PHILADELPHIA -- Philadelphia Mayor John Street said that he is hopeful about the prospect of settling a transit strike next week.

No talks are scheduled between the striking unions and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority. But both the mayor and Gov. Ed Rendell said that they plan to discuss ideas with the unions and management to settle the labor dispute.

The strike, which began Monday, has shut down nearly all bus, subway and trolley service in Philadelphia and its Pennsylvania suburbs. SEPTA's commuter rail is still running, though. A few minor bus and van services run by SEPTA are also still running, as is transit not run by SEPTA, including New Jersey Transit and the Patco Speedline.

Thursday afternoon and evening, the regional rails that were still running were delayed for up to two hours when power lines went down near the 30th Street Station.

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The problems shut down all the trains for a time and only left one track open into the city's main transit hub. Service resumed late Thursday night and was back to normal for Friday's commute.

SEPTA and its unions still remain far apart in the labor action that is crippling Philadelphia.

But there are reports that Rendell and Street could meet with both sides as soon as next week.

Rendell told reporters Thursday that he will reach out to both sides if there is no agreement by the weekend.

He said union members and management should contribute the same percentage of their salaries toward health care coverage.

"The union has to understand there's not one iota of public support for the position that we shouldn't be paying for our health care,'' Rendell said. "On the other hand, the union has the right given past history to get reasonable and responsible raises that we can afford.''

Union spokesman Bob Bedard said Wednesday that talks have gone so badly that he doesn't anticipate another round of negotiations taking place anytime soon.

"We're not talking to them anymore,'' he said.

The Transport Workers Union says SEPTA is trying to renege on a deal made years ago in which workers would get modest pay raises in exchange for blue-chip health benefits.

SEPTA has said that sort of health plan isn't realistic anymore with today's high health care costs.

A SEPTA spokesman said no new negotiations were scheduled.