A test trolley exiting the tunnel near 40th and Woodland on Sunday, Jan. 4.

UPDATE (1/10/2026): SEPTA’s Trolley Tunnel (“T Trolley Tunnel”), which has been closed since mid-November, is set to reopen on Monday, Jan. 12 for regular daytime service, according to SEPTA. The tunnel will still be closed indefinitely from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. each night to accommodate additional inspections and maintenance. All trolleys will be diverted to 40th and Market during these hours. The tunnel will also be closed for additional repairs during the following periods:

• From 10 p.m. on Jan. 23 to 5 a.m. on Jan. 26
• From 10 p.m. on Jan. 30 to 5 a.m. on Feb. 2
• From 5 a.m. on Feb. 15 to 10 p.m. on Feb. 22

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SEPTA workers and trolleys participating in test runs seen near the Trolley Tunnel at 40th and Woodland on Saturday, Dec. 13. (Photo West Philly Local)

UPDATE (1/1/2026): SEPTA’s Trolley Tunnel will remain closed through early January until the necessary repairs are complete and test trolley runs are successful, according to a Dec. 31 announcement by SEPTA. The repairs in the tunnel are expected to be completed by the end of this week, after which SEPTA will begin running test trolleys. A target re-opening date for the tunnel has not been announced yet, but is expected to be announced shortly, according to SEPTA.

12/13/2025: SEPTA’s Trolley Tunnel closure is expected to continue until the end of December, as more testing is needed before the tunnel can reopen for regular service, according to the latest announcement by SEPTA.

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UPDATE (12/8/2025): The Trolley Tunnel closure will continue through at least Sunday, Dec. 14, according to the latest announcement by SEPTA: “We know this closure has been frustrating, and we appreciate your continued patience. We are making good progress and hope to have more detailed news soon.”

UPDATE (11/30/2025): The Trolley Tunnel closure will continue through at least Sunday, Dec. 7 as additional testing of the overhead wires in the tunnel must be completed, according to the latest announcement by SEPTA. All trolleys will remain on diversion to 40th and Market during this time.

UPDATE (11/24/2025):  The Trolley Tunnel closure will continue for another week – through at least Sunday, Nov. 30 – according to a recent announcement by SEPTA.

(11/20/2025): The SEPTA Trolley Tunnel remains closed this week while crews continue repairing an overhead wire.

The problems with the wire began in October, soon after new “sliders” (the part that connects the trolley to the overhead wire) were installed on most trolleys. Outages in the tunnel caused some 450 passengers to be evacuated.

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The 2025 Philadelphia Marathon events will be held this weekend, with races on Saturday, Nov. 22 (half marathon) and Sunday, Nov. 23 (marathon). Both of these events will begin at 6:55 a.m.

As always during this annual event, many roads will be closed to accommodate runners. Streets will be closed in many parts of the city from Friday, Nov. 21, through Sunday, Nov. 23. The closures will be implemented on a rolling basis. Traffic delays can be expected, and motorists are advised to use alternate routes and allow for extra driving time.

The streets and roads impacted by closures in West Philadelphia on Saturday, Nov. 22 include:

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Starting Sunday, Sept. 14, SEPTA will restore full service, including the 20 percent Bus and Metro cuts implemented on Aug. 24, according to an announcement. But SEPTA will also reinstate the 20 percent system-wide fare increase, which was put on hold earlier this month. New schedule and service information will be posted on SEPTA’s website at septa.org.

SEPTA’s service will be restored for the next two years thanks to $394 million state capital assistance from The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), which was approved yesterday after SEPTA’s request. Thanks to this funding and the additional revenue from the fare increase, SEPTA is planning to implement its new bus network and support the major events coming to Philadelphia in 2026.

“This is not the long-term funding solution we need to address our $213 million budget deficit,” SEPTA General Manager Scott A. Sauer said in a statement. “But over the last two weeks, we have seen the devastating effects of the service cuts on our customers. Our riders deserve better, and they deserve stability.”

SEPTA is restoring some bus and trolley routes used most by students, thanks to a subsidy from the city.

As the new school year began for Philadelphia public school students on Aug. 25, so did SEPTA service cuts, which reduced service up to 20 percent on most bus routes and eliminated some of them.

SEPTA announced that beginning Sept. 2, more buses and trolleys will be added to the following routes to improve their frequency:

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