Fattah Joins Community to Open Wayne Junction Regional Rail Station

WASHINGTON, Nov. 13, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, Congressman Chaka Fattah (PA-02) will join the Philadelphia community to open the newly renovated Wayne Junction Regional SEPTA Station. Fattah was instrumental in securing millions in federal funding for the project which has significantly improved service and accessibility for the hundreds of riders who use the station daily.

Fattah, who is a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee and co-chair of the Congressional Urban Caucus, has been a forceful advocate for increased transit funding—especially for Philadelphia and other urban communities around the United States. He participated in the station groundbreaking more than four years ago and since then has helped secure additional federal grants to improve the junction's substation.

"This is an exciting day for the city, for SEPTA, and for the Philadelphians who use this station on a day-to-day basis to commute to and from their jobs," Congressman Fattah said. "Wayne Junction Station is a critical transit hub for thousands of families in North Philadelphia and these renovations were long overdue. I congratulate SEPTA and all involved for their commitment to ensuring that Philadelphia continues to have a strong, modern, safe, and energy-efficient public transportation system. I look forward to our continued partnership in maintaining Philadelphia as a national leader in urban transit."

A portion the Wayne Junction Regional Station funding came from a Federal Transit Administration (FTA) grant in 2011; additional funding for improvements to the Wayne Junction Substation's infrastructure was awarded from a competitive Department of Transportation TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) grant in 2012.  Since then, Philadelphia has received three additional TIGER grant awards—one in each successive round—making it the only city in the country to have received funding in every round.

Last month, Fattah announced that Philadelphia was awarded $10.265 million in new TIGER grant funding—including $3.265 million to convert an abandoned railroad bridge over the Schuylkill River in Pennsylvania's Second District.

SOURCE Office of Congressman Chaka Fattah

Related Links

http://www.fattah.house.gov