BREAKING: Judge Orders Restoration of All SEPTA Services, But Fare Hikes Approved

We're getting some breaking news at this time. A judge has ruled that SEPTA must restore all services that were cut in late August. The order also called for the transit agency to stop any plans for additional cuts in the coming days.

SEPTA is Allowed To Hike Fares

SEPTA is, however, allowed to move forward with planned fare increases, according to the decision, which was just handed down by a judge moments ago (Thursday afternoon).

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SEPTA is facing a budget $213 million budget increase, which has called for a reduction in service and a 21.5% fare increase. A ruling just ahead of the holiday weekend (last Friday) had temporarily halted some of the cuts and fare hikes. But today's ruling is significant because it calls on SEPTA to restore services that its cut already (which had largely affected services on city buses and the frequency of train service).

Lawsuit Filed Against SEPTA

The ruling comes after a lawsuit was filed against SEPTA, which said it was illegal for the transit agency to cut the services because they were "not equitable." The lawsuit alleged that it put low-income riders and minorities at a disadvantage.

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SEPTA has not commented on the ruling, which just became public around 5:00 pm on Thursday. So it's not clear how quickly they'll restore services throughout the city (including additional train and bus service across the city and immediate suburbs).

This is a developing story. We'll update it when more information is available shortly.