Cause of PATCO train fire remains a mystery
Service on the PATCO HighSpeed Line was back to normal this morning following a fire yesterday that forced a train to stop on the Ben Franklin Bridge, stranding dozens of passengers for about 90 minutes during the evening rush, authorities said.
Service on the PATCO HighSpeed Line was back to normal this morning following a fire yesterday that forced a train to stop on the Ben Franklin Bridge, stranding dozens of passengers for about 90 minutes during the evening rush, authorities said.
"Everything is on schedule this morning," said Danelle Hunter, a spokeswoman for the Delaware River Port Authority, which operates the commuter rail line.
The cause of the fire remained a mystery this morning, Hunter said. Investigators have speculated that sparks from an electrified third rail may have caused rail ties to ignite. When power was shut down shortly after 3 p.m., a six-car train bound for Philadelphia was left stranded on the span.
None of the passengers was exposed to smoke and no one was injured, Hunter said.
Trains resumed service by 7:15 p.m. over the bridge.
An investigation is continuing.
