OFF THE RAILS
FREIGHT TRAIN DERAILS IN RIDLEY PARK, CAUSING MASSIVE COMMUTER WOES
Rush-hour traffic passes overhead as rail crews work to upright two Norfolk Southern freight train cars that derailed near the Crum Lynne Station late Wednesday, creating a nightmare commute Thursday morning.
RIDLEY PARK » It started as a couple of cars of a freight train derailing just before midnight Wednesday night. It ended as a commuter nightmare for thousands of rail riders left stranded without their morning rides. And it’s not over yet.
The last two hopper cars of an 88-car Norfolk Southern freight toppled off the rails about 11:30 p.m. Wednesday. The derailment forced both SEPTA and Amtrak to shut down rail service in the busy region.
No injuries were reported in the incident. The freight train was operating on Amtrak rail lines that are also used by SEPTA.
SEPTA was forced to halt service on its Wilmington/ Newark Line. The transit giant said service would remain shut down all day on Thursday and the stoppage could last several days, since the stone dumped from the train’s load damaged the tracks. Amtrak suspended service on its busy Northeast Corridor for several hours before resuming service - with delays - just before noon.
Late Thursday afternoon SEPTA indicated service on the line would remain shut down through Thursday night, but that they hoped to have some limited service on the line for commuters in time for the Friday morning commute However, they cautioned riders that ongoing Amtrak work will severely limit SEPTA track access to the line, and while they are hoping to design a schedule that will provide as much service as possible, it will not allow enough trains to accommodate normal weekday ridership levels.
The stoppage left riders without their morning ride into the city, and left commuters looking to head south to the nation’s capital stuck in 30th Street Station.
Amtrak spokeswoman Beth Toll said morning that the rail passenger provider is working with the Federal Railroad Association to determine how the last two cars of an 88-car Norfolk Southern train jumped the tracks, causing it to spill its cargo of crushed stone. Toll said it is “too early to speculate on the cause yet.”
According to spokesman Jonathan Glass, the Norfolk train was heading from Birdsboro in Berks County to Edgemoor, Del., around 11:30 p.m. when the last two cars derailed with the last car tipping on its side and losing some of its cargo. The accident happened between the Eddystone and Crum Lynne SEPTA regional rail stations, just behind the Maxim Crane Works on Chester Pike. No injuries were reported.
There are four separate tracks in the area and by mid-morning officials were able to resume some Amtrak service on two of them. Trains could be seen using the stretch by lunch time.
Crews were seen working at the derailment scene to get the cars back on the tracks Thursday morning derailed directly under Interstate 95 as rush-hour traffic passed overhead. The derailed train was on the inside set of the southbound tracks. The wreck appeared to be behind Maxim Crane Works, 600 Chester Pike.
At 7 a.m. at least one commuter arrived at Crum Lynne station to find service suspended.
“The trains aren’t running, there was an accident,” he told a Daily Times photographer he mistook for another commuter.
A crane was being used across the northbound tracks to help upright the two train cars, which spilled gravel when they derailed.
Safety crews were stationed along the tracks north and south derailment to warn any trains
Norfolk personnel coordinated with contractors to re-rail the cars and clear the track. By mid-morning Amtrak service was restored. Toll said track three, where the incident occurred, will be out of service for the next few days for switch and railroad tie repairs. Residual delays were expected.
Service on SEPTA’s Wilmington/Newark line, which uses two of the four tracks, was suspended for the rest of the day.
According to SEPTA, alternate service options for Wilmington/Newark Line customers are available on SEPTA’s website, www.septa.org. Customers are urged to continue checking for updates on the website and by following @SEPTA on Twitter. Glass said Norfolk has an operation agreement to run trains on the tracks of in this region of Amtrak’s northeast corridor.
The investigation continues.