SEPTA faces a $213 million budget deficit beginning July 1, and may have to cut service by 45 percent and raise fares by more than 20 percent if the state doesn’t act. 

“There is nothing left to cut from the budget but service,” SEPTA officials said recently. “To avoid service cuts and drastic fare increases, the State must approve a budget that would enable SEPTA to maintain service levels while implementing modest fare increases. This would position SEPTA and Pennsylvania to welcome visitors from around the globe to America’s 250th anniversary celebrations, the FIFA World Cup games, MLB All-Star Week and other events of 2026, and to ensure reliable service for all for the next five years.”

If the state does not come through with funding, the transit agency said it would be forced to eliminate service on five regional rail lines (Cynwyd Line, Chestnut Hill West Line, Paoli/Thorndale Line, Trenton Line, Wilmington/Newark Line), reduce service by 20 percent on those that remain, end service at 9 p.m. and close 66 stations. Service cuts could be implemented as soon as August, officials said, with full effects taking place by January 1, 2026. Fare increases would begin in September. —Justin Franz