August 27, 2026
Thom Carroll/For PhillyVoice
SEPTA is closing close its trolley tunnel over the next four weekends so it can be repaired. The T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5 trolley lines will switch to bus service during the closure, with riders traveling to and from Center City switching between buses and the Market-Frankford Line at 40th Street.
SEPTA will close the trolley tunnel that connects Center City to West Philly for the next four weekends.
During the closures, the T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5 lines will switch to bus service. The buses will stop at the same intersections as the trolleys. To travel to and from Center City, riders can transfer between the buses and the Market-Frankford Line at 40th and Market streets.
The tunnel will be closed from 2 a.m. on Saturdays until 5 a.m. on Mondays on the weekends of Aug. 29-31, Sept. 12-14, Sept. 19-21 and Sept. 26-28. On Mondays, some the T4 and T5 lines may continue to use buses instead of trolleys through the afternoon.
SPETA said the closure is needed so repairs can be made to the substation, which powers the tunnel and the diversion route, following water damage. The transit authority is closing the tunnel over several weekends to mitigate the service disruption. About 60,000 trolley riders pass through the tunnel every day.
Each summer for the past 14 years, SEPTA has closed the tunnel for several weeks so crews can replace tracks, clean the station and perform maintenance work. In 2025, SEPTA closed the tunnel for twice as long as usual, saying it would not do the annual blitz in 2026 because the city was hosting the World Cup and semiquincentennial.
In November 2025, SEPTA closed the tunnel completely to replace more than 5,000 feet of overhead wiring after it was damaged by new 4-inch sliders — the piece that connects the trolley to the wiring. The tunnel reopened in January.
