the SEPTA board during public comments at its Thursday meeting.
Trolley ridership is typically lower during the week of the Thanksgiving holiday so the closure should be less of a disruption, spokesperson Andrew Busch said.
» READ MORE: What is wrong with the trolley tunnel?
SEPTA is contending with glitches in the connection between the overhead catenary wires in the tunnel and the pole that conducts electricity to the vehicle.
The issue led to two trolleys becoming stranded in October, with a total of 415 passengers needing to be evacuated.