Woman struck, killed by freight train in Royersford

A female pedestrian was struck and killed by a freight train Sunday morning.

The incident involving a Norfolk Southern freight train occurred around 11:10 a.m. near the Arch Street crossing.

The westbound train, which consisted of two locomotives and 75 cars loaded with steel slabs, was traveling from New Jersey to Ohio, according to a statement from Norfolk Southern obtained by WFMZ TV.

The conductor sounded the horn and applied the brakes when he spotted the woman on the tracks, but the train could not stop in time, Norfolk Southern said in a statement.

Freight trains typically travel at 40 mph through Royersford.

Royersford police were assisted by Limerick police at the scene. The Montgomery County Coroner was also called.

The stopped westbound train blocked both the Main Street and the Arch Street rail crossings, forcing drivers to find alternate routes through downtown Royersford and preventing vehicles from entering Spring City.

Traffic was diverted over Second Avenue in Royersford and police closed the Main Street bridge on the Spring City side for over an hour until the train could uncouple the cars and move the front of the train away from the crossing to open up Main Street to vehicular traffic. The Arch Street crossing was still closed Sunday afternoon. Norfolk Southern personnel are fully cooperating with local law enforcement with the investigation, according to WFMZ.

TOM KELLY III — FOR DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA A police officer walks past the freight train involved in Sunday morning’s fatality involving a pedestrian.