More than a quarter of the CTA’s rail cars are older than federal standards recommend, which will increase costs and mean more delays for riders, the CTA told the Regional Transportation Authority board Thursday in a plea for more capital funding.

The system’s buses are nearly as old and in need of maintenance and replacement, CTA Pres. Ron Huberman, told the board.

“Delaying mid-life overhauls will ultimately increase costs and lead to consumer inconvenience,” he said.

Phil Pagano, executive director of Metra, which runs the area rail system, made the same argument, saying failure to overhaul and replace its fleet of 144 locomotives will “result in costly unscheduled repairs and lead to service delays which will in turn increase train delays.”

The head of Pace, the suburban bus system, joined the other two agencies in pleading for additional money from the RTA.

Huberman said the Federal standard for useful rail car life is 25 years, and 28 percent of the CTA fleet is older than that. Of the CTA’s fleet of 1,190 rail cars, 12 percent were purchased between 1969 and 1970, and 16 percent between 1976 and 1977.

The situation is similar for the CTA’s buses. Huberman said 18 percent of the 2,200 buses were more than 16 years old.

Metra’s Pagano, noting that its ridership has grown 43 percent since 1983, said riders would see more train delays by 2012 if planned coach replacement is suspended. He said that the rehabilitation schedule “has been compromised and will continue as such without proper rehabilitation funds.”

Pace also faces a five-year capital funding shortfall of $282 million, said T.J. Ross, executive director. He also said there is no capital funding for the regional paratransit program that serves persons with disabilities, which needs $61 million over the next five years. In order to reach “a state of good repair,” Pace would need $407 million, he said.

RTA Chairman Jim Reilly made it clear that the agencies were unlikely to see all their requests granted.

“Unless the state transit funding is bigger and goes over the $3 billion mark, nothing will happen, whether we get federal funding or not,” Reilly said.

William Wendt, a transportation activist and legal researcher who was present at the meeting, was not surprised by Reilly’s lukewarm response to the directors’ requests.

“I hope that they finally realize that they are running out of money,” he said.