SEPTA To Install Arrival Clocks

Philadelphia transit riders will soon see some ‘new’ technology at SEPTA stations: countdown clocks showing when the next train is arriving. Thomas Fitzgerald, writing in the Philadelphia Inquirer, explains that prior plans to install digital arrival signs were put on hold in 2020 after a malware attack.

“After a brief trial period at 13th Street to make sure the software is communicating accurate information from the signal system that tracks the location of the trains, SEPTA will wire up the other stations on the El.” The clocks will eventually be installed at Regional Rail stations as well.

According to Fitzgerald, “SEPTA has a $35 million contract with Alstom, a multinational manufacturer based in France that builds trains, railroad signaling systems, and digital mobility software, to modernize its communications with riders.”